Spending weeks preparing the materials for a presentation will have little effect if your delivery isn’t spot on. Stuttering, fidgeting and other quirks usually driven by nervousness distract from the key message of a presentation and draw more attention to you than to your material. During your presentation, it’s important to take a moment every once in awhile to be self-aware of your voice, body and facial expressions. Are you playing with your pen while you talk out of boredom, or is your face stone cold due to public speaking anxiety? The more you can identify what your particular bad habits are, the better you’ll be able to amend them for future presentations.
Be a Sweet Talker
Our speech affectations are part of what makes us unique. Unfortunately, this can come back to haunt us when giving a presentation. A stutter or lisp can be distracting and also make it hard for your audience to understand what you’re saying. Know what your specific faults are – whether it’s talking too quietly or saying “umm…” a lot – and take steps to minimize how they interfere with your message. But don’t be too hard on yourself – it will be a process.
Make the Right Moves
There is a right time for everything, and in a presentation, your movements should be well orchestrated. If you’ve ever been to a theater performance, you might have noticed that subconsciously your eyes shift to look at whatever character is moving around on stage. This is intentional. When you move around on your “stage”, people will look at you and not at what you are presenting to them. To ensure their full attention on the content of your program, only move a) when it’s necessary (such as to get from point A to point B, or b) when your audience doesn’t need to be looking at anything else.
Fret Not, Fidget Not
Similarly, random movements with your hands and other body parts will detract attention away from both your written and visual content and what you are saying. Playing with a pen, wringing your hands, or tapping your foot will draw more attention to your fidgeting than your figures. It’s best to get those jitters out before you get on stage. Walking around, do some jumping jacks, or whatever it is you need to do to wring the nervousness out of your body. If coffee makes you jumpy, swap it out for less caffeinated tea the day of your presentation. Do what is necessary to get relaxed beforehand, and you’ll likely find less of an impulse to fidget. If your restlessness isn’t due to nervousness, figure out where your bad habit comes from. Perhaps it’s something you started doing to help you remember something in your talk but it’s more distracting than helpful.
Put on a Happy Face (When Applicable)
It’s not necessary to smile insidiously at your audience throughout your entire presentation (this might scare them away!). But changing your expressions and making eye contact at the appropriate times will keep you more engaged with them. Widen your eyes when you make a point that you want them to pay attention to – be provocative when you show them something that they should find compelling. Smile or even laugh a little when telling a story related to their industry. Be serious – just briefly – when discussing more grave topics, like profit loss and customer dissatisfaction. The big takeaway here is not to stand there blank-faced. Moderate shifts in tone and facial expression will get them on the same page as you. Make your face come to life, and your presentation will, too.
Diagnose the Problem to Find the Cure
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