Adding Enjoyment to Your Presentation & Wowing Your Audience

5 things you can do off-stage that will help you be a more fluid, compelling and charismatic speaker.

Written Feb 17, 2009, read 1573 times since then.

1) When was the last time you danced? If you're feeling tense or a little stiff when you present, free-form dancing will help you get out of your head and back in your body. Pent-up emotions are released and you’ll move more gracefully in your daily life. I live near Seattle, so I go to Ecstatic Dance on Capital Hill. If you can’t find an event near you, put on some music and let your body move how it wants. Check out Gabrielle Roth’s books Sweat Your Prayers and Maps to Ecstasy if you like to read. She explores the 5 rhythms and how dancing the full range will give you more options. It naturally spills over into your speaking life. You’ll be expressing (not necessarily in words) more freedom and openness.

2) Improvisation is the highlight of my life right now. Have you tried it? It playfully encourages you be present, connected and spontaneous. (All really good qualities to have as a speaker.) I found my current group through www.meetup.com. Two books I recommend are Improvise, Scene from the Inside Out by Mick Napier and Impro by Keith Johnstone. The authors reveal the depth of improv and what you can expect to gain from the exercises.

3) Humor, The speeches that win the awards and bring in new business are those with skillful, inclusive humor. It’s an art form anyone can learn. Take a community college class on humor, read books on humor or keep a journal noting funny things that happen throughout your day. When you put your attention on humor, you’ll start to see more of it. Have you noticed it’s easier to learn when the environment is light-hearted? Have you noticed it’s easier to open your wallet when you’re happy?

4) Use vivid language, spice up your dialogue. I listen to Caroline Casey at www.CoyoteNetworkNews.com because she uses some of the most colorful language I’ve heard in a long time. It wakes me up. My sister and I are now daring each other to use at least 5 new words in every one of our phone conversations. If you find yourself repeating the same words, jazz it up a bit. What’s a more descriptive, specific phrase you can use? When you make a deliberate attempt at this in daily life, it’ll feel more natural when you give a presentation.

5) Go to a book store. Instead of gravitating to your usual row of books, spend some time in the children’s section. Learn how to tell a good story. When I feel blocked, thumbing through fables and fairy-tales helps me soften up, get real and remember what really matters. Stories unite. It brings out our humanity. As we shift from a materialistic world into the experience economy, storytelling will be an essential skill to have in your magic backpack.

Pick one, all five, or dive into one suggestion a week. Customize the ideas to what works for you. Notice if there are more smiles and better results at your next presentation.

Learn more about the author, Pamela Ziemann.

Posted by Dina Lydia Johnson, Seattle, Washington | Feb 20, 2009

Excellent advice. A earnest and informed, yet dull presentation is the kiss of death.

Don't take it too seriously...it's not the United Nations, it's just a workshop/seminar. People love when someone makes them smile or laugh...a single good joke could get them liking you and listening more attentively, don't you think?

I learned to loosen up physically through bellydance, and loosen up verbally through karaoke, believe it it or not! I discovered that pleasure in the attitude of a performer is far more important to the audience than perfect technique.
Posted by Pamela Ziemann, Bellevue, Washington | Feb 20, 2009

Cool. Anything that helps with flexibility and openess is great. I'm finding balance is the key. If you're too loose, might want to add some structure!

But it does seem that most of us have been wound up pretty tight over the years. I've had clients who want to add more structure and what they really need to do is dance (or yoga, walking, stretching, tai chi)

Thanks for sharing your ideas Dina. I'm curious how the guys feel about this. What do you do to open up and unwind?
Posted by Mike Schwagler, Redmond, Washington | Feb 21, 2009

Great advice! I can't wait to do some free form dancing in front of a group of folks expecting to get advice on writing advertisements. Gotta let it flow, right? Oh wait a minute...you said off stage. Why off stage? Why not be like Ellen D and be goofy on stage? I think we all need to lighten up as a culture...

A little story. Bumbershoot is a three day dance party (at least for me - and a bunch of best friends called the Bumberbuddies - good luck if you try to Google that one.) We were dancing down in front of the stage like we usually do and I turned to face the crowd to see what what was going on.

A young lady - looking kind of glum - was staring right at me. I smiled and said "Welcome to the sixties." She said, "That music isn't from the sixties." I said, "I know that! We're all over sixty up here." The point is you can never stop rockin'.

Maybe it would be enough just to keep a silly story like that in the back of your mind....you know, like when you were really being yourself - like a bunch of 60 year olds at Bumbershoot...

-Mike-
Posted by Judy Dunn, Seattle, Washington | Feb 27, 2009

These are all great strategies, Pamela. I especially love #2, #3, and #5. Improvisation in particular seem to free up those creative, thinking-on-your-feet skills that are so key to being "in the moment."

Thanks. I always get so much out of your articles!