When a rocket takes off from the Launchpad, it needs a major boost of energy to get started. Without it, it never leaves the Earth.
The same can be said for your stories. Without energy, they wonโt grab and keep the attention of your listeners.
Regarding stories, what is energy??
Itโs the passion and enthusiasm with which you present. Some professional speakers believe this accounts, for at least half of the influence of your presentation.
Imagine This Scenario
Youโre sitting in an auditorium with 350 other people. For weeks, you’ve eagerly anticipated hearing the featured speaker. Heโs an expert in his field. Youโve enjoyed reading his articles and books.
Heโs introduced. As he walks onstage, you joinย the rest of the audience in welcoming him with enthusiastic applause. ย He settles behind the lectern, andโฆ
He fumbles with his papers, and begins to speak in a monotonous, barely audible voiceโฆ
โUm, good morning. Iโm very happy to, err, be here this morningโฆ Iโm sorry, umm, this afternoon. Itโs always a great, ummm, pleasure to speak about the future of AI in business. Today, Iโm going to discuss the, uh . . . . โ
Excuse me??
You donโt sound, or look happy to be here, Mr. Speaker. If youโre SO happy to be here, why donโt you tell your body, your voice, and your face?
Perhaps you could also add a dash of enthusiasm and personality!
Ten seconds into the speech youโve been eager to hear,ย how do you feel??
Let down?
Discouraged?
Angry?
Perhaps youโre thinking โHere goes an hour of my life Iโll never get back!โ
No matter how much knowledge the speaker hasย orย how well the speech was structured, without energy, the presentation is forgettable.
Unfortunately, the above scenario plays outย every day.
Energy, The Difference Maker
If this presenterย wouldโveย had energy and enthusiasm, the talkย might have been a positive and memorable event.
When I evaluate a speech, one of the first questions I ask is, โDoes this speaker care about what sheโs saying?โ
If she doesnโt care, why should I?
When that person shows concern and passion for the subject, Iโm pulled in. I might not like, or agree with everything she says, but if sheโs presenting with energy, Iโm more inclined to listen to her point of view.
Note that energy doesย notย mean the stereotypicalย standing up, yelling and leading a wildly enthusiastic crowd, a la Tony Robbins. Thereโs nothing wrong with thisย type of presentations, but not everybody is an ultra-extroverted ball of energy like Mr. Robbins. In fact,ย no oneย is like Tony.
Know Thyself
Itโs important to know your personality and how you best communicate. If youโre more analytical and introverted, jumping on chairs and encouraging high-fives in your audience will make you look ridiculous, because itโs not your style.
However, you can bring a โquiet passionโ to the front of the room that will engage your audience.
For the speaker mentioned above, your reaction wouldโve been different if he had stepped to the lectern with a smile on his face and a confident voice, and said,
โArtificial intelligence may not be the hot topic around your dinner table every night. Yet itโs impact on your life is increasing at a dramatic rate.ย
When you leave here t this afternoon youโll understand itโs importance in your day-to-day life. You’ll also appreciate how AI can make your life more enjoyable and fulfilling.
I should know, because the study of this fascinating topic has been my lifeโs workโฆโ
That type of opening conveysย anย energy which the audience feels and compels them to want to hear more.
Energy. It can make or break your presentation, as well as your reputation.ย When your presentย withย enthusiasm and energy, you are halfway to giving your audience an impactful message that they will long remember.
What are your experiences with speakers who present with great energy?
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Discovering the Gold in Your Stories is Hard. Why Do It Alone?
The biggest challenge to writing stories is you usually cannot see the power or the message in your own experiences because you’re too close to them. You lived those through those events and itโs difficult to see how they can positively impact others.
Even world-class speakers have coaches to help them see the gold in their stories.
If you’d like to talk with Michael about your story, schedule a 15-minute call to determine how he can help you.
Schedule your no-cost & no-obligation ZOOM call: https://calendly.com/speaker017/15-minute-call
Michaelโs mission is to help leaders, managers and sales professionals communicate with more confidence, impact, and influence. This passion is born from his own communication difficulties early in his career.
Fortunately, he discovered that public speaking is like riding a bike, swimming or driving a car - itโs a learnable skill. Once he discovered this โsecretโ he became a voracious student of the craft. He took courses, studied some of the worldโs best speakers and storytellers and continues to study presentation and business storytelling skills.
He is hired by companies and organizations, leaders, managers and sales professionals, and TEDx speakers to help them become more confident, impactful and influential communicators.
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