Presentation Skills: Body Language & TV
You can improve your presentation skills by watching TV.
TV is an audio-visual medium with extra emphasis on the video. To improve your presentation skills watch some of your favorite TV programs with the sound off. Of course you will miss the nuances of the words and details. But challenge yourself to watch and while trying to decipher what is going on and what the words might be.
I suggest you do this with a pen and paper to scribble down your thoughts as you experience them.
Don't worry about what you are missing. Write down all the things you notice. Note the emotions conveyed, the energy level, the relationships about the characters.
Then think about how you know those things. Now think about your presentations and what message your audience might receive if they have tuned you out. Is your body language consistent with your words? What do you need to change to convey the right message with your body language.
Turning the sound off works best for action, drama and comedy - but not for sports. Most game shows work well. Some of them are even better with the sound off.
Years ago, I back packed through Europe. While in Greece I attended a movie theatre. I watched a kung fu movie. The audio was in Chinese with Greek subtitles - neither of which I understand. However I enjoyed and understood the movie.
George Torok
Presentation Skills Coaching
Presentation Skills Training
Business Speaker
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
3 comments:
George,
Thanks for the unique advice.
You are right: a presenter's non-verbal cues matter just as much as the actual presentation.
I always tell presenters that they need to use broader gestures since they draw the eye and project dynamism. Further, it is important to develop a vocabulary of gestures since they are both an effective and efficient way to communicate.
Nonetheless, you are right: a gesture must be used for a reason.
Here is a great article on the subject: “Albert Mehrabian, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, is well-known for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages. His findings on inconsistent messages of feelings and attitudes have been quoted throughout communication seminars worldwide, and have also become known as the 7%-38%-55% Rule.
According to Mehrabian, these three elements account differently for our liking for the person who puts forward the message: words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55%.” More can be found at: wikipedia
Thanks!
AAaahhhhh! The good Prof did NOT say that. He said those percentages were apparently the case when
1 - the meaning of the words was unclear;
2 - the words being thus interpretted were limited to one word only which he chose deliberately because it didn't have any intrinsic meaning, thus deliberately emphasising the other two parts of the issue.
Sorry to rant but as a professional voice & presentation skills trainer I come across this mis-information so often that if I had a chocolate bar for every time I have to correct it I'd have more chocolate than Nestle! :)
Simon
PS: I'm not saying that "visual" isn't important becasuse it obviously is - just pointing out that Prof Mehrabian is often mis-understood and mis-quoted
Simon,
I welcome your rant. What really bugs me is when "presentation experts" say that the 7% words - 38% tone - 55% body language refers to "communication".
George
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