Give your audience more of this and they’ll thank you for it

At the start of my recent presentation skills masterclass, a client asked me: ‘Does presenting always have to be high-energy and loud?’

It was such a good question.

I love energy on stage, movement, humour, surprise, physicality, obviously. But I also love quiet reflection and contemplative moments.

What I do know as a professional speaker is that presentations live and die in the arena of contrast. On this point, I would happily put on armour and go into battle.

The brighter the fireworks, the more you need moments of stillness, and the more your audience listens when you slow down and let something land. Build in those quieter moments. Otherwise, it’s just a circus.

Award-winning speaker Allan Parker OAM does this beautifully. I’ve seen him sit on the edge of the stage and talk directly to the audience, and I’ve seen him lie down on stage. This made a room full of hardened professional speakers, people who thought we’d seen it all, gasp.

When Allan brings everything down to one still point, you feel as though you’re in a vast, starlit cathedral, soaking in absolute silence.

Bliss.

That is the power of restraint.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do on stage is pull everything back.

So no, much as I love jazz hands, presenting does not always have to be loud. Give your audience the full range.

They’ll thank you.