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Body Language Tips to Deliver Convincing Presentation

April 14, 2013 by Muhammad Noer 1 Comment

Giving a presentation is also about the ability to communicate to your audience. It comprises tone of voice, slides or body language.

A presentation would not be effective without the support of body language. Therefore, presenting the right body language is essential to make your presentation powerful. You must avoid using body language that contradicts your presentation.

Body language or gesture is a natural response of your body. It reflects your true feelings. If you feel nervous, anxious or unsure, these feelings will find manifestation in your body. As a good presenter, you should present your body language to your advantage by showing you are positive, open and confident.

Avoid Negative Body Language

You might have noticed somebody who crosses his legs, hands in his pockets, or hands held behind his back.

These are examples of wrong body languages you should avoid during a presentation.

Hands in the pockets

Putting your hands in the pockets shows that you are not truly open to your audience, and you look unsure of what you are saying. Try to avoid this gesture and keep your hands out of your pockets.

Hands behind your back

This posture has similar impression as putting your hands in the pockets. You will look reserved to your audience.

Unbalanced Stance by Leaning on One Foot

Sometimes you find a presenter delivering his presentation with unbalanced stance, leaning on one foot and letting the other one relaxed. This slouching posture is certainly unattractive. It gives the impression that he is not presenting seriously.

Scratching Nose or Head

Presenter often repeats the same gesture, such as scratching nose or head which is obviously unnecessary. This body language occurs because of lack of confidence. You should stop this kind of habit immediately if you are delivering a presentation.

Maintain Positive Body Language

Now let me explain how to manifest the right body language. Try to practice in front of a mirror. It would be helpful if you could record it, and evaluate how you present yourself.

Stand up straight but relaxed

If you stand up straight, it shows that you are self-confident and self-assured. Feet should be apart properly and both hands relaxed by your side. You can occasionally gesture with your hands in order to underscore a point or direct your audience’s attention towards something interesting. Chest up and head high. Be confident without showing any arrogance.

Use hand gesture appropriately

If you pay attention to great presenters, they use body language to their advantage in conveying the message. They will gesture their hands to make a big circle to explain something big. They move their hands upward to illustrate growth or progression. These are gestures that you could learn to make your presentation more powerful.

Imagine if you have visual slide, strong tone of voice, and positive body language. These actions will help you guide the audience to focus on your presentation, and leave them with a memorable presentation.

Positive body language will add energy, engagement and persuasive power to your presentation.

Smile

You should smile sincerely and naturally. This pleasant expression contributes positively to your presentation. Smiling shows that you are confident and comfortable with the message you are delivering. This will help the audience feel connected with you.

Photo Credit: Paramount Classic Pictures

Three World Class Speech Techniques

April 3, 2013 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

Obama, Al-Gore and Steve Jobs are those among the great speakers who deliver impressive speeches. They use certain techniques to deliver their presentations which grasp the audience’s attention.

You surely can do the same thing. As follows are the secret of the world’s class speech techniques. You can use these three techniques in your presentation:

1. The Rule of Three

Since long time ago, speech writers have known the secret behind “The Rule of Three”. This technique simply divides the main idea into three parts.

Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in all his presentations by saying, “Today, I want to talk about three things.” Then he would start to explain part by part. This way the audience understands clearly and remembers well every part of it.

Grouping the idea into three parts always give strength. Other than three would not have the same effect. Squeezing the idea into two parts would be unattractive, but more than three would be too many and difficult to memorize.

Use this technique and experience how your message becomes powerful.

2. Anaphora

Anaphora is a repetition of a word or some words in sequential phrases. The purpose of this repetition is to give emphasis on a particular message, therefore the audience will always remember. Anaphora combined with the right tone of voice will create a dramatic effect, especially towards the end of the presentation.

An example of a very famous anaphora is the one from Martin Luther King’s speech, when he repeated eight times the phrase of “I have a dream”. These are the quotations:

“Let us now wallow in the valet of despair, I say to you, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of justice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racist, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification”-one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and glory of the lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

When you deliver a presentation, try to convey your important message in one word or few words at the right moment. Practice with the word using several phrases before the actual presentation, you will surely present a compelling anaphora which will impress your audience.

3. Hyperbole

The term hyperbole is known as an act of exaggeration on something in order to emphasize a point. You might remember certain examples given when you were still at school such as:

The house is as big as a castle .

(Although the house is big, but there is small possibility to be equally big as a castle with hundreds of rooms)

His thundered voice bursts my ear.

(Even a person with the loudest voice will not damage your ear)

Use this technique attentively to emphasize only the important point. The right hyperbole technique will create a dramatic effect in your presentation.

Here are several examples of phrases to help your imagination:

Today I will reveal a secret that could change your world.

(Most probably the message you pass on would not change somebody’s world, but it could considerably make a difference).

I will introduce you a revolutionary product which is a great discovery of this century.

(A great discovery in the century should be something that has been widely-spoken. Even if your product is not as great, you could use the same phrase to show your revolutionary product has its own advantage compare to other product)

These are the 3 techniques of world’s class speech that you can apply in your presentation.

Use it wisely and be a compelling presenter in every opportunity.

Steve Jobs’s Presentation Techniques Revealed

January 29, 2013 by Muhammad Noer 35 Comments

This is the secret of Steve Jobs’s attractive presentation techniques. A great presentation techniques he used in the Keynote Address at The Apple World Wide Conference, Macworld and many other presentation sessions.

Jobs appearance in a presentation is always expected by many people. Using a unique world-class presentation techniques, he shows us how to deliver an interesting presentation as if it is an attractive show.

In the introduction of my book Amazing Presentation (Presentasi Memukau), I have explained how Steve Jobs perform amazingly in a presentation. Starting from opening a presentation in an attractive way, presenting data and facts in different way, delivering a stunning product demonstration to create momentum, and finally creating climax awaited by the audience.

And these are 9 secrets of Steve Jobs’s presentation technique that you can use for your presentation succes:

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