Passionate, Not Pushy... Perfecting Your Presentation Delivery

We should all be passionate about the topics we’re presenting on. It’s passion that makes us engaging, interesting and inspiring presenters, regardless of the situation. I’m sure you’ve heard someone speak about a topic they weren’t passionate about, and I bet you struggled to pay attention and follow along.

So yes, I want you to be passionate about your subject matter, but what if I told you that your passion could hinder you when it comes to landing your message and connecting with your audience?

I remember being in a senior management meeting many years ago. I was advocating for a project that I loved, and I really believed it would have tons of value for the business. The project wasn't progressing as I expected, and I could tell it wasn't a priority for the top decision-makers in the business. As the meeting progressed, my passion for the project boiled over into frustration, and I delivered my points in a way that could easily have been perceived as overassertive. When I left that meeting, I felt really vulnerable and unsure if I'd set myself up for a promotion or a reprimand.

Since then, I've always encouraged presenters to use these two tips to ensure they always sound composed and in control, as well as enthusiastic and passionate.

1. Anticipate and Rehearse.
If you've completed my online presenter course, you'll know I'm obsessed with rehearsing. It's one of the tools that can take your presentations from good to great.

As well as rehearsing your presentation, you can rehearse your answers to any questions that could spark a defensive reaction if you're caught off guard.

Let's say you're asked at the end of your pitch why something is so expensive. Or at the end of your review meeting why you're not seeing the expected results. Having prepared and rehearsed answers to these types of questions will allow you to maintain your composure, speak calmly, and respond to them in such a way that your audience is excited about the answer.

2. Use Actioning
Actioning is a technique invented by the Joint Stock Theatre Company in the UK in the late 1970s. It was developed under the direction of Bill Gaskill and Max Stafford-Clark to empower actors to make clear choices on each line of their text ensuring there is genuine emotion in their lines. The key twist here is that instead of thinking about the words you are aying, you think about how you want your audience to feel.

In fact you know how important tone of voice is already. I am sure that when you hear your friend on the phone simply say the word “hello” you know what mood they are in. So this is about thinking about the intention of your words and how they make your audience feel. In actioning the intention of your words is described as being "done to" your audience. So think of it in the format "I ____ you."

Eg:
"I inspire you"
"I scare you"
"I reassure you"

Think about how your tone of voice would change if you were trying to do all of these things to your audience. (You can even try it out loud with the phrase "do you want a cup of tea?" - that's the example I like to use.)

By consciously choosing the way you want your audience to feel during your presentation, you can temper the intensity of your passion and focus on ensuring your audience receives your message in the way you intend. (I try to do this with my kids as they regularly tell me I don’t need to be THAT stressed “It’s not that deep mum” they say, #teenagers)

Whether you're on stage, in a boardroom, or in a one-to-one conversation, it's essential to balance your passion and your composure. With these tips, you can ensure that your passion enhances your presentation, rather than overshadows it.