Next level communicators work hard to look authentic.
Next level communicators work hard to look authentic.
Public speaking is one of the most unnatural things a person can do. Think about it, you’re standing in front of a group of mostly strangers. You have a million things going through your mind, like what comes next in my presentation? When and what is my next slide? I hope this joke or story lands. How much more time do I have left? Oh shoot, I have way less time than I thought, so what part(s) do I need to cut out? With all of these thoughts and more, it’s easy to be distracted from your normal authentic self, and become a character, a complete stranger to how your friends and loved one’s experience you.
It bears repeating: Next level communicators work hard to look authentic. And what is authentic? It’s how people experience you in conversation. By “conversation,” I’m not saying your public speaking should be devoid of authority, or moments of passion. I am saying that when you have ended your presentation one of the things people leave with is a sense of connection with you. Remember, the best speakers establish a connection between themselves and their audience, and you can’t do this without authenticity.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, is remembered as one of the most compelling communicators in history; but it was not always this way. Before his first televised interview he was so nervous he asked for directions to the bathroom because he thought he was going to be sick. A few years later, in 1984 as Apple was preparing to launch a new line of computers, Jobs can be seen rigidly holding onto the lectern, chained to his notes. All of this was a far cry from his witty and provocative true self. Over the years, Steve got much better. How? Carmine Gallo, who has spent years researching the communication skills of Steve Jobs tells us, “Jobs built a reputation for practicing relentlessly for a presentation- many, many hours over many, many weeks. Eventually Jobs was considered among the most charismatic business leaders on the world stage. What many people fail to realize is that Jobs made it look effortless because he worked at it” (Talk Like Ted, page 80).
There it is again- the best communicators work really hard to look authentic.
Yeh, but what exactly does it mean to work hard to look authentic? I think you know what I’m going to say, because I’ve said it so many times in previous posts. I’ll give you a hint: The answer starts with an “Internali,” and ends with “zation”. There’s no way you will be your authentic self on stage without having the basic guts of your message stuck to your bones. As communicators we all should have nervous energy as we come to the stage. The key, as Dr. Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at the Harvard Business School, says is not to eliminate nerves but to manage them. And the best way to manage nervousness is to internalize our message. Remember the principle we unpacked some months ago: Less scared when prepared.
A failure to manage nervousness will result in one or more of the following:
Nervous tics. They can be using filler words like, “Uh,” or distracting, non-purposeful movements. Nervous tics not only distract us from our authentic selves, but they also distract our audience, making it difficult for them to connect.
Stiffness. Some speakers over correct their nervous tics by being too rigid. They stand in one place, or hold onto the lectern like the early Steve Jobs did. Their efforts to control nervousness (instead of managing) has the same results as nervous tics- throwing up a barrier between them and the people they are speaking to.
If you want to become authentic as a communicator, let me recommend you begin by trying these two things:
Slow down, especially in the beginning of your talk. What I’m getting at here is your rate of speech. There’s actually science to back this up. Studies show that the ideal rate of speech for audio books where the listeners can hear and absorb the content is around 150-160 words a minute. The ideal rate of speech in conversation is a little faster, like 170-190 words per minute because we have added sensory aids like facial expression, gestures and body language. Auctioneers talk at an average rate of 250 words per minute. Experts have studied the most persuasive talks, and have concluded they were at a rate of around 190 words a minute, the same rate as face to face conversation. In other words, they were authentic. Now remember, it’s more than okay to vary the pace or rate at which you speak; I would argue that you must (like a score to a movie). Remember, we are talking averages per minute. Slowing our speech down, especially in the beginning, is a helpful way to manage our nervous energy.
Purposeful Gestures. Research has shown that gestures actually give the audience confidence in the speaker. Dr. David McNeil, a researcher at the University of Chicago is considered one of the foremost authorities in the area of hand gestures. When asked what is the key to great messages, he says that it’s all in the hands, providing empirical evidence, “...that gestures, thinking, and language are connected” (Talk Like TED, page 96). The best speakers use hand gestures which allows their audience to peer into their thought process, deepening the connection.
What I’m Reading:
Soon and Very Soon: The Transformative Music and Ministry of Andrae Crouch, by Darden and Newby.
If you found this helpful, please share with others, encouraging them to sign up here.
