You needn't toss off phrases in Latin or French that no one can understand. But it's just as valuable for you-for it will make you a far more interesting speaker. Everybody in your field presents their data in a way that looks and sounds pretty much alike, don't they?īut there's a treasury of human experience out there waiting for you to mine it. You can easily grasp how important that advice is for an actor. She said that 20% of our reading should be outside our field. It's advice that I received from one of the teachers at the acting academy in London where I trained. (This is related to a more original use of language that I just talked about). Which brings me to the next approach, which is breaking out of the narrow field of your expertise. The 20% Solution to Avoid Being Narrow and Boring Whether there's a box you want to think outside of, or buckets you're tempted to place things in, it's time to pay attention instead to how vibrant speakers use language, and to create a little vibrancy of your own. Analogies give concepts immediacy and impact, and can save paragraphs of explanation.Īmerican business loves cliches and trendy phrases. Employee morale may be a rising tide or a negative outlook may be an infection in the bloodstream of the company. The idea is to link a concept you want your audience to grasp to something they're familiar with. English has never been a proud cook-it's always been happy to borrow and steal from any palate to create delicious and spicy meals.Īre you allowing your listeners to enjoy the feast? Especially powerful is the technique of speaking metaphorically: using comparisons, analogies, similes, metaphors, and unexpected connections (like the analogy of language as a meal, above). Here's an element of great speaking that can help propel you to the top of the heap: how well you use our magnificent language. Summon up what you need to be the speaker who STAYS FOCUSED. But everybody else is dealing with all of those distractions too. Sure, we all know how challenging big-stakes presenting can be. even technology which can be a major challenge!īut there's another side of the coin, isn't there? - The highly focused speaker is the ringmaster who marshals it all to our surprise and delight. our tendency to stand outside ourselves and judge how we're doing. the feeling of vulnerability before a crowd. There's all that information to get across. How's your focus? If there's a human activity practically designed to pull us in at least three or four directions at the same time, it's high-stakes public speaking. Projects that require a sustained level of thought and scrutiny are becoming difficult for him. Our frantic and fragmented existence, with its constant siren calls of every type of digital distraction, is destroying his ability to attend for the long term. Here's a sobering story: A friend of mine, a highly successful author, tells me he's having trouble concentrating these days. So, compel us! Are You Losing Your Level of Focus? If you're energized, we're basically compelled to listen. Here's another reason to be an energetic speaker: a high level of presentation energy forgives a multitude of weak platform skills. Lack of energy-vocally or generally-is a killer to many presentations that would otherwise be interesting and perhaps even fascinating. The tide should rise when a performance starts, and all of our boats should float higher because of it. We all love watching performances and when we're anticipating one, we expect to be entertained. If you're a CEO, you're always in the spotlight.Īs an actor, I can vouch for the fact that any performance requires a different level of energy from the ordinary. Sociologist Erving Goffman reminded us of that fact in his 1956 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. And the more exalted your position in the hierarchy of your profession, the more you're on stage. When you interact with others, you're giving a performance. High Energy Makes You a More Exciting Speaker Here are five performance-based approaches to create sparks whenever you walk on stage. Think of it this way: If you're in a line of people presenting at a national conference, are you going to be the one that's remembered? In my business of speech coaching, it's my job to help professionals who already excel at what they do reach that next level, the one of memorability. "12 Easy Ways to Achieve Presence and Charisma." But what can you do to be memorable?ĭiscover how to perform at your best! Download my You're thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. What makes people remember you, feel good about interacting with you, and even change their behavior based on what you say? To boil all of that down: how do you make a really positive impression on anyone? But can you get people to like you and believe in what you say? Here are 5 surefire ways to make a positive impression on anyone. This article originally appeared on The Genard Method.
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