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Communicating in public is a sport!

leonsergent communications - Prise de parole en public/Public Speaking

How could you not idealize the selflessness of these Olympic athletes who work tirelessly for four years to offer to the world a performance that will push the physical limits of the human body. While their ability to surpass oneself is an ideal for many of us to follow, it is not necessarily a balanced health model that we should all imitate. I think the same thing about the sports analysts invited to describe the events. These former professional athletes and coaches will spend years preparing for the chance to describe performances that will go down in history, but they are not always communication models for most of us to follow. Here are three pitfalls to avoid to improve the spectator experience and a reminder for our business and sales presentations:

Gymnastics:  To fill the moments of silence and no doubt give us the benefit of their knowledge and experience, some presenters will use more words than they should. In order to contain all this additional information, these communicators will resort to contortions of style that make sentences more and more convoluted and do not improve comprehension. Let us remember that the obligatory constituents of a sentence are the subject, the predicate, and the sentence complement. Shorter sentences are better understood and more memorable. Here's an example: Given the situation and tensions in her home country, it was more difficult for this athlete to complete her preparation for the games or more simply, the armed conflict raging in her country has curtailed her Olympic preparation.

Racing: Paying attention to an analyst who describes a 5-hour cycling race at the speed of the riders is exhausting! Listeners may need refueling or they simply leave the peloton. Too slow, similar problem. The modulation of our flow must match what we describe. More composed during the calmer strategic moments, faster in the final sprint. The same applies to a presentation to our employees and customers.

Weightlifting: The sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm certainly underscores the highlights in the description of an athletic performance. Kicking up the excitement is a good way to accompany a call to action or good news during a presentation. A presentation that is a little too enthusiastic often suggests a lack of transparency and humanity. For our listeners, too enthusiastic is too much. For the presenter, managing one’s energy is key when you need a little more strength to mobilize your audience. No enthusiasm at all and your listeners will have the right to wonder if this presentation was a good idea after all.

Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter!

Happy presenting.

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