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Move: Make
most of your movement. I appreciate value of high energy and enthusiasm. Many of my presentations incorporate both strategies. At times however, too much high-energy and movement can be distracting, actually taking away from your message. Appropriate use of movement is key. Simple hand gestures may be all you need to make a point. On other hand, sometimes it may take running around room. Your movement is most effective when it helps audience connect to your subject.
Voice: Use your voice to make your point. Seems obvious, use your voice when you are speaking. Well, here are some specific tips on HOW to use it: * Speak up! - Nothing takes away from a great presentation more than having audience members acting like a commercial for Miracle Ear, 'What'd he say!?" Have someone stand in back of room and signal if you need to be louder. * No fillers - similar to foods, best presentations have no fillers. That is, no 'um's, uh's" to fill space between when you think of something and when you actually say it. Silence between statements allows your audience to process what you said. * Switch it up - to emphasize a point, speak louder or even speak softer; change in volume will get audience's attention.
Respect: Show respect to audience and they will show it to you. Remember, audience wants you to do well and smallest amount of respect will win over even toughest critics. Similar to one-on-one conversations, showing respect to people can make all difference in communication. Here are some ways to demonstrate respect for your audience: * Eye contact - maintain eye contact with audience. Slowly move from person to person and occasionally hold contact for a few seconds. * Honesty - when you don't know answer, admit it, offer to find out, and get back to person. * Save face - if you must disagree with an audience member, do so in a manner that allows person to save face. * Self-correction - if an audience member is not paying attention, encourage self-correction, by walking closer to them as you speak. The 'distracter" will notice your proximity and stop distraction.
There you have it, seven tips on becoming a dynamic presenter and imagining audience in their underwear was not among them. Incorporate these tips as best you can, but do not allow them to take away from who you are and what you say. Some of most successful speakers break several speaking rules. Take these seven tips, mix them with your own unique style, and your presentations are sure to be dynamic!
Kevin Kearns is President of Kearns Advantage, a leadership coaching company. Kearns Advantage has a proven track record of developing strong leaders. Kevin holds a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and is a member of the Coachville Graduate School of Coaching. Subscribe to Kevin’s free leadership newsletter at www.kearnsadvantage.com.
