"The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives." ~ Lilly Walters
There are two things that I will be talking to you about today,
both play a huge role in how your message is delivered and effects how your audience receives your message...
1. Gestures
2. The speed at which you talk.
Now, you might be thinking that you were expecting two different answers, I don't blame you- the two points I mentioned above are often overlooked and underestimated.
Let's get right to it.
1.
Using hand gestures add a whole new dimension to your presentation and even your communication skills. You see, most people have no idea what to do with their hands when they speak so they just don't use them. This can look and feel uncomfortable, your audience will pick up on this. Is that the message you want them to receive? NO. When you use hand gestures, they can support the things that you say... Now I know this isn't something that comes naturally to all of us, especially once the nerves kick in.
So, the next time you have a presentation coming up I want you to think of the following...
"How can my hands help me describe the things that I say?"
2.
Public speaking can be (and is) scary for many of us... Whether you have a hall full of people or just a few team-members in a boardroom. And what is the number one thing that tends to happen when we're nervous?
Our rate of speech picks up... Without even noticing, we might be talking quite fast. This can actually feed into your nervous energy and feed this energy into your audience.
Rushing through your words can also make it difficult for the audience to keep up with your presentation and your message might not be received as intended... Do you want your audience to feel rushed and anxious? Do you want them to miss what you say? NO.
So slow down. Focus on speaking slower and add your pauses (for effect and to take a breath).
A slower rate of speech will not only make you feel more calm, but it will also make your audience feel more relaxed and engaged.
I always say,
it's not just what you say but how you say it... And body language, hand gestures, facial expressions and the speed at which we talk is just that...
The "how".
We offer a 2-day
Presentation Skills workshop, in which we give you the tools to take your presentations to the next level and help you feel more comfortable when presenting.
We invite you to join us at our next workshop!
Staff Training is a South African soft skills training provider with more than 60 workshops on offer.
Email us at
info@StaffTraining.co.za for more info or give us a call at 0861 996 660
