Lydia's Top Tips - December 2002
Think about this: You may be an experienced speaker, but are you an interesting speaker?
One of our clients recently confided "I've been giving presentations for years, so it's not that I am lacking in confidence, but I am concerned that my audience is not connecting with me. I've been told that this is because I'm a little sure of myself and consequently appear a little bored with what I'm saying. How do I get back that initial interest, excitement and passion for my subject? How do I make sure that I'm an interesting speaker?"
There are several ways to get the enthusiasm and dynamism that all excellent speakers have. One we obviously recommend is to go on a refresher course where you can get some new perspectives on your subject area and reconnect with that initial passion. Another is to use one of the 15 key techniques that can add sparkle to a speaker who 'knows it all'. Here are a few to think about:
Machine Gunning
An audience can easily keep three important points in their heads at one time. If you make four or five, most of your audience will forget some of them. But when you make six, seven or eight points using this technique, even though no one will remember them all, you will impress your audience with the force of your overall argument. The list is delivered at speed. Each point is stressed to create a Machine Gun effect. Bang-bang-bang bang-bang-bang bang-bang-bang! Bill Clinton uses this technique to great effect.
Dramatic Contrast
You will immediately get the attention of your audience when you make your point with two strongly opposing ideas. "If we don't take care of the customer, someone else will." People are very aware of opposites - good and bad, past and present, profit and loss, now and later. All these have a natural balance and texture. Good presenters frequently use them to reinforce points they are making.
Emphasis
You as a presenter, can dramatically change the significance of what you say in a presentation by emphasising words which would normally be unstressed or contracted.
Compare:
- It's our best chance of success.
- It is our best chance of success.
- I believe it's possible to reach agreement.
- I do believe it's possible to reach agreement.
Koffi Annan uses emphatic expressions regularly in formal presentations.
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