Tips to Avoid Demo Drama - Tip 5: Learn from professionals

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One question that is often asked is whether it is worth attending a course on giving presentations or demos.

The answer is that if you have the opportunity and time, then yes! You will always pick up something valuable and improve your presentation/demo skills.

For example, I once attended a course where all the presentation sessions were recorded. This was rather scary, but there were some important lessons. The main one for me was to watch what you are wearing, because if you choose wrongly, it can distract your audience from your message. During one session, I was wearing a white belt. When we watched the recording, that was pretty much all I could see or concentrate on. I have a handful of examples where this has actually happened to me in real life. On one occasion, someone came up to me after my presentation and asked me where I bought my very cool tie. Flattering—but not what you want audiences to take away from your presentations.

This course also taught be that sometimes the more important lessons are unexpected—and that you take your learning wherever it appears.