All of us, at some time, will have to present. It could be a formal presentation at a continuing education workshop, a general practice meeting, a team meeting or something outside work. Many of the skills in this module will be important if you’re simply having an important chat with a would-be colleague in primary care, particularly where the outcome is important for the sector. That is also presenting – presentations don’t always involve slides!

Traditionally, the community pharmacist may have had limited opportunity to deliver a presentation. However, today, pharmacists are more connected, spending more time with GPs, commissioners and professional colleagues. Communication lies at the heart of the success of these interactions and, increasingly, presentations play an important role.

In principle, presentations are an extraordinarily powerful way for one person to communicate with many, and they are integral to how effective teams work. Presenting can be a nerve-racking and stressful experience for most people, but with careful preparation, even the most difficult of presentations can be handled with relative ease and comfort. 

Done well and with impact, presentations speed the flow of information. Done poorly, without thought about the needs of the audience or inadequately prepared, they will impede communication and damage the credibility of the presenter.

If followed, the tips and hints discussed here will help you ensure that your presentation delivers positive results. A successful and impactful presentation makes things happen in the minds of your audience.