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Giving
voice and gestures more power in presentations
Speaker's
Notes
By
Stephen D. Boyd
Many of
you reading this are experienced and effective speakers. But as with any
other skill, you either keep getting better or you begin to lose your
edge. Here are some suggestions for helping the experienced speaker become
even more effective.
Let gestures do the talking
Turn the sound down on the television set and watch the gestures and body
movement of Jay Leno or David Letterman as they do their monologues.
Concentrate on their nonverbal communication, especially the gestures they
use. Look at their facial expressions, their posture and how they use the
stage from which they speak. These men connect with the audience through
their nonverbal skills, and they can give you ideas on improving your own
delivery style as well.
To get a better idea of your own nonverbal-communication skills, have your
next presentation videotaped. Later, watch the tape with the sound turned
down and critique the nonverbal side of your delivery. You will clearly
see your nonverbal strengths. You will also notice mannerisms that inhibit
your effectiveness.
Play the videotape again, this time with the volume up, and listen to your
rate of speech and the articulation of your words. Take note of places in
your presentation where words run together. This will help you learn how
to articulate more clearly.
The words you choose
As you listen to yourself, pay attention to the words you use to make your
points. Listen for words you overuse or misuse, then make adjustments.
Work to increase your vocabulary. Read books in search of descriptive
words that fit your oral style – and incorporate them into your
presentations. Routinely look up the meaning of any word you don't know.
Also, beware of clichés and overused jargon.
Another good way to improve your speaking is to read aloud to anyone who
will listen. Read children's books, poetry, or descriptive passages or
dialogue from a current novel. This will encourage you to speak with clear
articulation. Practice different levels of volume and rate of speech. Read
aloud even when no one is around to listen. Punctuation on the page will
remind you of the importance of using voice as punctuation when you are
speaking.
Presenters can also benefit from studying speeches and dramatic monologues
in movies, such as those of Mel Gibson in "Braveheart," Gregory
Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Jack Nicholson in "A Few
Good Men" and Alex Baldwin in "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Voicing stories
Now bring these newfound skills to the stories you use in your
presentations. Memorize a story, then practice so it doesn't sound
memorized. Write it out and pay attention to word choice and conciseness
in the telling of the story. Practice telling it using gestures and
movement to complement the content. Practice the story in conversation
with friends at dinner or over a cup of coffee so you can get audience
feedback. Practice also gives you an awareness of how long the story will
take to tell.
Parts that work, parts that don't
Be especially sensitive to the audience's response to the content of your
speech. Identify the specific parts of your presentation that demand
focused attention, chuckles or the "light bulb" effect from the
audience. After each speech, take note of which parts went well and which
did not. Figure out how you can improve on the weaknesses. Or, make a
decision to leave weak parts out.
Ask a colleague to observe a presentation you deliver to give feedback.
You might have specific aspects of the presentation you want him or her to
note and comment on. Often, people who are familiar with your one-on-one
communication skills can provide input on how you might use certain
speaking techniques more effectively because they observe you regularly in
informal situations.
The effective speaker wants to keep improving and moving to the next level
of expertise. These suggestions can help you to continue to be a careful
student of speaking and a constantly improving speaker.
Stephen
D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is a professor of speech communication at
Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights. He is also a trainer who
presents to corporations and associations. He can be reached at
800.727.6520 or info@sboyd.com.
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