Presentation Fundamentals
– How to Let Your Passion Shine Through Your Presentations
“What is your passion?”
This vexing question almost always draws a sharp pause in conversations, breaks an engaging discussion and result in a brief, meaningful silence. Most of us do not have a ready answer to this disarming question. We know what interests us, but we face trouble articulating and presenting what our passions are. This can be a barrier to a powerful and persuasive presentation. Passion as a strong emotion, when incorporated in your presentation, can make the difference between an average and a memorable presentation.
While passion cannot be artificially constructed (not in a convincing manner at least!), there are presentation fundamentals to help your passion shine through your speech/presentation. Sharing such an intimate slice of your life is an effective way of endearing yourself to your audience. Such a slice must be incorporated in a relevant and appropriate manner to ensure that you appear authentic and sincere. Identifying your passion is just the first step – presenting it convincingly and compellingly is the crucial next step.
We understand that this is easier said than done. To help you along in preparing that passion-filled presentation, here are three simple tips!
Tip #1: Speak with Energy, Confidence and Power
It goes without saying that your speech delivery is as important as your speech content itself. Speech delivery techniques are particularly significant when you are presenting about a project you are passionate about. These techniques can range from foundational body language skills to your vocal variety during your presentation. Through a combination of these techniques, you aim to deliver a presentation with energy, confidence and power.
One commonly overlooked aspect of presentation is posture. A strong and confident posture will help you set the stage for a powerful sharing of your passion. Imagine a presenter slouched over a podium, droning on about a particular topic – his/her passion is unlikely to shine through! On the other hand, keeping your shoulders in an upright, but relaxed, position, with your back straightened, will help you to anchor your message. Incorporating strong vocal projection is also another method of exuding confidence in your passion message. Beyond just raising your volume, playing around with a modulating tone/pace can make your presentation less monotonous or dry.
Check Out Our YouTube Video on: “Content or Delivery – Which is More Important?”
Tip #2: Layer Your Content With Achievements, Accolades and Aspirations
Most of us find it difficult to articulate our exact reasons for our “passion”. One of the pressing fears our students have is the fear of sounding arrogant or too over-confident. This, however, should not affect your content. There are three aspects that you can include in your presentation content to emphasise your passion.
First, include your Achievements in your particular “passion”. These may not necessarily have to be competitions or even actual awards. These achievements are your personal victories – every little progress in your abilities may be an indication of your dedication to achieve perfection in your passion. Second, it does not hurt to add your Accolades awarded to you. When sharing your awards, remember to dive into the background process of your preparation and your opinions/feelings from receiving the accolade. Third, passionate individuals tend to venture into the future by talking about their Aspirations. Show your audience that you have a long-term vision in mind rather than just a fleeting interest.
Tip #3: Showcase Your Story Journey – How Did You Overcome Your Conflict?
The pursuit of your passion is unlikely to be smooth-sailing – you will definitely face challenges that you have to overcome inevitably. That said, avoid shying away from sharing your obstacles or challenges. Your audience will enjoy a compelling success story about how you overcame your obstacles and face your conflict in pursuing your passion. A straightforward narrative without any twists and turns is unlikely to be a gripping story to capture your audience attention. This is so, especially when you are sharing about a topic you are passionate about.
When sharing about how you overcome your conflict, remember not to scrimp on the details. Emphasise the challenges that you face and show how you stood firm in the face of adversity. One of my clients insisted that she did not have a story to share that would show her passion. However, when we started exploring the challenges she faced in her business, there was a palpable difference in the energy coming through her presentation. The more she elaborated on the conflict she faced, the more energetic the presentation became. When you are aiming to incorporate more energy into your presentation, start with a story involving conflict to engage your audience’s attention!
Let Your Passion Shine Through!
It is not easy to showcase your passion in a presentation (for the most part, we present on mundane topics!). However, learning how to incorporate the relevant techniques to showcase passion in a presentation is key. These techniques will help your speech/presentation crafting process, both in terms of content and delivery – start letting your passion shine through today!
If you’re keen to take your storytelling and presentation skills (either business/corporate presentation or kids’ class presentation) to the next level so that you may craft and tell effective stories with flair and charisma, feel free to check out our offerings below!
For more about Public Speaking Courses for Kids/ Children:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/group-classes-students-age-9-18/
For more about Public Speaking Courses for Adults:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/courses-and-programs/group-classes-for-adults/
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