Getting the most from your voice during presentations

Public speaking can be fear inducing for many people. Whether in a business context or even a personal one, few of us have ever really been trained on how to present and make our voices shine.

This was the subject of a recent SUGTalks podcast we recorded with Victoria Pritchard, Founder of Red Voice and professional actor, presenter and theatre director. In the podcast Victoria shares her top tips on how to be a more effective presenter – and below is sneak peak of what was covered:

Embrace the adrenaline rush: If you don’t have nerves ahead of a presentation, you probably don’t care about it – it’s natural for everyone to feel nervous and experience a bit of an adrenaline rush as you start talking

Don’t just focus on confidence – be authentic instead: What is confidence? There are many different ways to define confidence and it will mean something else to everyone. Instead, focus on being authentic, be yourself confidently. This means you have to trust yourself and have faith in what you’re talking about in order to come across authentically.

Work out your style: There are two key types of presenters, dynamic and magnetic. Magnetic speakers like Barack Obama or David Attenborough are great examples of presenters that draw you in. Conversely, dynamic presenters push outwards in their communication style. Think about which category you fit into and tailor what you are saying to support your style best to enhance your presentation.

Understand your environment and how that will impact your presentation: The place you give your presentation, whether it’s on a Zoom meeting or in a large auditorium will change how you present. Think about how you’ll use your hands or the space around you to help you present, or whether a smaller space might constrain your usual style. Having an idea of the environment ahead of time will help you to feel more at ease with your presentation.

Don’t forget to engage with the audience: No one wants death by PowerPoint, think about how you can engage your audience and gain a reaction from them. The key to engaging an audience is telling a good story and showing energy. Audiences will take the path of least resistance, so if it’s easy for them to sit back and ignore what’s going on they will. Instead tell a great story and they’ll stay engaged.

You can listen listen to the full SUGTalks episode with Victoria Pritchard here, as well as check out some of the other issues we’ve covered on the podcast. Whether you’re looking to hear about other organisations SAP experiences or tips on how to improve your mental health, SUGTalks has something for everyone: https://sugtalks.buzzsprout.com/