Audiences are so impatient today. Worse still, they have a powerful weapon of escape from us in their hand held devices. They observe the first few minutes of our presentation to decide if they will keep paying attention or whether they will escape to the delights of the internet.
How long does it take you on average to form a first impression? My presentation skills students tell me two seconds. Wow. What does this mean for the speaker? It could be in the boardroom, at the networking event or at the pitch to the client. Regardless of the location, one thing is sure – everyone is a seasoned critic.
Think back to the last time you saw someone present. Did the speaker get right into it or was there some logistical finessing of the laptop, the lapel microphone or their wad of notes sitting on the rostrum? Was the speaker looking at the audience, up at the huge screen behind them or down at their laptop? Did we have some good old microphone thumping to see if it was working properly? If there were any such diversions, then our two seconds have come and gone completely.
What would help us to maximize the two second window? Getting straight into the content without any distractions, allows us to set the tone for the occasion.
We could start by telling an episode, an incident, a story. We love listening to interesting stories involving real life and real people, because we can easily identify with the content. We could refer to a member of the audience we met earlier, immediately shattering the mental barrier between speaker and audience. “Anne Smith from XYZ and I were chatting earlier and she made a very good observation about….”
After having launched into proceedings, we can now backtrack and use the laptop, our notes, the spreadsheets or whatever we need to explain the content. Rather than wasting our initial two second window on these adjustments, we instead capture the attention of our audience from the very start. Once captured let’s keep them so.
Another powerful tool, left in pristine condition through underuse is voice quality. That means speaking clearly, with sufficient volume, so that you can easily be heard. Use the microphone properly, by holding it just under your chin and speaking across the mesh.
Have some variation in the delivery so it is not totally predictable. Hit key words with a roar or a whisper to highlight them. At the start, go for the roar rather than the whisper. Show confidence through voice power. Slowing the words down for emphasis is equally powerful. For example, “This----is----the----moment” and delivered slowly with a dramatic pause after each word. Our attention is all yours and we are bursting to know where you are going with this talk.
Eye power is a must. I recommend holding the gaze of one audience member for six seconds, as this allows for engagement without generating fear of radiation burn. Spend the entire talk selecting one person after another, randomly selected for six seconds each. Keep your eyes glued on your audience.
This means carefully instructing the venue organisers beforehand to not drop the lights on the audience or yourself. You want to be able to see them clearly so you can read their faces for confirmation that they are with you. We also want them to be able to see us clearly too, rather than disappearing into the shadows on stage.
Own the first impression and enjoy the success glide to the finish.
