Ye gads, wake up! Breathe! Go down swinging. Try something. Try anything. Be alive for heavens sake!
One of Tom Peter's quotes. It's a classic and it points up to something that is crucial to effective presentations. Namely, energy. The kind of mental, emotional and physical energy we need to make our speaking a powerful and enjoyable experience.
Let's
look at some ways to strengthen and energize our presentations so that you have your friends, co-workers, bosses and everyone else patting you on the back for a job well done!
We have mentioned that people love an energetic speaker. The more exuberant and high-spirited a speaker is, the more likely the audience will enjoy the talk, regardless of the subject. When a person brings this energy to a meeting, speech or presentation of any kind, he or she acts as a veritable spark plug that gets the others fired up as well.
But energy plays a double edge sword. For if the speaker brings low energy to the presentation, the results, and the meeting itself, can be devastatingly boring.
If you're tired and lethargic, your listeners are going to reflect that same physiology. In others words they're going to mentally and physically slump, yawn and tune you out.
We've all had to sit through meetings that rival a cemetery on a moonless night. A meeting that is so totally listless and dead that few people contribute or even want to be there.
Why is that? What's wrong? Why is the energy in the room so low? Is it the product? The subject matter? The company? Or is it the captain leading the meeting.
Indeed, the guy or gal standing in front of the group is going to set the mood whether we like it or not. If that person doesn't feel good, or if they're just tired, board and burned out, the audience is going to reflect that mood.
Body language is an important part of our business and social advancement. Managers ignore glazed looks as they explain assignments. Great relationships are missed when body language is misinterpreted. Speakers bore an audience with exquisite content yet painfully dull delivery. But all these situations can be avoided if we just take the time to read the other person's visual cues.
Professor Albert Mehrabian from UCLA conducted a study on communication and found that better than 50% of the believability or impact we have on others is attributed to the visual element (what the audience sees and hears). That is, the motions, gestures and expressions you make during the communication process can be more important than the content! Most of us have a vague idea that this is true but it often takes an experience to drive the point home.
Sean had come over from England for intensive flight training. He was tall and skinny. The kind of guy a Sumo wrestler might use for a walking stick. But Sean wanted to learn to fly.
On the day of his first flight the north wind was blowing like a bear. This meant beautiful visibility but also promised a turbulent ride. Undaunted by the wind, Sean was jazzed to get himself into the air.
As we climbed out over the Oakland hills you could see one hundred miles in all directions. And the freedom, the sights, the flavor of commanding an airplane all made for one excited Englishman. However a slow and subtle change would take place in the cockpit.
After climbing to 4,000 feet, Sean's enthusiasm began to fade. He was becoming quiet and detached, as if he didn't care anymore. How could you lose interest in flying so soon? Was he bored? I began to doubt my abilities as a flight instructor.
Perhaps he needed more action. I decided to reverse this apathetic spiral by giving him some enjoyable maneuvers.
COCKPIT TAPE:
"OK SEAN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TRY A STEEP TURN... I THINK YOU?RE GOING TO LIKE THIS ONE."
After a few more minutes Sean became catatonic. Stone faced. A slight bead of sweat formed on his forehead. His instructor still didn't see the signs, but all that was about to change very quickly as Sean finally uttered his true condition.
"WHAT? WHAT!? YOU'RE ILL?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SEAN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE ILL?"
I had ignored the customer at my own demise. To a flight instructor, there are few disasters worse than having a student become sick within the tightly enclosed compartment of a small aircraft. Fearing the worst, I tried to calmly reason with Sean and make a suggestion.
"DON'T THROW UP! TURN YOUR HEAD, OPEN THE SIDE WINDOW ALL THE WAY, AND THEN THROW UP, SEAN."
Unfortunately, Sean followed my instructions to a T. As soon as the window was flung open, charts and papers began to fly about. The cockpit was crazy with wind. As Sean turned his head in a final lurch toward the open window, a tornado of swirling air flowed through the cockpit.
Seconds later I felt something mat on the back of my head?
This disaster could have been easily prevented had I been more attuned to Sean's body language. His clues screamed out that something was rotten in Reno.
Body language is often more subtle but it's there none the less. The cant of a head. The expression in the eyes. The open smile (or lack of). Folded arms, pursed lips - they are all clues that tell a story about the other person. Use those messages to help you anticipate the behavior of the other person.
If the eyes are starting to glass over, or others are peeking at their wristwatch, you may need to modify your delivery.
Up until now we've talked about the other person's body language. But how do we enhance our own? How do we adjust our body language to help spike the energy in the room?
By creating body buzz.
Body buzz is the energy you impart to the audience and it makes a huge difference in how your listeners will absorb or respond to your message. The following are three tips to enhance the overall buzz of the presentation or meeting.
1. Keep your eye on the eyeballs!
It's been said the eyes are the most powerful communication tool you've got. Good eye contact can warm you immediately to a listener. You'll appear more personable and your listeners will be more inclined to lend an ear when they feel you are speaking directly to them.
As you go from person to person look for friendly faces. Those people who are nodding in agreement, smiling and engaged in your message will give you added confidence and energy. These are the people you want to return to for more energy and confidence as your talk progresses.
While doing this keep in mind there will be some people in your audience who will be so preoccupied with other thoughts that nothing you say or do can bring them out of their expressionless stupor. If this is the case, and you find their expression a distraction, then concentrate on the friendly faces and avoid looking at the sourpuss.
2. Vary the voice.
By varying the tone, volume and rate, the voice can quite literally paint beautiful pictures. With a whisper it can let your audience in on a secret. With increased volume, you can accent an important point.
Be weary of a monotone voice. It can be deadly to energy. Even if you are used to speaking in a very narrow voice range, experiment a bit. Push the envelope. Animate as you talk. What do ya have to lose? Have some fun with it. Your audience will enjoy the variations and appreciate the added energy.
3. Move it!
Many of us will stand in one spot afraid to move about. Worse yet, if we become addicted to PowerPoint things can really get ugly. Nothing kills a presentation quicker than clicking though a stack of slides, as the presenter reads each one, making little connection to the audience.
So instead of being a frozen statue, act as if you own the floor. That's right, treat the area as if you own it. Walk, animate, gesture.
Move about and you convey authority. If you use PowerPoint, use it judiciously. Remember you are the power. The projector is merely a tool. Therefore, combine movement with good eye contact, an engaging voice and overall energy and you will be unstoppable. In fact if you want to push the envelop a bit, consider moving toward the audience. Get right in their face. This tactic will guarantee you an increase in energy and interest.
Don't be afraid to let your personality and passion freely project the dynamic character you really are. In doing so, your meetings will shine, your listeners will appreciate your creativity and energy, and you will love the feeling you get when you discover you're a better communicator than you thought.
