We’re winding up our series on how to keep your listeners attentive, keep yourself energetic, and make the most of your time in the spotlight.
We’ve covered 6 tips in our first two parts. Here’s the last 4:
7. Get Ready for Prime Time
Rehearse. An audience doesn’t want to see you struggling to say what’s on your mind. They’ve come for a show, an organized presentation of thought. Know your lines: your opening line, headlines, bottom line, and story lines. Being prepared will help you come across in a conversational manner, too.
We all need to learn how to rehearse because 80 percent of our success as presenters depends on our backstage process. And our audience is so accustomed to seeing polished speakers on TV and YouTube that when we mere mortals show up and fumble for words, we look like we don’t belong in this modern age.
And don’t get hung up on “keeping it real” and “winging it” for the sake of authenticity. That may be OK for improv artists or those of you who have been on stage for the requisite 10,000 hours. Most of us, without rehearsal, are dull, disjointed, and confusing.
8. Think Human A/V
Know where to stand, either behind the lectern, where you’re half-hidden but feel safer, or out on the open stage, where you can point with your hand to items on your slides. You are the most important visual.
Know how to stand and move in such a way that you communicate the intangibles that motivate others to believe in you. Body language was the first language.
Just don’t block the view of the screen for anyone, and avoid having the projector illuminate your belly with a slide entitled, “Growth in Market Share.”
And by the way, a podium is a raised platform. A lectern is a stand with a slanted top.
Know how to project your voice effectively. There is overwhelming evidence that the tonal qualities of your voice carry a significant amount of information for the audience. In well-spoken English, there is a change of pitch on every stressed syllable.
9. Inform Your Face
Finally, when you’re speaking, if you’re having a good time, inform your face. Your face is the most valuable real estate in any meeting room.
[ctt tweet=”Your face is the most valuable real estate in any meeting room.” coverup=”9DrHi”]
Bangs blocking your forehead, or hair that covers your face when you turn to point to the screen are not good hair-dos for a presenter. You’re more present when we can see your face.
Another poet, an Irishman named William Butler Yeats, said: “I always think a great speaker convinces us not by force of reasoning, but because he is visibly enjoying the beliefs he wants us to accept.”
The audience wants to hear, see, and sense your face enjoying your belief in your clear and simple message. When they do, you and your ideas will be more convincing.
10. Content, Shmontent
Good content may be necessary for a successful presentation, but it isn’t sufficient: it doesn’t guarantee success. You must frame your good content so it holds attention and show up on time, dressed to say what you have to say in a lively, engaging manner.