Yes, Variety is the spice of life! You work hard at planning your content and structure,
but do you work hard on creating variety in your delivery? This is a must if you want to keep your audience engaged with you. Let's examine ways where you can create variety in nonverbal strategies.
1. Variety in delivery format to hold their attention If you're doing a business presentation or training session.
Vary your own talk time with audience talk time - alternate between lecture, discussion, activity, PowerPoint, video clip, storytelling, working on handout, and so on, to keep audience’s attention If you do use Power Point, first plan your presentation with your message, then and only then, plan which slides, text or graphics will enhance your message ( more on proper use of Power point in an upcoming newsletter)
2. Variety of emotions…take them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions when telling your stories or cases by showing emotional shifts (frustration to joy) in characters' problematic situations to solutions.
3. Variety of visual effects… body language: face, gestures, stance, posture to reflect or demonstrate above.
4. Variety in stage movement …not staying glued to one spot or continually moving without purpose distracts from you and your message. When to move?
·- on transition between one thought and the next. If you have ¾ points, discuss the different points in different spots; feel free to move while you are stating i.e “And the 2nd point…”
- on creating a timeline sequence i.e. "In 2002, I..." (move to your right) “Fast forward 6 years…” (move to your left)
- on a movement-specific line. If your lines suggest movement i.e. “As I entered his office…” or "When I walked to the car..."
Patricia Fripp also says: "Rehearsal is the work; performance is the relaxation." Don't wait until the last minute; give yourself time to practise, whether you are a senior executive, middle management or simply holding a meeting.
I promise you that the more you rehearse, the more you can relax and the more you enjoy your delivery of presentation...AND SO WILL YOUR AUDIENCE!
Until next month, powerful presentations to you!
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