Last week I drove up to Dallas to take a Communispond Executive Presentation Course.
It’s an intensive 2 day course that helps you learn how to communicate more effectively when you do speaking engagements, or even if you’re just making a presentation to your staff or board. It was incredible.
Here’s what I learned:
When we’re presenting in person,
50% of our communication is physical.
35% is how we sound,
10% is what we actually say.
When you present, your audience sees your
Eyes
Hands
Stance
And Presentation.
They hear your
Volume
Inflection
Pace
You need to be aware of and control each one.
Eyes
For example, I learned that you should only speak when you’re looking at people’s eyes. When you look into people’s eyes, you transfer information, convey empathy, authenticity, and respect.
Every thought should go to someone, and it goes through the eyes. For example, Bill Clinton will move his eyes without moving his head, like he’s taking you into his confidence. It’s very effective.
Body Language
When you’re presenting, you must plan how you look and how you sound just as much as what you say.
Don’t compromise your message by contradicting it with your body language.
You might end up with a visual mismatch when you put your hands in your pockets, when your fingers twitch, when your hands clench, or if your arms are stuck to your sides, or if your stance is shifting rapidly, or tilting. Your gestures should be shoulder height, away from the body. They can show movement, the passage of time.
More tips in a later post!
Did you find these tips useful?
What are some other tips for speaking effectively?