Body Language, Tone etc — Presenting for Impact
Following up from the previous post, one thing I have observed and learnt the hard way when presenting or communicating is about one self — in this case, it’s you or me or someone.
Next time you watch a talk by someone on YouTube or hear a good presentation in person — think back as why you felt that way. Now, focus on how the person talked, what his body language was, what the tone of his speech was etc.
These things matter a lot!
In my view, there are at least two layers of mental makeup for someone who is looking to present or communicate.
The first layer consists of a few emotions that guide all these.
- Fear/Doubt/Apprehension
- Confidence or Over-confidence/Arrogance
There could be more, but you get the idea. What among the above you are filled with determines how your body reacts, how your tone changes etc.
Now, add another layer to this — Are you trying to present or communicate something with an intent to seek validation or approval, or just share updates, or are you just presenting what you know with an intent to learn?
If you go in with fear or doubt or even overconfidence — your body and tone will make it evident. In either case, audience questions or feedback can throw you off-guard and it could upset how you feel at the end of the day.
At the end of the day, you need to share what you know, or have done or have found out to your audience. Present that and see if there are things that you can learn from their response. You do not have to arrive at a change in mindset right there, but can take your time to digest feedback, if you think it is valuable, adopt it, or if not, think about how you can communicate better. You cannot convince the world, but if you keep at it, you will form your tribe and there you will thrive.
Go in with confidence that you have done your best, make the effort to be as clear as possible, and look for an opportunity to learn more through the feedback or guidance you may receive.
If you are earnest in learning, you will learn. Be Open, Be Curious!
Note:
If this applies to you — Good! Incorporate/adopt as much as possible!
If this doesn’t apply to you — Good! You are awesome!
If you did not learn anything new — Good! There will be other things you might learn, keep coming back!
