(note: I am challenging myself to write every day for 30 days. What follows may not necessarily be interesting or even coherent. Parental discretion is advised.)
This Saturday, two days from now, I will be giving a presentation for the first time in my life, regarding the conscious use of cannabis.
I feel mildly anxious about how it will all go. The handful of times I’ve had to speak in public did prompt me to feel like a deer in headlights while speaking but in hindsight I realized that I didn’t experience humiliation and embarrassment to the point that I needed to wear an potato sack over my head for the rest of my days. The world didn’t end because I sucked at talking.
In preparing for this event, I thought about the presentations I’ve enjoyed in the past and tried to pin down what I liked most.
What follows are eight suggestions to help you succeed at giving a presentation on your (gulps) first try.
#1 Be warm and engaging
What does “warm and engaging” mean exactly?
Warmth to me is the quality of being comfortable and generous with emotions while allowing yourself to be vulnerable and sensitive.
Warm people are thought to be compassionate, approachable and easy to engage with. They know how to hug. They smile. They’re likely to invite you over to their house for dinner because they genuinely value your company.
The opposite of warmth, involves being “cold” and that can include the use of distance, sarcasm, irony, defensiveness and other tactics that masks feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and a lack of self-awareness among other symptoms.
Cold people are the types you smile at who refuse to smile back. They are the ones who takes up the middle of a grocery aisle with their cart and are oblivious to your approach without offering to apologize for their rudeness.
Don’t be that person.
Developing a warm character comes from having empathy, consideration, respect and gratitude. How many “cold” speakers do you know of that you admire and resonate with? Probably none.
How we feel at any given time leaks out in our posture, our mannerisms and the words we choose to use. Try as we must, but feelings can be hard to mask and express themselves in a myriad of different forms. Being aware of this fact can greatly assist in becoming more friendly and approachable to an audience.
Engagement is defined as the ability to connect and keep attention. Smiling, eye contact, expressing vulnerability — are useful techniques to deploy that can help feel as if you were addressing friends and family rather than a roomful of silent strangers making dark and sinister judgments about your level of worth and competency. Maybe that guy in front really does want to kill your dog. Who knows? Who cares? Long as he’s engaged and listening.
Working at becoming warm and engaging can pay dividends everywhere you go in life and not just with presentations.
#2 Say only what needs to be said
A good presentation conveys information that is easily digested. Jargon, flowery language and anecdotes that seem to go on forever without getting to the point — all make for a sleepy-eyed phone-checking audience.
Look over what you wish to present. How much of it is actually important? What are the most interesting bits? What do you think is irrelevant to the point you are wanting to get across? Take out the superfluous and redundant and really boil it down to the essentials.
A rambling monologue can cause restlessness and boredom if precious minutes are being wasted filling the air with noise.
Be mindful of how valuable your audience’s attention is and communicate only what needs to be said.
#3 Be passionate and enthusiastic
It doesn’t matter what is being talked about, the audience won’t be excited if you’re not excited. Speaking in a monotone drawl and not actually caring about what is being discussed is going to be reflected back onto you. Why should they care if you don’t? Hearing anyone talk with passion and enthusiasm has the effect of it being contagious if not entertaining.
What you say matters less than how you are saying it. Tone, gestures, facial expressions, attitudes… these all have an effect and correlate to the passion and enthusiasm you’re feeling. Watch a Mexican soap opera to see what I mean. I have no idea what is being said but it sure is fun to watch.
#4 Aim to be humble and honest
Arrogance is never a good quality to project and there is always the risk of feeling like the most important person in the room when being allowed to speak without interruption. Newsflash! you’re not the most important person.
Humility is a quality that never goes out of style and is eternally appreciated no matter where you go. Be willing to admit that you don’t know everything and that you are receptive to opinions or facts that may be in contradiction to your own.
Honesty is the willingness to admit uncertainty and the ability to defer to a superior position or argument. An honest speaker is one that invites rapport and discussion without the fear of compromising their integrity.
