How passionate are you about what you communicate? Are you someone who relays a message or delivers a presentation with energy and enthusiasm or do you come across as dull, dreary and disinterested?
Whether you are leading a team or making the tea, the ability to be engaging in the way you convey information has a significant impact on the way you are perceived as a person and also on the way your message is interpreted. It could be the difference between people taking action or not so it’s important to consider how you feel about your message - if you’re not interested and enthusiastic about what you’re talking about, it’s difficult for anyone else to be!
“But my topic is boring…”
This is a phrase I often hear from participants in my presentation skills masterclasses. My answer? There are no boring topics, just boring presenters! If you think what you are talking about is unexciting, that will come across in your body language, tone of voice and general energy and it will be much harder to get people to listen to you and act on what you are saying.
Often after I’ve delivered a talk, masterclass or webinar, people comment on how engaging I am. There are a number of techniques to ensure you are engaging, whether face to face in front of an audience or if you are communicating online, but I believe that one of the best ways is to be passionate about what you’re speaking about.
As an actor, I learnt a very valuable lesson about the importance of finding something to like about your character. Even if you are playing a vile, horrid, heartless serial killer it is vital to find something good about them in order to be able to fully immerse yourself in the character and bring them to life in a way that draws people in.
And it’s similar to when you’re giving a presentation or talking about what you do at a networking event or updating someone on your project – if you can find the things that make it interesting and exciting to you, your passion will energise your communication and you’ll have a far better chance at engaging people.
But what if you just can’t muster the necessary energy and enthusiasm? It might be that you feel like you’ve lost your passion for your presentation topic, but it could be with your business, your career or even life in general.
If so, you might be interested in my new programme for women, designed to reconnect you with what lights you up so that you can fully express yourself with confidence (and passion!) Want to know more? Send me a message at mel@melsherwood.com and I’ll send you the details!
Mel Sherwood is a spoken communication specialist and the author of 'The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business - how to make an impact and be remembered... in under a minute!’ She combines 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer to help business professionals to communicate with confidence, credibility and charisma.
To find out more go to www.melsherwood.com or follow Mel on Twitter @MelSherwood_