In any really good presentation, the focus is on the presenter. More importantly, the audience should be engaged by what the presenter is saying. Ideally you’ll have ’em on the edge of their seats, but it’s not easy. The truth is, most of us don’t know how to speak in front of a large group of strangers we are trying to convey an array of strange information to. Hey, if it was simple, we’d all be pros. Although the rules for speaking effectively in a presentation differ from the way we speak casually with family and friends, all is not lost. Here are five simple rules that will have you verbalizing voraciously in no time!
Slow Down
Even if you are not guilty of speed-talking in “real life,” we all tend to speed up once we’re standing up in the front of the room. The fact is, you’re probably scared and you want to sit down! Take a deep breath, relax as best as you can and focus on speaking slowly. The fact is, the process of consciously slowing down your rate of speech is actually a great way to convince your body to relax, and the only way your audience will be able to engage what you’re presenting.
Press the Pause Button
Along with slowing down, pausing between ideas cues your audience. It let’s them know when you are transitioning from one idea to the next. It is also an effective way to rivet their attention. Pauses create rhythm. Rhythm creates momentum. Momentum creates an energetic delivery that’s hard to resist!
Speak Up
Is their anything worse than a great PowerPoint presentation delivered in a whisper? When you are presenting, you have to speak up! Stage actors practice projecting their voices “to the back of the room.” Presenters have that same challenge. Even if you have a microphone, your voice will have a full, rich tone if you speak up!
Happy Endings
When we are speaking casually with friends, we habitually drop the endings of our words. In the presentation setting, dropping “ed” or “s” or “g” off the end of a word can easily be mistaken for a grammatical error. Now Mr. Cool and Casual is seen as Mr. Sorta Stupid. Clearly pronouncing the last consonant in your words will make your delivery crisp and tight. Focusing on this aspect of speech will also help you to slow down.
Speak Simply
Although this tip applies more to preparing what you will be saying in your presentation, it’s an important part of speaking clearly. Why use a complex term when you can use a simple one? Why use two sentences when one will do? When you are editing your presentation, don’t just be concerned about your talking points and your time limit. Really consider your actual word choices and speak your presentation out loud. It will start rolling off of your tongue when you get it right!
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