It’s a painful truth, but the hours and hours you spend researching, organizing, and writing your presentation will not be the key to your success. The secret to being an engaging and compelling speaker doesn’t come from your content. Research has documented that only 7 percent of the impact of our communication comes from the words that come out of our mouths. But 93 percent of our impact comes from the way we look and sound when we say those words. This is what delivery is all about: how we use our vocal and non-verbal qualities to present a message that is dynamic and compelling. There are seven key skills for being a dynamic speaker, which I have captured with the acronym SPEAKER. Here is a summary of these key delivery attributes:
Smile Let your facial expressions be expressive, whether it’s showing anger over something unfair or concern over something unfortunate or just smiling because you’re happy to be there.
Position Your posture in front of a room says a lot about how comfortable and confident you appear. Keep this general rule of thumb in mind: A balanced, symmetrical stance with your weight evenly distributed on both feet conveys a sense of balance and confidence.
visual comunication To have a real impact on your audience, you need to make members feel like you’ve watched and spoken directly to each of them individually. Look them in the eye. Talk to they do not did them.
Appearance When you are in front of an audience, your appearance has an impact on your credibility and how receptive they will be to your message. Two areas that have a big impact on your appearance: your attractive and distracting mannerisms. When you want to look your best, nothing has more impact than what you choose to wear. So pay attention to the style, fabric, fit, suitability, and color of your clothing choices. If you want a cool and believable look, be aware and watch out for those distracting gestures that serve no purpose other than to drive the audience crazy. Things like clinking change in your pocket, playing with your hair, or saying “um” every few seconds. Remember, movement that has a purpose has power. A distracting mannerism is distracting because it has no purpose.
kinesics Kinesics is the science of body movement and how it communicates. When you use your hands to show the dimensions of an object or hold up your fingers to represent a number: these are all examples of kinesics. As a speaker, he wants to use kinetics. Physical movement and gestures will help you to be more dynamic. The key has a purpose. A repetitive gesture has no purpose and will become a distracting mannerism. Purposeful gestures seem to naturally accompany what you’re saying. They give meaning and power to your presentation.
expressive voices Expressive is the key here. Flat, monotonous, soft-spoken voices without variety are not captivating. By varying the speed, volume, pitch, and inflection, it conveys much more interest and becomes more engaging.
resting places If you’re gesturing with a purpose, then by definition it means you’re not gesturing all the time. What do you do with your hands when they are at rest, when you are not gesturing? Here is a basic guideline: avoid closed and tight positions. Examples would be hands in pockets, arms crossed, hands on hips, grasping one arm, and the “fig leaf” (hands clasped in the groin area). On the other hand, places of rest that combine relaxation with some energy are more balanced but committed. Examples are: Arms by your side. Parade break. Arms bent at the elbow with hands loosely clasped. One arm bent at the elbow, the other arm at your side or in your pocket. Remember, 93% of the impact of your communication comes not from what you say, but from how you look and sound when you say it. If your delivery fails, the best content in the world will be meaningless, because you won’t be able to engage your audience.