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| © Austin Distel |
Perhaps you attended a presentation where the presenter spoke in a slow, monotonous voice, his only movement to move on to the next slide. Or conversely, the presenter seemed to speak in ALL CAPS as he ping ponged from one side of the room to the other. One style made you have coffee, the other a motion sickness drug. Either way, the presenter did not achieve their goal of attracting you and getting you to change your thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors.
A well-crafted message is an essential part of your presentation, but you can't rely on your content to do all the heavy lifting. After all, even an award-winning screenplay can bomb at the box office if the actor fails to deliver it convincingly. Great presenters make average content better and good content exceptional. In a competitive marketplace where the differences between products and services are narrowing and messages are easily confused in a busy prospect's mind, the way you present your presentation can make the difference between winning and losing a sale.
This article explains how your voice and body language affect your audience's attention, the perception of your product or service, and the impact of your message. You learn how to strategically control your voice and body with the skill of an artist to connect with your audience and bring out key points. You begin to identify and eliminate the vocal and physical habits that can send your prospect straight to their smartphone. I give specific advice on how to use your stage and move with confidence. I also discuss the importance of warming up, and you can pack a few simple exercises to make sure you communicate your best in every presentation.
Unleash the Power of Your Performance Tools
Two actors read the same script and one actor wins the role over another. He obviously wins it not because of the words because both actors read the same script. He wins because of the meaning, connection, and quality he brings to those words. Its winning hearing doesn't require any high-tech gimmicks, fancy graphics, or animation. He simply uses his performance tools - his voice and body - in a way that brings the storyline to life, captures the attention of his audience, and sparks their imaginations.
As an actor, you can access these same tools to gain a role in your prospect's business. From the sound and quality of your voice to how you stand or move around your stage, you affect how your audience perceives you, your business, and your solution. Use your tools well and your prospect will be drawn to your message and won over by the image you paint. Use them the wrong way and your prospect might not remember or even hear your message. Using your voice and body to focus your audience's attention, keep them tuned, and transfer powerful emotions can give you an unfair advantage over your competition.
The next section explains how much your voice and body can influence your prospect, and what it takes to master these secret weapons to gain an advantage in your presentation.
Impact your audience with voice, body and words
Without a doubt, the words you use play a vital role in the success of your presentation, but the influence of your voice and body on how your audience receives and perceives your message plays a much bigger role than you do. don't think so. In fact, one study found that people receive communication in the following ways:
-38% voice tone
-55% body language, facial expression, etc.
-7% of spoken words
When 93% of the initial impression you make on your prospect is from your voice tone and body language, you don't want to focus on words alone. Obviously, whether your words are gibberish or just plain wrong, it doesn't matter how fluent your body language is or the melody of your voice. Suppose your content is good, your proposition is solid, and your value proposition is compelling. It probably puts you on a level playing field in today's competitive market. That’s why you want to gain an edge over your competition and use your voice and body strategically.
Focus on what you can control
While you may not have control over some things, such as technical difficulties, agenda changes, no-shows, and delays, your voice and body are to some extent in your control. Making a conscious decision to harness their power can dramatically affect your earning rate.
You might be thinking, "That sounds good, but my voice is my voice." Yes, you were born with a certain amount of raw material to work with, a set of vocal cords, muscles and cells that make you only you. But in your framework, there are several things you can choose from. For example, you can use your full vocal range and add variety and inflection to keep your audience engaged. You can confidently transport yourself and move around the room to better connect with your audience. You can eliminate bad vocal and physical habits that can sabotage your message. The path to regaining control of your voice and body in your presentation requires three commitments:
-Develop awareness: Recognizing what good vocal and physical practice is and determining where you are improving is the starting point for mastering any new skill. See the next section for some details.
- Give up bad habits: you have been talking and moving for a long time and you have most likely developed some bad habits along the way. Getting rid of those things that separate you from your audience dramatically increases your presentation power. See the next section, “Eliminate Five Bad Vocal Habits” for more information.
-Practice new habits: Developing a new habit requires repetition and consistency to integrate it into your natural repertoire. The final section, “Warming Up for a Winning Performance,” contains a few simple exercises to help you keep working on the areas that need improvement.