Deliver With More Impact, By Focussing On This 1-Word
A few years ago, the way I thought about delivery was all wrong.
The main thing I’d think about was ensuring there was a good level of:
>>> VARIETY
i.e. I wanted “Light and Shade” in my talks.
For example, I would try and ensure that:
- My voice wasn’t monotone and that I varied it.
- I varied my pace throughout my talk
- I had light and shade in my volume, speaking quieter vs louder
- I did different gestures
However, about a year ago (when reading an article myself) I came across a much more appropriate word to focus on.
>>> CONGRUENCE
I.e. There’s alignment between ‘what’ you say and ‘how’ you say it.
We look (consciously or subconsciously) at a speaker for clues to support what they’re saying.
….and if your audience is confused about the connection between your words and your body, they’re LESS likely to believe you.
Which means they’re less likely to take action based off of it. 😲
Here’s some examples of a lack of congruence:
- If you’re talking about something frustrating, but you have a smile on your face, that can confuse an audience.
- If you’re talking about something you don’t want people to do at all costs, yet you’re doing repeated gestures with open palms, that doesn’t quite align.
So, instead of simply thinking about getting VARIETY into my delivery, I now think about it being CONGRUENT with what I’m saying.
That goes with everything.
If your tone, your pace, your gestures, your facial expressions, all align with what you’re actually saying, you’ll be far more likely to convince people of what you’re talking about.
IN SUMMARY
Next time you’re prepping for a presentation, don’t just say your talk and hope the CONTENT does 100% of the job.
Think consciously about the CONGRUENCE between the *meaning* of what you’re saying and how that’s being *delivered* by your body & your voice.
Your audience will resonate much more and it will be far more impactful as a result. 🙌
Q – What do you think of this new word to focus on!?
Cheers,
Emily
Emily Edgeley is a Public Speaking Coach for the Technology industry. Since 2017 she’s run over 280 group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and formally supported first time and experienced speakers at 10 Conferences, covering 1000+ people across the globe.
She’s on a mission to help anyone in the Tech arena learn how to speak with clarity, impact, and confidence, whether that’s at work or at a Conference. So they can share their ideas, build their brand and start to enjoy ‘public speaking’!
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