Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Communicate with Enthusiasm, Part III

Say Cheese. Here’s another psychophysical circuit that can be a great boon to public speakers. As you read this, put a smile on your face. A happy, just-received-great-news kind of smile, twinkling eyes and all. If you keep this up for a few seconds, you’ll probably notice a related, warm and tingly emotional response start to form. Years of smiling in response to positive stimuli creates a channel between the physical action of smiling and the feelings associated with smile-worthy occasions. Seeing others smile can also produce this response (that’s why the whole world smiles with you, as the old song goes). What use is this to public speakers? Bright eyes, an open face, an upturned mouth, these are all things we associate with the enthusiastic communicator. They are the outward signs that invite us to share in the speaker’s positive experience. Unfortunately, out of nerves, the desire to look professional, or simply unconscious habit, many speakers put on a grim “game face” as they approach the podium, unwittingly shutting out the audience. To counteract this tendency, take a moment in rehearsal to run through the opening of your speech with a big grin on your face. You’ll probably feel foolish. Good. This might make you smile even more. The goofier the better. See what it does to your speech to begin from a grin. Now internalize that smile so you feel it but it’s not manifesting itself in an unnatural way, and keep going with your speech. Use your eyes to communicate the smile to your imaginary audience. This is a great way to achieve a warm connection with your crowd, one that looks and feels authentic. Even if you’re giving a serious speech, you’ll want to find moments to share either an outward or an inward smile, one that lets your listeners know you’re with them.

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