Visually Speaking

Once upon a time… a speaker claimed it was difficult to get an audience excited about information simply because the content was so boring. Content is never boring — people are boring. A boring presenter delivers boring details. While there are a number of ways to bring content to life, the most obvious method is to smile. You can choose from any of the three kinds of smiles: outside, inside, and in-depth.

The OUTSIDE SMILE is with your TEETH, and is “reactionary” to either your own words or to the words of others, expressing happiness, indicating joy, and obvious to everyone.

The INSIDE SMILE is with your HEART, revealing your personal stories and heartfelt experiences that somehow relate to the given discussion, linking emotion to content.

The IN-DEPTH SMILE is with your EYES, a window to your soul that engages people in a willing belief of your own beliefs. Some call this credibility, others call it charisma, you can just call it convincing.

Use the outside smile, and the boredom will disappear. Use both the outside and inside smiles, the engagement level rises. Use all three and you will have the audience “in the palm of your hand.”

If you can use one or more of these smiles, periodically during your talk, you will be more effective.