Do you like to talk?

What comes to your mind? When someone mentioned presentation?

Many friends tell me, scary lah presentation, standing infront of the whole class of people, with trembling sweaty hands that can damp a handkerchief and knees turn into jelly situation. In a hall of 50 person, 100 eyes staring at you. Suddenly you feel your breath and heartbeat, you hear yourself as you swallow some salive down your throat.

That one day I saw this professor promoting his new written book about Sudoku in a bookstore. He's going to give a talk about the techiniques to handle this type of maths puzzle. In his 50s, this old gentleman is constantly preparing and setting up his books on the little table beside a white board, where he drew the 9X9 square with some figures in it. A typical 1 star type of sudoku, which looks identical as the handout he puts on the 15 chairs sitting neatly opposite the white board.

Some of his helpers are busy giving out some leaflets, promoting his books along his brief education background. I took one as I walk into this bookshop, well it is interesting to me since I'm a sudoku player and I've seen various of these books in some bookstore back in Sheffield, even 3 D Sudoku game board and electronic types, along with those daily 'Metro' tabloid's sudoku column. It's been a fame in England sometime, however it seem a little dull in Malaysia. I stood nearly looking at people walking past the little presentation set up, not many interested in it. I look at the watch, the presentation is starting in 5 minutes, however only 1 sweet smiling old lady sitting there, along with a teenager who looks interested in Sudoku, but wander around probably feeling too shy to sit down there. The professor look at the audience, then he turn around sipping water from his water bottle, and looking at his watch. He look a little stress up, and probably he is trying to relax himself.

5 minutes past. The professor look at the 2 audience, and decide to wait. I flip through some books, then I walk over there and sit behind the lady. She is a friendly lady and she turn to smile at me, while I nod to her. She then go back to the sudoku on the given handout. An American/Canadian lady pursue by the boy giving out leaflet to her, and sit down beside me.

The professor wait patiently for another 5 minutes, then he start the presentation. It must be quite difficult for him to put his concentration in this open space since people walking in and out of this bookstore, glance at the white board and him, and walk away. 3 audiences listening to him, and slowly some people stop and stand behind the chairs listen to him. I've never experience this type of presentation, however being able to talk when I am not sure whether people will be interested enough to stop and listen to me, and in my mind keeps playing the assumption of 'what will they think? Will I bored them?' while only a handful of people infront of me and allow me to do all the talking, and none of the audience are of familiar faces. Anyway it is just scary without the real reason of why people do feel tension with presentation, stress and uneasy. If they are really of no interest and feeling bored, they might just simply stand up and walk away since this is not a compulsory course of lecture?

Anyway the professor do well after 15 minutes. He starting to feel relax and more comfortable of speaking. Many stop and listen to his explaination.

:) Now it brings me back to those good old times in CPU where the students have various creative ideas with their projects and attractive performing ways. Some make good lecturer, and some make good performers through effective conveying of ideas. I used to be dread by presentation however that 1 year trained me to wait for a chance of presentation, probably because of those familiar faces in the class.

I am waiting for an interview from a great company, in a position that requires high degree of people interaction with good interpersonal and communication skills. Probably due to my babling in confidence with presentation the lady who read CVs pick me for an interview in this coming month. Still couldn't stop myself from feeling so energetic, I can't believe this might go to my first ever real formal type interview. Is it that someone who has really help me doing this big favour? Oh God...

Presentations train self confidence. I believe it is a very powerful and treasure skill that will lead someone down a long journey of success.