If Siri, Alexa, Bixby or any robot voice would say to you “I miss you”, would that mean anything to you?
Of course not. Why, because they don’t possess emotions and therefore can’t have feelings. They are robots made from mechanical components who are there to assist with questions and tasks. But they don’t possess a heart or soul. They just regurgitate data.
Now think of some of the presentations you’ve experienced in your lifetime where presenters are literally just regurgitating facts, figures and data. Boring to say the least. I’m sure the presenters were confident in their knowledge and diligently ensured that all the most important pieces of information were present. However…there was a missing element that lost the connection with the audience.
That missing element is emotional connection.
If you want to go beyond robotic performances and create a sense of genuine care both from you when you speak and your audience when they listen, you need to speak with emotion. Regardless of how dry, analytical or technical the content may seem, audiences buy in when they feel an emotional connection.
If you feel you are falling into the trap of being a robotic presenter, how can you include a human touch to your presentation? How can you achieve emotional impact?
So many of the people I work with struggle immensely with this aspect of presenting. They are experts in their field, often very technical, but approach presentations in the same way. Regurgitating information.
To help you I’ve put together 5 tips to help you harness the power of emotional connection and take your presentations to the next level and beyond.
1. Begin With A Story
Stories are a great way to connect with an audience on an emotional level. Find a narrative, anecdote, case study that relates to your topic. Even if you don’t think there is a connection, read between the lines and search for a common underlying theme that can be related back to the theme of your presentation. For example a story that demonstrates adversity, success, perseverance or a case study where a client used your product or service to get results, or didn’t use your offering and failed miserably. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
2. Show Authenticity And Vulnerability
Authenticity is very attractive to a listener and so is showing your vulnerable side. To be honest and demonstrate when things didn’t go well and how that made you feel can be powerful.
Your audience will see you as human and strengthen your connection with your listeners.
3. Use Visuals That Evoke Emotional Connection.
Slides and power points when used sparingly and thoughtfully can amplify your audience connection. Using strong graphics, videos or images can and add humour, inspiration, empathy and enhance your overall message.
4. Interact With Your Audience
When the audience feels included in your presentation, they will feel a connection. That doesn’t mean you have to open the floor to a discussion every time…that may not be appropriate. But by asking rhetorical questions your audience will have to think, reflect and internally make decisions or form opinions. When this happens they feel emotionally invested in what you have to share and this will increase your impact.
5. How You Conclude Matters
Your closing words are the most lasting, so don’t get to the end and assume you provided them with valuable information, but just leave them in limbo with a weak non rehearsed close. Find a connection back to your opening. Reinforce the overall message, leave them with a question they will have to ponder, find a way to pull on their heart strings or emotional intelligence. This will leave a lasting impression long after you have concluded.
To sum up, here are some questions for you to ponder…Do you think of ways that you can create a connection with your audiences when you prepare your presentation or talk? Do you have a library
of stories you can draw upon that demonstrate and can be adapted to different emotional states and situations?
Remember: your audience may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.