On a snowy Friday morning, I carefully trod to Lunchroom The Post. I did not want to slip on the sleet and endure wet trousers. For I was going to spend the whole day at a presentation skills workshop.
Mark Robinson, both a TEDx Speaker himself and a TEDx speaker coach, conducts presentation skills workshops. He is also a guest writer for Eindhoven News. Mark Robinson invited an Eindhoven News volunteer to participate in his presentation skills workshop. So here is a first-hand perspective of the workshop.
The attendance in presentation skills workshop was at maximum capacity: ten participants, five Dutch and five international. All participants were asked to prepare a presentation for the workshop. Each participant presented one at a time, after which the other attendees and Mark gave POSITIVE feedback. Between each presentation, Mark gave a master class on presentation skills. This formed the pattern for the morning of the diligently planned workshop.
Mid-morning Mark surprised the group with fresh scrumptious pastry! The lessons focus on what great presentations need, how to start a presentation, how to prepare, how to engage the audience and how to end and many other topics.
Then came the icing on the cake: we were asked to make another presentation. With the inspiration and knowledge from Mark’s lessons, we all felt much more confident with our second presentation. Those who stumbled or whose hearts raced while presenting in the morning were breezing through in the second opportunity! The cherry on the cake was listening to Babah Tarawally, an author and one of the TEDx Eindhoven 2019 speakers whom Mark coached. Like the rest of us, he also participated in the workshop to upgrade his skills.
The workshop debunked many myths about the art of presenting. Mark emphasises storytelling and asking questions rather than PowerPoint slides. Mark’s style intrigued the participants and demystified the standard norms. Mark has developed this strategy based on his clear understanding of social psychology of the target audience.
Participant reviews
- “It is very encouraging to practise tips and feedback to help deliver the beautiful message that you have inside you, and deliver that to your audience in a concise, yet in an enjoyable way.”
- “The whole day was interesting; not only the theoretical aspects but also the presentations and feedback of the group.”
- “Thank you for the inspiring day, I really recommend this workshop!”
- “Had a great experience. Top.”
- “I enjoyed the positive and interactive style of the workshop.”
- ” had an awesome time!”
I am in awe too. In my experience, the workshop was a hands-on training that I would readily recommend to those whose job involves making presentations.
Mark explains “When people leave my course, they take away three new skills:
- The ability to speak clearly, confidently and persuasively in front of a group.
- A new level of self-confidence which benefits home and work life.
- A far more positive mindset, with the challenge to experience further the benefits of positive feedback.
And they also take, especially on this last course, the new friendships they have formed with the other participants.” If you are interested to know more then find out about the workshop https://www.markrobinsontraining.com.
For Eindhoven News: Beena Arunraj
