Last entry I promised to give you some tips and tasks to do that would be fun, all geared to make you a better speaker and communicator. I am going to give you one tip and one task today.
When I teach my ExecuProv classes, I use many unorthodox approaches to get people to use the best of what they’ve got in the way of talent; their talent. This is a fun assignment for me because so many people don’t even know that the talent they have even exists. In fact, they’re often shocked when I show them how they have wonderfully enhanced their presentation style after having incorporated a suggested nuance or affection, whether that is through body language, voice or expression.
Adding a little “trick or secret” is what the improvisational comedy actor (and those taking on a character while learning a script) does. They add a little tic, nuance, facial expression, and of course, dialect or other element to bring forth and into sharp focus the character they are playing.
How does one identify a hidden talent? There are several ways, each of which takes time to explore and implement into the interpretation of a character. When Meryl Streep played the lead, Miranda Priestly, in “The Devil Wears Prada,” she dug deep into her expressive repertoire and came up with a supercilious demeanor, cynicism and a cruel edge. To get there she had to demonstrate those traits in her demeanor, from head to toe. As she made these “attitude adjustments” you could not only hear these traits in her voice, you would see them in the way she slightly tilted her head back, the exact and deliberate way she walked, the authoritative tone in her voice, her penchant to display annoyance and her impatience with just about everyone. Her words were often brusque and biting. In order to pull this character off, Streep had to take one nuance at a time and then layer each trait to build and forge this character.
We as public speakers are no less different than those like Meryl Streep. See, what I notice much of the time when I coach those who come to me to “run” their speech or presentation, is that their “character”—the person they are playing (i.e.,themselves)—is generally flat and dimensionless. We talk awhile about the traits they admire in others. And, to bring his or her vision more clearly into focus I usually ask them to identify what actors or actresses impress them when seeing them in a particular role. Is it that actor’s portrayal of confidence, strength, poise, I ask. I then suggest my students list those traits they find impressive or appealing about their favorite actors and then I explain to them that they have the same abilities to express similar traits when playing “themselves.” They just have to pull out of themselves their strengths and also they have to layer their nuances to yank themselves out of a boring performance and into one that allows them to put forth the best they have in terms of who they can really be as they perform in front of others.
Think about it: Public speakers are no different than actors. Speaking before others requires the same compelling performance as that of an actor on stage or on screen. These people don’t just grab a script and read the words off of it. They work their delivery around how they will deliver those words.
Sadly, I know many who whip out their PowerPoint shows—even spending numerous hours putting together those boring slides—and that is what takes center stage, the stuff they project onto the wall or screen. But what about the performance—the delivery? Ask yourself this: How much time do I spend working on the delivery of my material as opposed to preparing the content?
If you are at a loss as to how to pull out of yourself all the depth and variety of how you can deliver your “lines,” here is the tip I promised: study the pros. Try to this task: Watch four or five of your favorite films, and home in on the actors in those films that most intrigue you. Then observe closely. What parts of their faces do they play to draw you in? How do they deliver that dialogue so you think it is real conversation? How do they emote to evoke a reaction from you? As you study closely you will begin to notice many things. For one, notice their faces—how certain actors play up his or her features in an interesting way. For instance, Michael Douglas often plays his jaw to convey a sense of power; Al Pacino plays his eyes to create impact with just a look; DeNiro works various muscles throughout his entire face, to create emphasis when making a point; Ellen Barkin plays her mouth, which accentuates her sex appeal; Leonardo DiCaprio knits his brow showing deep creases in the middle of his forehead leaving the viewer to see him as a deeply profound thinker (he’s always in those scenes where the camera seems to capture a close up of him thinking or agonizing). Again, watch and listen to the pros. They may us react and aren’t you trying to do the same with your audience? Aren’t you trying to get them to react to your message? Sure you are!
Bet you never thought of these actors as maximizing their talent through nuances, did you? But they do and so can you.
Think about what you have to express with that will maximize your performance. Write those characteristics down. Look in the mirror. Talk. Study yourself. Play with different kinds of delivery and make yourself come across as spontaneous, conversational and real. Soon you will begin to use more of you—you will begin to include those little things that make you more authentic, interesting and compelling to those who watch and listen to you.
In the end, your job is often to persuade them. And you can every time when you use all your talent.