MAKE IT LOOK EFFORTLESS 187
a notes page for the speaker’s view, you should still strive to
deliver most of your presentation with no notes at all. Body language. Is your body language strong, confident, and
commanding? Are your arms crossed or open? Are you keep-
ing your hands in your pockets instead of keeping an open
posture? Do you fidget, rock, or have other distracting habits?
Are your gestures natural and purposeful or stiff and wooden?
Remember that body language and verbal delivery account for
the majority of the impression you leave on your listeners. Your
body language should reflect the confidence of your words. Filler words. Are you constantly using “um,” “ah,” and
“you know” to fill the space between thoughts? Just as text
shouldn’t fill every inch of your slide, your words shouldn’t fill
every pause between sentences. Reviewing your performance
is the best way to eliminate these often distracting fillers. Once
you catch yourself a few times, you will be more aware of the
habit next time. Awareness is more than 90 percent of the
solution! Vocal delivery. Vary the volume and inflection of your voice
to keep the attention of your audience riveted on your words.
Raise and lower your volume at different points in your pre-
sentation. Change your cadence. Varying the speed at which
you talk will keep your presentation from sounding monotone.
Speed up at certain points and then slow down. Pause for
impact. Again, nothing is as dramatic as a well-placed pause.
Don’t sound rushed. Let the presentation breathe. Energy. Do you look as if you rolled out of bed on a Sunday
morning, or do you appear vibrant, enthusiastic, and genuinely
thrilled to be sharing your story with the audience? We all enjoy
being around people with energy. They inspire us. They are
stimulating, fun, and uplifting. An energetic person has pas-
sion in his voice, a bounce in his step, and a smile on his face.
Energy makes a person likable, and likability is a key ingredient
in persuasive communications. Many business professionals
underestimate the energy level required to generate enthusi-
asm among their listeners. Electrifying speakers such as Jobs
bring it. Jobs always has more energy than most other speakers
who share the stage with him.