Have you ever watched the news or a talk show and admired the presenter while dreaming of being able to speak so confidently?
Many of us may aspire to be a TV presenter and it is not as daunting as one may think. In the modern world, it has become easy to groom yourself without depending on someone irrespective of your educational background. Ultimately it is your presentation skills which matter the most.
So, if you’re confident enough to speak in front of the camera and have the guts to run a whole programme, then this profession might be perfect for you!
What does it take to be an outstanding TV presenter? There are training programmes which might help you achieve this goal but before that, there are many skills you can develop to march toward your dream.
Now let’s get into what skills you can focus on to become a presenter:
Confidence: To become a presenter, you must communicate with the audience through the camera. For this, a presenter needs to have confidence when he/she is communicating. Confidence first shows through the eyes and it has to be visible whenever convening the entire show. Now the question is, how can someone practice confidence in front of a camera? The simple answer is to talk to a mirror every day and notice your voice, body language, the way you express yourself, and give attention to other important details. The more someone can practice, the more that person will develop. On the other hand, if you’re a content creator on a social media platform, this will be quite easy for you because you already know how to hook your audience.
Excellent communication: You have to have good communication skills. It doesn’t matter if you’re presenting the news or interviewing someone, etc, your communication has to be clear and legible enough for your audience to understand what you’re trying to say. The more you will get to know about the audience and what you’re trying to put forth the easier it’ll become to present.
Proper research: The more you get popular the more you have to give attention to every single detail. Ability to research properly to your guest or the news there has to be quality information so that the audience won’t get bored or disgusted. Keep that in mind before jumping into any sensitive question or discussion; remember your guest should not feel uncomfortable or your audience does not feel appropriate. Still, if you have any confusions or questions make sure to discuss it with your teammates or producer of the show.
Creativity: Though it’s not fully dependent on the presenter to create interesting stories or present the story in a creative way. But it’s a plus point if someone has creativity along with some basic skills. In any sort of unwanted situation, creativity plays a major role. Even in any breaking news telecast, there has to be a minimum level of creative way to present it to the audience. If a presenter receives sudden news that needs to be telecast right away then that person has to have some presence of mind to portray the news appropriately. Don’t just fully depend on the producer. Initially, you will make mistakes but day by day you will improve, trust the process.
Presentation skill: A TV presenter presents the whole show and its success depends on how the audience will receive it. Delivering the right context at the right time and in the right way is crucial for the presenter. For this presentation skill is a must. The way you talk, clear voice, attention to detail, having a sense of how the audience will react, etc are the things a presenter should focus on. Even during our university days, we have to give presentations in every course, so it doesn’t matter how much we hate it eventually we have to do well in presentations to get good results. The same goes for the TV Presenter industry, your varsity experience will help you here. Stay consistent to be better.
Interpersonal skills: Every presenter has good interpersonal skills which makes them more attractive. He/she should not only focus on communication skills, they should have good interpersonal skills like good body language, charisma, time management, listening, and authenticity. Express yourself professionally the way you are. You should feel comfortable with your skin, tone, and looks. These will help you develop better interpersonal skills.
Technical skills: Even if you are just presenting in a programme you should have basic technical knowledge. Just knowing technical terms and being familiar with them can increase your confidence and you will be able to work more efficiently. From the production team to the creative director, you will be able to follow instructions effortlessly.
Lastly, following all these can help you get through the first hurdle and get you into TV presenting, but you have to improve consistently. No one can be successful over the night, it requires hard work, patience, passion, and so on. Once you get the flow of it then there is no turning back.