Many speakers want to make a lasting impression on the minds of their audience and that is what many call the wow factor. There is no singular act that makes you, the speaker, quickly bond with the members of each audience, as each case must be evaluated based on its peculiarities. It is common for speakers to perform a singular act, which spices up the presentation and makes it an unforgettable moment that leaves the audience wanting more and more. Now, the next question would be how to add a little spice to your presentation so that it goes from monotonous to excellent.
Here are some tips that can help you on your quest to be the super speaker you want to be. These are all from personal experience and the experiences of other professional speakers.
Humor – I’d like to start by saying that you can never go wrong with humor. A humorous speaker is a better choice than a boring speaker at any time, especially when the presentation alone is one that has the innate tendency to be serious, a good example is a technical paper at a conference. The bottom line is that infusing your presentations with humor is a good habit you can practice to become the preferred speaker. You have a duty to recognize the humor style that best suits you and to hone your skills to make the overall package better. The advice here would be to make sure they understand that you are not a stand-up comedian, hence the need not to overdo it.
Knowledge pool – A sure way to make your presentation unforgettable is to greatly improve the content and make sure you do a good job of informing your audience. The simple logic is this: the more you tell people what they don’t know and probably what they didn’t see from a hitherto unknown perspective, the higher you will rank higher on the performance scale. When you quote other sources and statistics and generally tell people what they know now, you subconsciously pose as an insider and that increases your level of credibility. I have personally seen this work for many speakers, most of whom did not have a great deal of personal charisma and charm working to their advantage. It should be a repository of knowledge, as it is a sure way to earn the respect of your audience.
Delivery – The golden rule here is that it is not what you say but how you say it, which is just as important. Remember that what you are not saying, but which others may perceive, is just as important, if not more, than what you are saying. Here you should use positive body language, modulate your voice, and maintain good posture.