SPEAK UP: Present (Article #3 in series)

by Joy Leach, Tina Jackson, and Maris Goodstein, PRI Leadership

 You’ve prepared your messaging, analyzed your audience, and practiced all of your talking points. You’ve gotten feedback, stretched yourself, and found support. Now it’s time for the presentation. As with the other articles in this series, we use the term presentation broadly. Some of the most impactful presentations you make could be with just one person. It can be in a small meeting. Or it can be in front of thousands of people— you’ll center yourself and speak up with the same principles in mind. Here are three key things to keep in mind:

1.    VOCAL COMMUNICATION

Research performed by Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA suggests that while communicating emotionally-laden content, only 7% of what people believe is through our words alone. Isn’t that fascinating? Only 7% is received through words, while 38% percent of our message is interpreted through other aspects of our vocal communication!  Which means that how we communicate matters much more than we thought. 

What makes up how we say something? We like to think of it in terms of pace, pitch, and projection, and all of them have to do with energy.

First, there’s pace: consciously directing your pace by quickening and slowing helps to drive the energy of the audience. Try increasing and decreasing the speed of your presentation to add variety and emphasis to what you’re saying. It’s tempting to talk really quickly and get it over with, but there’s power in pauses: using them at deliberate instances will allow your audience to think and to note that what you just said was important. For example, when we have worked with individuals for whom English is their second, third or fourth language and who speak with an accent (to our ears), some have shared their belief that if they speak English quickly it will sound more proficient. We have found the opposite to be true.  Speaking at a slightly slower pace, or with some deliberate pauses, will ensure that the listener’s ear will adjust and the speaker will be better understood. 

Second, pitch: your pitch communicates the state of your own energy to the audience. Be conscious of your tone and inflection when speaking, as it conveys your mood and connection with the people in the room, which lets the audience gauge your comfort level. Listen to your tone of voice when you’re in a comfortable conversation with someone you care about, or when you feel confident and in-control; ask yourself, how can you tap into that? If you tend to get nervous and your pitch goes up, simply breathing more deeply will help you find a deeper tone.

Finally, projection: using projection helps to harmonize your energy with that of your audience.You control the volume of your message. Emphasize particular points or show enthusiasm and energy by raising your voice. Subtly cue your audience to lean in and listen close by lowering your voice a bit. Using projection helps to harmonize your energy with that of your audience. Always speak so the person farthest from you can hear you easily. If needed, use a microphone for the comfort of your listeners.

Noticing the broader impact of each of your vocal communication skills help guide your audience through your message, helping to create a space where they are engaging directly with you and your message.

2.    NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s research showed something else, too: nearly 55% of a presenter’s message is communicated non-verbally. More than half of your messaging is purely visual.

When you enter a meeting, when you walk down the hall, when you come across another person, remember that the shape you are holding starts to communicate before you even open your mouth. Take smiling for example—people who seldom smile don’t seem approachable, warm, or sincere. Smiling is a universal language. And it doesn’t mean you have to walk around grinning all the time, but remember that your facial expression can be inviting or reproachful. Use it wisely. 

Think about how you present yourself somatically, staying conscious of your posture in particular. We work with a lot of clients who want to improve their executive presence and have found that so much of that presence has to do with holding yourself erect, whether sitting or standing. Stretching your spine up instead of folding over and hunching doesn’t just display a stronger presence to others—it also helps supply you with more oxygen, and it will also provide you with the capability to speak with a stronger voice. 

Make an effort to stay aware of even the tiniest, most habitual movements you make. Do you have a habit of tapping your pencil at meetings? Putting your hands in your pockets when standing? Do you keep glancing at your watch or your phone? Ask yourself what those movements convey to others in the room—does it make you seem distracted? Impatient? Nervous?

Also, pay close attention to your use of eye contact. In the US business culture eye contact is often direct. Although cultural norms for eye contact do vary internationally, and that’s worth remembering not only if you are traveling somewhere else to give a presentation, but also if you have someone from a different country giving a presentation. We worked with a young woman from China who struggled to make eye contact. She told us that if her grandmother saw her making eye contact, she would be ashamed. “I was not raised to be bold,” she said. “I was not raised to be visible.” Remember, as you develop your own presentation skills and help others to grow, to consider what we are working through internally. 

To have your desired impact, pay attention to your appearance – literally what you wear.  As a presenter you want to show up in an authentic manner yet also be aware of the ‘costume of the system’ you want to impact. If you will be going somewhere for the first time, do some quick research.  Notice the norms or ask an ally or someone who knows the group about the formality/type of dress.  This information can then help you make conscious choices about what to wear that will honor your own uniqueness, respect the norms of the group, and have you feel and emanate confidence.  

3.    THINK IN THREES

Despite all of your best planning efforts, you may end up needing to think on your feet, in the moment. Give yourself a structure from which to speak when this happens. One simple structure is the rule of threes. This strategy not only gives you a mental approach to speaking about anything in-the-moment, but it also buys you some time to think as you go. It goes like this: “The first thing I would say is….The second thing is…Thirdly…” You would be amazed at what the brain can come up with.

This is also a great strategy to use when you are presenting in a more dialogue-based setting, such as at a meeting. Perhaps you’ve made a commitment to support a colleague in sharing their voice more often, and part of your agreement is that you will call on them at meetings. You don’t want to put them on the spot, so you ask everyone to think of three things, and give them a minute or two to consider. By the time you call on your colleague, they’ve had space to consider what they’ll say and they will be ready to share. 

Lastly, offer a Q & A to your audience. It demonstrates that you are confident and that you have command of the room. If you get asked a question that stumps you, buy time by saying "This is a very interesting question, who else has a perspective on this before I give you mine?" It gives you a minute to think (in threes!) and it invites audience participation. You can also support the diversity of thought by facilitating differing perspectives and then having your own voice be the summarizing voice.

Present Checklist 

• Vocal Communication

  • Pace

  • Pitch 

  • Projection

• Non-verbal Communication

  • Facial expressions

  • Posture

  • Gestures

  • Eye contact

  • Appearance/clothing

• Thinking in threes to organize your thoughts

  • Offer a Q&A

Reflections

• If people were watching your non-verbals (more than listening to your words), what impression would they have?    

• Considering the importance of body language, what shifts might you want to make (e.g., to convey more confidence in your message or more support for others)? 

Ready to Stretch?

• What is one new thing you’d like to experiment with that can better help you connect with your audience?

• Who can provide you with some honest, insightful feedback about your impact?  

• What feedback can you give to others that will help with their verbal, vocal or non-verbal communication?

This article is designed to help:  

• individuals gain confidence and skill in speaking up (even when – and especially when – they may be a minority voice in the room) and

• leaders recognize how they can support others in speaking up 

The full series is available on our website:  www.prileadership.com