Top Presentation skills tip: Feel, show, then say for more natural body language and sincerity
Telling stories is a powerful way to help speakers make a point. In order to make the point, the story must be delivered well and with sincerity. Many speakers say their line, then try add on the appropriate facial expression (or choreograph the logical corresponding body language). This disjointed delivery may lead to the audience feeling the speaker is insincere. Imagine someone saying with a deadpan (or stressed) expression “I am so happy to be here!”, then adding a smile after delivering the line. Would you feel they were sincere? Probably not.
If they were to smile warmly, then say the same line we tend to perceive the message as more sincere. 40 years of groundbreaking research by Paul Ekman (Emotions Revealed: Understanding Faces and Feelings) shows how communication is more believable when we see the emotion before we hear the words. When the words come first the message is more likely to be perceived as dishonest or insincere.
A simple technique to aid in improving body language and increase sincerity of your message is to “feel, show and then say.” When we feel the emotion of our story in the moment, then show the emotion (allow our bodies to react) we don’t have to choreograph our body language and tone as much. This reduces the danger of an overly theatrical style of presentation as opposed to a sincere and engaging presentation.
Our top Presentation skills tip is: when speaking, practice feeling the emotion, showing it in your face and body language, and then saying your line. This helps make your story more believable to your audience, make your point more powerfully and aids in more natural body language. We always buy into the presenter and their ideas when we feel what they say is congruent. When we feel their message is different to the feeling we get when we watch them speak we disconnect and often discount what we have heard.
Get help from a professional to design your slides
If you really want to get your presentations right, consider hiring a professional presentation consultant to help. A professional can help you get perspective about what’s important, help you protect your brand and deliver clear powerful visuals which augment your message. If you need help with your Presentation skills through training or coaching to help you develop the ability to effectively Feel, show then say contact us today. We help you design your presentation to create maximum impact and credibility. We can also help with slide design and interactive activities to engage your audience.
Presentation skills: Feel, show, say
Richard Riche
Latest posts by Richard Riche (see all)
- Harnessing the power of psychological safety at work - 2 January 2019
- 5 keys to creating sustainable continuous improvement - 19 November 2018
- Using organisational voice to support Change Communication - 28 September 2018
