Another step in enhancing your Workplace Presenter’s Tool Kit is to polish your facial expression. Remember that your audience only knows what it hears and sees. Not only is your face a great natural visual aid, it can also show nervousness or lack of confidence very quickly and clearly. So … look the part you’re playing – that of a confident and credible presenter.
Presentations
Executive Presenters From Hell
Last month, I ranted about why so many executives are such poor communicators. Several readers indicated they felt that pain and wanted to know what their organizations could do about the situation. I’d offer these suggestions, based on years experience as a workplace communication manager, consultant, trainer and executive coach:
Give Them a Hand
I hope you found the recent summary of Gesturing ‘Worst Practices’ an interesting and mildly amusing trip. And if too much of it sounded like you … we have an app for that. So, fasten your seat belts for a quick spin around Gesturing Best Practices and how to give your audience a hand.
That’s Why They Call it an Elevator SPEECH
When I work with business professionals to enhance their Elevator Speech, I remind them of the major similarities between it and a typical workplace presentation:
Make Your Delivery Noteworthy
Seems hard to believe, but something as small and potentially insignificant as your speaker notes can make the difference between good presenters and great ones in the eyes of your audience. And, after all, their perception is your reality.
What follows is a collection of speaker notes Worst and Best Practices based on a combination of on-going professional research, personal practice, observing best-in-class presenters and coaching many workplace presenters. See how your use of notes compares to them.
Where Should I Stand?
A reader recently asked that question and here’s a summary of my reply.
Presenters should generally stand on the audience’s left where possible:
Don’t Hand it to Your Audience
What do you do with your hands as you continue harnessing your physical power on the platform? I get that one a lot. Your maker endowed you with two wonderful visual aids – and what you do, and don’t do, with them says a lot about your confidence and credibility as a presenter.
This month, we’ll summarize ‘Gesturing ‘Worst Practices’ – it should be interesting and mildly amusing trip, unless it sounds like I’m talking about you. Next month, we’ll move on to ‘Best Practices’. Sound like a plan to you?
Move Them By Not Moving
‘Stand & Deliver’, a recent article on harnessing physical delivery power generated several questions from readers. I responded to them privately, but thought all of you would benefit from some excerpts of my comments.
Slow Down … You Talk Too Fast!
Now that you’re all speaking up with more volume and vocal energy, it’s time to slow you down. An important component of your vocal delivery, your pace or rate of speaking can also impact your audience’s attention, interest and opinion of you. So can your ability to pause effectively.
Slow Down
Just as audience members tend to perceive a soft-spoken speaker as lacking in confidence or credibility, they react similarly to a fast-talking speaker. It doesn’t matter if this perception is accurate because their perception is your reality. You are what they think you are.
Just Say ‘No’ To Laser Pointers
Recently, a website visitor asked ‘Why do you recommend against using a laser pointer?’ There are three issues about laser pointers that erode your image of competency or credibility: