I was reviewing a presentation that I developed and began thinking about how studies show that most people fear public speaking more than they fear death itself. This is a pretty intense feeling. I’m sure they mean being dead not being killed, although to some, being asked to make a presentation may equate to being killed.
Being a naturally shy individual, I can empathize with the fear of public speaking. I will discuss some items that may aid those of you who are apprehensive regarding being the center of attention of an audience.
First, realize that the audience will not base their trust and acceptance by performing a critical analysis of what you say. It will be based on an intuitive assessment of what the audience believed you truly meant by what you said. The audience will rely on your nonverbal cues to make the determination to accept and trust. This is how we are wired. We are all hardwired to look for these nonverbal cues and to quickly understand their meaning. This hardwiring has been programmed into all of us since cave men grunted at each other and had to resort to nonverbal communication. Body language is in the eye of the beholder, just like beauty. The belief of what you intend, and how that perception guides reaction, determines how the audience will respond.
Second, realize that the first reaction is always emotional. Functional Magnetic Resonance brain imaging shows that the primitive part of our brains makes a decision as much as 10 seconds before the conscious brain is aware that the decision has been made. These studies demonstrate that logical processes are often only rational justifications for emotional decisions. The decision to respond in a certain way is made way before you prove them right or wrong.
Third, realize that you control the presentation, thus you are in control of the perception and thus the reaction. This is the key to a successful presentation.
So what can we do? Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. When you think you’re done, take an extra step.
You set the stage by the description you write about your presentation. Make sure that it clearly states what you expect the audience to do as a result of attending your presentation. Try to leave no room for alternate interpretations.
Make sure that you are considered the subject matter expert even before you enter the room. This invokes a very powerful trigger to acceptance called the authority trigger. The authority trigger will prepare the audience to accept that you know of what you speak and they should listen to you.
Concentrate less on the dissemination of the facts and more on the nonverbal cues and audience interaction. Great slides command emotional responses so make sure that the slides cause emotional interaction. However, don’t let the slides be the communicator, you are the communicator. The slides are actually there to cue you on what to say next.
Make sure that you frame the presentation to your particular audience. Use words, slides and anything else in such a way that they make sense to the audience. We have all sat through presentation where we felt that the presenter was talking another language or to the wrong group.
Remember that your message is carried by the way you say what you say and the accompanying body language. Make sure your body language does not disagree with what you say. Your audience will most likely be unaware of why they feel the way they do about you and your presentation. That feeling will be based on your body language. Why you exhibit a particular body language cue does not matter. It is the audience perception that matters.
Examples: Do not hide your hands, especially your palms, if you are attempting to show honesty or the audience will believe that you are hiding something. Do not cross your arms when you invite audience participation or the audience will instinctively perceive that you do not want questions.
Prepare yourself and your presentation to convey the desired emotional message. Frame the message so it makes sense to this particular audience. Deliver the message ensuring that you have congruent body language. Close the message with a good review and a request for action. Don’t just inform and educate your audience, gain their execution of what you want as a result of your presentation. Do these things and I am confident that you will make a great presentation, receive a standing ovation and money and fame will flow your way. Or, take the alternative – DEATH.