When we say that someone “sounds credible” or “sounds like they know what they’re talking about,” what do we mean? What are we really saying about what we are hearing and how has it convinced us?
A strong executive presence can be felt, seen and perceived I’m listening.
Enhance the sound of your executive presence when presenting with these tips:
YOU’RE ON THE STAGE: I LIKE IT: There is “quiet confidence”, but a public presentation is a better place to show enthusiasm and certainty. Your voice is one of your main tools to dominate a room. Make sure to use your full power range. Nothing can sink the effectiveness of a presentation faster than presenting in a monotonous or soft voice. Think of “presenting” in its full theatrical sense. Let your voice really show your commitment to what you are saying.
PROJECTING IS NOT YELLING: Project your voice to the back of the room and to people further away. That doesn’t mean yelling at them. Breathe from your diaphragm (like a baby: if your hand moves while resting on your diaphragm, you’re doing fine). Your goal is to use your voice naturally, but on a powerful level. Make sure no one is straining to hear you over the noise of the attendees or, conversely, wondering why you are yelling at them so much.
LET YOUR PRESENTATION BREATHEDon’t pack so much into your presentation that you rush to fit everything. You want to make sure there are short breaks built in, especially when you’re delivering key points or switching to a new section. That will give you time to make changes and it will also help your audience. Remember that we listen much faster than we process information. Especially with ideas that we have not heard before, it is important that we have time to process these ideas. Pauses (along with a bit of rephrasing and repetition) help your audience focus on and remember your most important points.
Sounds like you mean it: Short, declarative sentences spoken in a voice that falls at the end have power. If you leave your voice high or leave it in a neutral tone, it will have less power and therefore less authority. Try not to string together a series of sentences in a kind of delivery stream of consciousness, connected with “and” or “so”. Instead, consider what you want to say and rehearse saying it out loud in shorter ‘bites’. The idea is not to memorize your notes or script in rehearsal, but to become familiar with its broader themes and rhythms so that you know exactly what you want to emphasize. Listen to yourself as you hand over your material. If you stop to breathe mid-sentence, that’s a clue to shorten your points. Successful presentations don’t happen by accident. Work for them and sound as sure as you are in your ideas.