Returning to the Stage: Are You Prepared?
Remember presenting to people? People who were actually in the same room with you?
Standing up in front of a room full of people is back! Do you remember how to move your feet? Your hands? Actually look at a human in the eye?
It’s time to dust off some of the old tricks.
During the last two years, we’ve figured out how to “do” virtual. We got our backgrounds spruced up and ring lights working. We are experts at looking spiffy from the waist up; we use smart hand gestures that stay within the video frame; we make “eye contact” with our audience by staring straight into our tiny cameras.
Now we are back in person. A VERY different experience from our home office stage. Not only do we need to think about wearing real pants and shoes – we’ve also got to remember our stage presence. What makes an engaging and connected experience for a live, in-person audience?
Check out my LinkedIn Live where I give my TOP TIPS for preparing for your next high stakes event!
Your physical presence: get comfortable moving & being seen
The leaders I work with have perfected their pandemic-era video skills. They know how to make the three feet of visible home office space work for them, using the chat, a second monitor, and notes. They know how to pause, wait for the technology to catch up, and manage a sea of digital voices.
In person is another dimension – literally! You are now all in 3D versus 1D. And, your entire physical self is now on display.
The way you turn your whole body to engage with one side of the room, how you can exaggerate hand gestures beyond the imaginary screen frame, how you choose to make your grand entrance, how you shift your stance when you deliver the punchline – each of these little choices contributes to your stage presence. All of it – all of you! – is up for evaluation.
There’s also a psychological component to your presence: how well you deal with interruptions, technology issues, or audience members who become disengaged and start whispering to their neighbor. The heat is on for in-person events because you can’t mute and turn your camera off when things don’t work.
You could have incredible content and deliver it with gravitas, but if you lose your cool with a broken teleprompter or a heckler, that’s all the audience will remember. When you appear at ease and in control, your audience relaxes. It's easier to forge a connection with them and feel like you are in this together; they will root for you. When you are in this space – comfortable with your body and mind – you're more likely to be memorable, charismatic, and speak with power.
Want to see how your stage presence "shows up" for others? Try this:
Think about your top three key messages for your in-person presentation.
Write them down.
Record yourself on video saying them out loud. Did you move? Did you gesture?
Now, imagine no one can hear you because there is construction in the room next to your presentation. If your audience only watches you, will they understand at least 50% of your key messages with your movements, gestures and facial expressions alone? If not, add some of those behaviors!
Remember: You are there, in-person, for a reason. Connection. If you are reading your slides or a teleprompter, you might as well just send the notes to the audience and skip the flight. Humans are wired for connection. What you say matters a lot, but how you say it is what they will remember.