Imagine getting all dressed up for your big presentation and then standing in front of the audience with a grumpy look or a frown on your face. Would you win the audience? I suspect not. Furthermore, image that people comment on your nice smile when you are in conversations with them but you fail to use it as part of your presentation or in your speech. For most people their smile is an asset and they should use it. Use Your Smile! If you use a smile when you greet your audience then you immediately set the stage in a positive light and create a comfortable atmosphere. People relate well to a smile. Your body language and facial expressions can be used in the delivery of your message or to create an atmosphere that can enable more people to be more receptive to your message. I am a Toastmaster and Toastmasters is an organization that focuses on the teaching of public speaking I recently helped teach a Toastmasters Speech Craft course at a local business. In attendance was a woman that had a fabulous smile. She captivated the audience at the beginning of her very first speech with that wonderful smile. All the Toastmasters in attendance commented on her great smile and how it enabled her to capture the attention of the audience and relate well to the audience. If you smile and mean it then the audience will know it. Also, a smile conveys confidence. We think that someone with a frown on their face is having a bad day. We are left to guess what might be wrong. Why put these thoughts in the heads of the people we talk with or present to. The audience will be guessing about the wrong things. What if you could get the audience to guess about how you know so much about your presentation topic or how did you learn to present so well or what a great experience you talked about and how they could get involved. If you put these thoughts into the minds of the people in the audience then you are connecting with them in a very positive way and perhaps persuasive way. Your smile can help you to do this. You should even smile when you talk on the telephone. Do you think that no one will notice because they cannot see you? Actually the sound of your voice is different and more upbeat and positive when you speak with a smile. Therefore, even though people cannot see that you are smiling they will still get a more upbeat and positive message if you are indeed smiling while talking with them on the telephone than if you are not. This also goes for speaking on the Internet. Smile when you speak and I assure you people will notice. I suggest that people will remember you more and more of what you said and have a more positive image of you if you wear a smile than if you have your best or jacket on. Do not underestimate the value of a nice smile to set the tone of the conversation, speech or presentation. People like smiles and I say give them what they like. Dont be like the man that wore his best tie and then forgot his smile. He may have thought that no one noticed but unfortunately for him they all did. Gary Horsman is the President of Presentations That Talk. Presentations That Talk help people to place the presentation online and then provides the technology to enable voice narration to the presentation. For more information please visit http://www.presentationsthattalk.com. |
