Help! My audience looks bored.
Listeners who appear bored might quickly activate your feelings of anxiety if you are a novice speaker (or teacher). Seasoned speakers, however, are well-equipped with a variety of techniques to stimulate perceived passive audiences. Using vocal dynamics is the most important strategy to keep your audience hanging on your every word.
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The melodic patterns of your voice, known as intonation, carry meaning and emotion. As described in the article, How does the brain turn sound into meaning, the brain is constantly working to make meaning from sound. Are you presenting information that is intriguing, persuading, groundbreaking, exciting, or fateful? Variations in pitch, rate, and volume that match your intended message are important factors in connecting listeners’ brains to make sense of your information.
If you are reading from paper, put down your notes. Stop reading the text verbatim on your PowerPoint slides. Stand up, move your body, and present! Reading is a different mode of vocal delivery than presenting. The signals you are putting out are not meaningful to an audience who is sleepy, restless, and bored. If you aren’t ready to drop your script, at least practice jazzing up the melody of your voice while reading.
If you are well equipped with the skills of a confident communicator, it may have little to do with your presentation style. Read up on the realities of Resting B*ch Face.
Negative beliefs and perceptions of yourself as a boring speaker are directly correlated with a lack of communication confidence. Please visit www.calendly.com/laurabresee to schedule a consultation to learn more.
