Presentation in Three Dimensions: 3 Ways to Enhance Credibility What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say. Let’s try a little thought experiment. Imagine asking someone for their opinion about something we’re working on. When we ask what they think, they respond, “Oh, yeah, it looks great.” As they say this, though, they hesitate, frown a little and shake their head slightly. Do we believe they mean the words they said? Or are we uncertain about their true thoughts? What if we got the same words accompanied by an overly broad, hammy grin, and a vocal tone tinged with sarcasm? Would we feel confused, or possibly even offended? Why might we feel offended when what they said was that our work looked great? Consistency and Credibility In his book Silent Messages , Albert Mehrabian asserted that the credibility of a presenter in the eyes of the audience relies far less on the words spoken than on the congruence of the presenter’s appearance, body language and vocal tone. The thought experiment above might give us some idea of why this is: if the speaker’s body language or tone don’t match with their words, we doubt the veracity of what they say. It is far easier to lie with one’s words than it is to lie with one’s body. People who are deliberately trying to deceive others often have a physical reaction to the tension between their words and their true feelings. They may become stiff or fidgety. They tend to avoid eye contact, or their gaze may dart. Their heart rate speeds up, and they may flush or sweat. This is one of the reasons that controlling nervousness and being aware of our own body language contributes to our credibility as a presenter. After all, what is the image of a speaker with stage fright? Stiff, fidgety, sweaty, with the eyes of a trapped animal – almost exactly the same as someone who is nervous because they’re lying! There are three keys or dimensions to enhancing our credibility as presenters: controlling our nervousness, projecting confidence through body language, and using effective vocal delivery skills. 1. Keeping It Cool – Controlling the nervous reaction associated with public speaking. It’s common knowledge that most people’s number one fear is public speaking. There are a number of techniques that can be used to combat nervousness and help us keep our composure during a presentation. If nerves are an issue, try a few different things to see what works best, and create a relaxing ritual to use before and during speaking. A short period of deep breathing and stretching is helpful to many people. When using breathing to calm nerves, use slow, deep breaths. Make sure to fill the lower lungs – the belly should move with the breath, not just the chest. Count a few beats when inhaling, hold for a moment, and then make the exhalation even longer. Paying attention to what our body is doing can help us control our fight-or-flight response. Focus on each part of the body and mentally describe what is happening (i.e., my head is pounding, my throat is dry, my stomach is queasy). Consciously identifying our stress symptoms can actually help us bring them under control. Try to remember that the people in the audience, as a rule, want to see us succeed rather than fail, and are likely to be fairly sympathetic to any errors. Rather than viewing the audience as a panel of judges or as an adversary, cultivate an attitude of camaraderie and try to develop a rapport with them. The sense of connection will work to decrease the fear. 2. Believable Body Talk – Posture, gestures and expressions that support our words . There’s a reason that people sometimes describe an honest person as “upright” or say that someone “stands up for” what they believe. Our body language, carriage, and posture speak volumes to the audience about our level of confidence and comfort – and lead, subconsciously, to their assessment of our competence and credibility. The essence of good presentation posture is to be open. This means we avoid hunching, turning sideways, concealing or clenching our hands, averting our eyes, or otherwise moving in a way that suggests we’re hiding something. Stand tall but relaxed, facing toward the audience, with a stable, broad stance. Keep shoulders back and chin up – not only does this look more confident and credible, but it opens our chest and airways so we can breathe and speak more effectively. Bonus! Get a handle on hand movements. Keep hands visible – don’t stuff them into pockets or clasp them behind. Crossed arms or hands near the face and head create a closed impression. It’s best to either gesture naturally to reinforce what we are saying, or let our arms relax at our sides. Use positive, open, animated facial expressions. A warm expression generates rapport. Eye contact is key, but a balance must be struck between staring at individuals in the audience and darting all over the room. Connect with each person for a few seconds, and then move to someone in another area. 3. Vocal Validity – Speaking skills that produce an effective and credible delivery . When someone is speaking their truth confidently and comfortably, they don’t rush, yell, mutter, or drone. Our speaking voice when presenting should be similar to our voice in normal conversation – with natural inflection, rises and falls, pauses, and variations in speed. Most people do not speak with sufficient volume when presenting. Keep the volume up loud enough to be easily heard throughout the room, but don’t shout or strain – it’s a bit like trying to talk over the noise of a cocktail party. Breathing from the diaphragm and keeping the chest and throat open will help. Pause whenever it feels natural to do so. Pause before and on important points, both for emphasis and to give the audience time to understand and absorb them. Pause when needed to collect thoughts, switch gears, or take a breath. The audience is not going to eat us if we stop talking for a moment! Nervous speakers tend to talk much too fast; if it feels like we’re talking too slowly, the audience is probably comfortable. Vary the speed when it seems appropriate. Downshifting can emphasize key points or help build drama, and speeding up can help relieve monotony and create excitement. Raising or lowering our pitch, or varying our tone of voice, can change the emotional mood of the presentation. If what we’re talking about is exciting, it’s okay to sound excited – the audience will pick up on that mood and get excited too! Some people’s voices naturally start on a lower pitch and climb towards a climax when they reach an important point. Just keep it conversational – and avoid a monotone delivery. Baker Communications offers leading edge Presentations Training solutions that will help we address the goals and achieve the solutions addressed in this article. For more information about how our organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that leads to success during presentations in any setting, click here .
