The Power of a Strong Presentation

By Varsha Vasu & Piya Malhan

HOUSTON: Screech! Flinching at the sound of the microphone, we all turned towards the podium to find a man, whose intentionally clumsy gait, and bright blue sweatshirt stood out in the crowd of black-suits and formal dresses at the YLDP Class of 2016 – 2017’s orientation on August 27. As the man struggled to get his PowerPoint presentation to work, the anxious audience resisted distractions and tried to maintain the energetic atmosphere of the conference room in India House.

Unexpectedly, the speaker stood up straight, and exclaimed, “THIS is exactly what one should NOT do prior to beginning a presentation.”

Fumbling for their pens and paper, the members in the audience were briefly reintroduced to Chuck Hinkle, a professional presentations coach. Casting his bright blue sweatshirt aside and thereby exposing his formal attire, Hinkle started to explain the importance of a first impression. We, as a group of eager teenagers, started to feel at ease with his conversational tone, which held our attention until the very end. Hinkle effectively communicated and explained to us the essential to-dos of making a powerful presentation. By conveying to us the importance of never apologizing, the potency of using only images on slides, and the effect of a poised delivery, Hinkle stayed true to his profession and successfully coached a group of previously reserved teenagers into commanding presenters who now know how to exhibit a strong sense of vocal authority.

Our freshly acquired knowledge paves the way for our personal development, as we are able to reconsider previous conceptions on presentations, and view the topic in a unique light. This allows us to apply our knowledge in various settings, including in school and future endeavors.

With his confidence and enthusiastic approach, Chuck Hinkle expertly imparted valuable lessons on delivering spectacular presentations to a group of passionate teenagers. His presentation left us yearning for more information on this topic, for his ability to adequately inform his audience about his purpose is something that we, the next generation, strive to attain.