How do I become a dynamic presenter?

Welcome back to the Body Talk Brief, where we will provide biweekly tips on the science of communication and what you can do to strengthen your communication skills.

If you’re just joining us, you can learn more about Body Talk and what we can do for you here.

Body Talk is the global leader in evidence-based training on the psychology of communication. 

We deliver communication courses, coaching, virtual learning and live events with our clients worldwide, with over 120,000 people trained from 46 countries over the last 22 years!

Whether you are presenting virtually or face-to-face, to big or small audiences, influencing upward or leading a team, presentation is key.

How do I become a dynamic presenter?

1. Storytelling

Sydney Harris, who was a journalist for the Chicago Daily News, had it right:

“The two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”

Storytelling is the primary difference between communication and simply passing on information. 

Consider this:

A meeting is not a place to deliver information - Instead, treat meetings as an opportunity to explain to your audience how they should feel about that information. Weave your message into a compelling story. 

The simplest and best stories are the ones that focus on a challenge and moves them on a journey towards a greater goal - Think Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolkein. You’ll see a similar structure in their stories and the best business presentations.

What characters do you and your audience play? - You may want to think of yourself as the hero, but the best communicators know differently. You are the mentor, guiding the audience (the heroes) on a journey to a better place. Make them the caped crusader, not you.

2. Presence & Impact

Ensure you have the presence and influence you require to engage the audience.

If you’re feeling nervous speaking, you’re not alone. 77% of people experience some anxiety about public speaking. 

Here are a few key tips:

Stand like a presenter - Just standing with your feet shoulder-width apart communicates confidence. It’s a strong stance in which gravity works with your body, helping you stay grounded and confident. Resist the temptation to sway from side to side, rock back and forth, or pace around the stage. Dynamic stillness is the method of standing in one place while you speak powerfully. When you stand still and grounded, people pay more attention to you. 

Speak like a presenter - Vocal variety is a great way to keep your audience engaged. Don’t just rely on the same tone of voice for every sentence—vary it! It helps an audience understand how to feel about the information you’re giving them and makes it more engaging. 

When you’re nervous, there’s a tendency to speak at a higher pitch and speed up your speech. Slowing down will make you appear calmer and more confident.

Maintain a positive mindset - A positive mindset can transform your belief in yourself as a presenter. Muhammed Ali, the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, coined the phrase’ Future History’ to describe how he visualised his own success before boxing matches. As well as undertaking the intense physical training needed, he would also visualise every detail of how he would win that match, picturing it with complete conviction and belief in the outcome. By the time he stepped into the ring, he was physically and mentally prepared – and the results speak for themselves.

3. Objection Handling

Learn how to deal with the toughest audience, overcome challenges and gain a positive result.

We have found 4 key steps to better conversations when it comes to objections:

Show empathy - use your body language, gestures, and voice to demonstrate that you’re physically empathising with the other person. 

Listen and ask questions - when an objection comes in, we suggest asking lots of open questions to encourage the other person to talk as much as possible. This allows the person who has raised the objection to get everything off of their chest and feel heard, and it will give you better clarity and understanding of the person’s problem. 

Offer your response as a proposal - If you are telling them what will happen, they may feel belittled and powerless. If you give your response as a proposal, you can make the other person feel empowered, heard, and ultimately move towards a situation of real collaboration. 

Do a final check - This is an essential part of dealing with objections, as it will allow you to close the conversation whilst making sure that the other person is happy with the resolution. It will not only provide clarity to everyone in the room about what the solution is, but it will also give you a final opportunity to listen out for any further objections or negative emotions. 

We hope these tips will help you become a more dynamic presenter.

Want to learn more?

We still have a few spots available in our upcoming flagship event—The Dynamic Presenter, a 2-day in-person training at The Royal Berkshire Hotel in Ascot June 27th and 28th. 

We also offer virtual masterclasses in becoming a dynamic presenter and more!

Check out our ultimate guide to Advanced Presentation Skills for a more thorough introduction to what we do and tangible advice on how to apply Body Talk to your life. And as always, you can contact us here or email us at hello@ukbodytalk.com. 

Can we help with your communication skills training? We run fun and interactive courses, workshops and masterclasses to increase your team’s confidence, influence and authority. Check them out here.

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