When it comes to emotion in public speaking there are strong opinions on whether it is effective or not. Some say we should avoid emotion at all costs; it doesn’t work, it’s scary, and you could turn your audience off. Others say invite emotion into your presentations, use it well and you’ll hit a home run with your audience.
While there is no hard or fast rule, I believe that if you want to really connect with and engage your audience you should use emotion. Emotion takes people from a general to a specific. It ups the ante; you go from having people mostly listening and paying attention to what you are saying to being on the edge of their chair, hanging on your every word, and taking a journey with you.
Emotion in a presentation shouldn’t be confused with breaking down into a blubbering, sobbing mess. You want to save that for your best friend or your therapist.
In this week’s video, I share four keys to consider when using emotion in your presentations. I’ll give you a suggestion on feeling emotion in your body, noticing it, and letting the emotion be without judgment or fear. I’ll talk about what to do when you feel the emotion catching in the back of your throat and how to get the words out without losing control.
Having the courage to share emotion when you are in front of an audience takes practice. Being vulnerable and sharing your feelings gives passion to your message. Using emotion in a way that your audience experiences it with you gives depth and meaning to your words and makes people remember you and want to work with you.
I hope this video gives you a sense of how emotion can be a powerful tool in your presentations. Emotion is a physical charge that you can embody and use to bring your audience to a place where they are absorbed and engaged in what you are saying. I invite you to use the four keys in the video so you can become comfortable with emotion when speaking in the situations that matter most to you. Let me know how things go by commenting in the section below.
Until the next time,
Cassie