Ten tips to present powerfully
Start strong, end stronger
Vinh Giang is an entrepreneur, magician and keynote speaker. He believes that presenting effectively is a critical skill as it engages people and moves them to act. He talks about how his parents early struggles inspired him and shaped who he is.
Vinh Giang’s parents fled Vietnam in the late 1970s. They embarked on a perilous journey across the sea, to escape an oppressive regime. In the dead of night, they boarded an overcrowded, rickety fishing boat, leaving behind everything they knew. For days, they drifted, exposed to scorching heat and freezing nights with little food or water. Their greatest fear came true when pirates attacked their boat one night, robbing them but sparing their lives. As supplies dwindled and hope faded, a miracle happened. An Australian ship rescued them. Upon arriving in Australia, they had nothing but each other. Vinh’s parents worked tirelessly to successfully build a new life for themselves.
The techniques Vinh demonstrates and teaches include: mastering our voice, harnessing body language and creating moments of wonder.
Master our voice
Your voice can change the world. - Barack Obama
Our voice is the most important tool we have for delivering a powerful presentation. Counterintuitively, how we deliver our message is often more important than its content. Vinh Giang’s tips include:
Vocal variety: Vary pitch and tone to keep our audience engaged. A change in tone can emphasise key points and convey emotion.
Pacing: Adjust speed of delivery. Slow down at critical moments to allow our audience time to absorb the message. Speed up to convey excitement.
Pausing: Strategic pauses create suspense and time to reflect. Silence can regain attention.
Harness body language
Your body communicates far more than your words. The way you move, hold yourself and react speaks volumes. - Vinh Giang
Non-verbal communication is key. Our body language, gestures and facial expressions can either reinforce the message or detract from it. Congruence between our words and body language is essential for building trust and authority. If we say something is important but our body language doesn’t reflect that emotion, our audience will disconnect. Vinh’s tips for effectively harnessing body language include:
Posture: Stand tall and confident. Avoid slouching or shifting our weight. Our posture should communicate authority.
Gestures: Use hand gestures to emphasise points, but don’t overdo it. Our gestures should feel natural and align with what we're saying.
Eye contact: Making eye contact helps build connection. Engage different parts of the room to make everyone feel involved.
Create moments of wonder
The key to success is to surprise and engage your audience, giving them something unexpected that sparks curiosity and joy. - Walt Disney
To capture attention, we need to create moments of wonder. In his presentations, Vinh Giang uses magic tricks, not just to entertain, but as metaphors to highlight key lessons in communication. The more interactive and surprising we can make our presentation, the more our audience will be drawn in. Vinh suggests:
Storytelling: A well told story captivates. Use personal anecdotes or relatable stories to illustrate key points.
Visual aids: Incorporate slides, videos or props to provide a break from verbal content and engage different senses. Visuals should be simple and impactful.
Interaction: Ask questions and invite participation. This makes the audience feel involved.
Engage with passion: Let our enthusiasm for the topic come through. Passion is contagious and our audience will feed off that energy.
Other resources
Psychology of Illusion talk by Vinh Giang
Key Influencer in 5 Steps post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Maya Angelou defines the essence of a powerful presentation. People may forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.
Have fun.
Phil…
Wish these were available in podcast form!