Lots of presentation coaches focus on things like assertive hand gestures, frequency of eye contact, commanding tone of voice, etc., as if learning a choreographed routine will make you a brilliant communicator.
How much you do or don’t extend your arms or stare meaningfully into the eyes of the person in the sixth row is not the first but the last thing to consider when giving a presentation. You’ll only look more nervous and remote if you memorize a routine – gesture with one hand, and then two, then make eye contact, then take a few steps, then step back and smile. Don’t be an automaton who pushes your audience into the uncanny valley.
So what do you do instead? Throw technique out the window? No. But ‘technique’, which really means the way you convey your commitment to your content and your connection to your audience, has to spring naturally from you. When you are grounded and comfortable in your body, when you love your message, when you are giving a gift to an audience you understand, then you become a compelling stage presence. Put another way, work your technique from the inside out, not the outside in. Yes, it’s harder this way.
I hate to break it to you, but a great presentation takes significant commitment, preparation and work. Great presenters do not wing it. All of that naturalness on stage is the result of disciplined, consistent effort.
You start with your message, defining your big idea and narrative arc. You research your audience. You prepare the space and the technology supporting you. You rehearse to get your content and flow nailed. Then you rehearse and rehearse again, on the stage where you’ll be presenting. That’s when you focus on modulating your voice, making eye contact and gesturing naturally. If you prepare from the inside out, if you are truly engaged in your story and your audience, your big idea crescendo will feel utterly natural. It will be a thing of beauty!
Communication is the essential last mile in finding and motivating the right teams, acquiring strong allies, powerfully bonding with customers, and capturing mindshare with compelling stories. Nothing will serve you and your vision better than developing exceptional communication skills.
