Do These 4 Things To Appear Authentic In Your Presentation

DON’T PUT OFF YOUR AUDIENCE BY GIVING OFF A FAKE PERSONA.
BY ANETT GRANT

In Mission Impossible: Fallout, we see the villain sitting in a room watching the destruction of society play out on a news report. Seeing the success of his plan, he starts to gloat and confess. Once he finishes, the walls come down. It turns out the whole scene was a façade–and he had been tricked the entire time.

This juxtaposition between reality and deception makes the movie thrilling and entertaining. But in real life, you won’t be taken seriously as a speaker if you fluctuate between a real and fake persona. Showing the schism between the two raises questions about your authenticity. So the next time you give a speech, make sure you do these four things so that your audience sees you as an authoritative and trustworthy speaker.

Don’t hold back from natural gestures

You can’t dissociate from your body–for example, force yourself to stand stoically or sit still–if you want to appear authentic. You need to move naturally, rather than engineer certain gestures or facial expressions. That just makes you look awkward and unnatural.

I recently worked with a client who climbed mountains in his spare time. He’d conquered Mount Kilimanjaro already and was preparing to tackle Mount McKinley, which is the tallest mountain in North America. It was evident that he was physically fit. Unfortunately, his gesture suggested otherwise–floppy arms, floppy wrists, and floppy fingers. This created a disconnect between his physical body and his own presentation of himself. He wasn’t connecting with his natural energy. By not letting his physical strength come through, he didn’t convey purpose and intention.

Be comfortable with making spontaneous facial expressions

On the other side of the spectrum, I had another client who came off as slick and inauthentic. He was good looking but not manicured. He had a pleasant voice. He maintained good eye contact. However, he had one consistent, overriding behavior–sustained facial expression. When he spoke, he manufactured his look–eyebrows up, forehead wrinkled, mouth in a half smile. He held it for minutes at a time. It was evident that he wasn’t conveying what he felt. To come off natural, he needed to allow his face to change organically with his feelings.

When speaking spontaneously, your facial expressions should only last a few seconds. If you have a habit of making a sustained facial expression–look at yourself in a mirror. Count to 20 while holding your eyebrows up, then let go. I’m confident that you’ll see and feel the difference.

Let your voice reflect your emotions

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have to convey authenticity. When you speak with genuine emotion, your voice naturally varies in pitch, pace, and volume. But when you’re trying too hard to sound “professional” or “polished,” your voice can become flat and monotone.

I worked with a CEO who was giving a presentation about a company initiative that he was truly passionate about. But when he practiced his talk, his voice was steady and even–there was no variation, no excitement, nothing that showed he cared. When I asked him to tell me about the initiative as if he were talking to a friend, his whole demeanor changed. His voice became animated, his pace quickened when he got excited, and he paused at meaningful moments.

That’s the voice you want to bring to your presentation. Don’t be afraid to let your emotions come through in how you speak.

Be present with your audience

Perhaps the most important element of authenticity is being truly present. When you’re thinking about what you’re going to say next, worrying about how you’re being perceived, or mentally reviewing your slides, you’re not actually connecting with your audience.

Authentic speakers are in the moment. They make eye contact and actually see the people they’re looking at. They respond to the energy in the room. They’re not just delivering a memorized speech–they’re having a conversation, even if they’re the only one talking.

The next time you give a presentation, focus on being present. Take a breath before you start. Look at your audience. Remember that these are real people who came to hear what you have to say. When you approach your talk from a place of genuine connection rather than performance, authenticity follows naturally.