Honesty is much like a contract of trust between you and your audience. Once you violate that trust with false or unintentionally weak arguments, no one will care about what else you have to say. It’s compromised. Like finding hair in your soup.
Aspire to be humble and honest. A manufactured image of yourself takes more effort to maintain than being truthful would be.
It’s just easier. Hit that button and find out for yourself.
#5 Aim for a balanced approach
Nothing is drier than a presentation consisting only of memorized recited facts.
A good presentation has a mix of facts as well as stories that are emotionally engaging. Personal experiences, anecdotes, real-world examples and scenarios help illustrate the point being conveyed and goes a long way in keeping an audience engaged.
Everyone is different and responds uniquely.
Some of us appreciate hearing facts more than stories, while others learn best from stories that contains the practical application or example of such facts. There’s a reason why the greatest teachers and prophets of history include the use of parables in their dissemination.
Facts matter most when their practical application can be demonstrated.
Practical application is more believable when facts are at hand.
Strive for a healthy balance between emotional and intellectual engagement and ride the wave to glory.
#6 Slow down and repeat information if necessary
Great speeches have a rhythm and tone that comes naturally to speakers who have memorized material and delivered it multiple times. As a newbie, the best approach when starting out is to take things slow.
Not sure what the next thing you want to say is? Don’t settle for an “uhm” or allow yourself to feel pressured and lost. Let silence fill the air while gathering your bearings. Chances are that the audience could use a break to re-calibrate their attention and reflect on what was said. If you have to, put yourself on auto-pilot by repeating earlier points until you’re ready to move forward.
Aim for a consistent and manageable pace to deliver at. Slow things down if you feel like you’re rushing.
A good presentation is a marathon not a sprint. Momentary silence can be of great benefit.
#7 Be unfazed by the possibility of failure
Everyone has an off day and everyone needs to starts somewhere. Part of what makes a great speaker great is that they aren’t afraid of being afraid.
While we want to place our best foot forward and make a good impression on others — this is 100% without a guarantee and the sooner we can admit this uncertainty the better.
Fear grows more powerful when it is kept hidden. Admitting your insecurities in a calm and confident way can produce a greater connection between you and your audience should you acknowledge such feelings and keep fear from eating you up inside.
If you’ve never given a speech before, try admitting both to yourself and the people in the room that you are nervous. No one is going to feel compelled to dismiss and belittle you for being brave enough to speak. Some might even be terrified themselves of doing what you are doing. Relate with them. Accept and admit to your fear and move on.
Grow comfortable with the possibility of failure and take some of the pressure off.
Don’t allow for it to build and distract you from the task at hand.
You are capable of delivering either a great speech or a horrible one.
The difference that matters is how dedicated you are in trying.
#8 Don’t get toooooo serious
The last thing I’ve observed about the presentations and talks I’ve listened to in the past is that my favorites ones all involved speakers who didn’t take themselves seriously.
Humor and self-deprecation are endearing and informative attributes to have when it comes to delivering information. Anyone can develop this level of comfort within themselves. It takes practice to joke around with an audience but if you can do it with your friends, why not with a group of strangers? What is holding you back?
When you think about preparing for a speech or presentation, be mindful that worrying what the audience thinks is not nearly as important as being excited about what is in it for you. Think about what you will get from giving a presentation or speech. Think about how you are going to benefit.
It’s important to have fun even while doing something unpleasant because either way, it needs to be done. You can undertake a task with joy or despair, only you can make the choice.
The ability to laugh at oneself is underrated in the face of failure. Getting others to laugh along is even better and can result in a joyful and empowering experience. Who knows? Public speaking might just be your new thing.
You’ll have to try it to find out.
What is being discussed is how to present information in ways that produces the best outcome. Not only for your audience, but also for yourself.
I hope you find some of these ideas useful and I hope to remember all this for Saturday. Otherwise, I’m toast! Kidding. I think. (gulps)
Good luck to you, friend. Your greatness is only a podium away.
