Rock Your Video Meetings: Unleash Tone-Tastic Presentations Like a Pro (Episode 152)

Have you ever noticed how important it is to capture your audience's attention and make them truly understand your message? It becomes even more challenging when you are discussing a complex and dry topic, especially if you are new to presenting, particularly on camera, the last thing you want is for people to tune out, start doing something else, or even fall asleep. But fear not, there's a way to keep them engaged, and it all comes down to the tone of your voice. I'm your host, Chris Schwager, and welcome to Video Made Simple.

[00:00:38] Now I'll give you the heads up. We're just taking on our newest employee, John, who is currently building his first DIY video studio. He is the G Rock of Ridge Films and so if you hear some unboxing, some clanging, some tapping, it's cuz he's busy working out the 60 components to making this kit. Bringing the this kit to life. Look. Why do people end up presenting in monotone? Well, there are five common factors that contribute to this phenomenon.

[00:01:17] A lack of awareness. It is so clear that when you get under lights under that stressor and it is a stress environment, then lots of things suffer. Okay? Many presenters underestimate the impact their tone has on their audience. They believe that simply delivering the content is enough. Reading it from a teleprompter, it's enough, isn't it? Without considering the importance of varying their tone.

[00:01:45] Secondly, The nervousness or lack of confidence. Presenters who are nervous or lack confidence often focus solely on delivering their content, neglecting their tone. This can result in a flat, monotonous delivery as they stick to a safe and practical and practicable presentation style.

[00:02:09] Number three over reliance on scripts or slides. Oh man, don't create your slide deck first. So many mistakes. So much wasted time from people working on slide decks and working backwards. Some presenters heavily rely on written scripts or slide decks, which can hinder their ability to infuse energy and variation into their tone. Reading verbatim without injecting emotions or emphasis on the value of the message can make the presentation sound robotic and monotonous.

[00:02:45] And then there's a lack of engagement with the audience. Presenters who fail to actively engage the audience may unintentionally slip into in a monotonous tone. Limited interaction, feedback, or connection with the listeners can cause the presenter to lose enthusiasm and deliver the content in a monotonous manor.

[00:03:06] Number five. Lack of preparation or practice. Insufficient preparation and lack of practice can contribute to a monotonous presentation. When presenters are not well versed in their content or haven't rehearsed enough, they may rely on monotonous delivery as a means to getting through the material.

[00:03:25] Hmm, they are the five things that you gotta try and think about. And I argue to the point in anybody that's I'm training for the first time, don't let excuses get in the way. It's reasonable that you don't know what you don't know, that you're in an environment that is completely foreign to you. Why would you know what is expected of you? It does take the skills of a professional presenter, of a video coach, presenter, coach, whatnot, to help you through that. I don't think it's a great advice or great a tip to try and figure those things out for yourself because quite frankly, you dunno what you dunno, and it could just be wasting your time endlessly trying to perfect something that perhaps doesn't even need to be perfected. So there are so many variables to it, and so just take care when you're trying to get this done yourself.

[00:04:18] To avoid presenting in a a stupor hmm, and falling into the trap of monotony, here's what presenters should focus on.

[00:04:27] One. Look, be aware of the importance of tone, its impact on audience engagement. John, has just this afternoon heard me bang on with a client about tone. He heard firsthand the differences between, um, mono neutral performance that lacked tone. And then hearing the aftermath of all of this methodology that's been injected into the, into the student to then have something that sounds so much more interesting just by improving in periods the tone to enhance the communication and the messaging and the overall intent of the content.

[00:05:10] Build some confidence. Manage those nerves through adequate preparation and practice. Uh, when I had my girl leave this afternoon, the one thing she said was, what did she say? She said, I am. Um, I'm gonna put a pause in, oh, I'm, I'm suffering, uh, an I'm anxious. And I said, oh, okay. You said you're, you're an anxious person. She goes, yeah, I'm an anxious person and this is right at the end of the training. I'm anxious. And I'm like, yeah. And so what's the, what's the upside to being anxious? And she said, nothing. And I'm like, it's untrue. You know, you're a bubbly personality. You are, you know, on edge. You are bringing energy. You have that. You have that about you. So whether that's a direct result of being anxious, I don't know. But there is always an upside. There's always a way to look at, uh, look at what you are doing. Rather than the negative of it all the time. You strive for an interactive, engaging presentation style that involves the audience, and you do you, boo. You just do what you need to do. It's, there's no excuses needed.

[00:06:22] You gotta balance also the scripted content with spontaneously. Uh, spontaneity, sorry, and flexibility to allow for a natural variation In tone.

[00:06:33] Five, you gotta incorporate storytelling techniques, humor and vocal modulation to make the presentation more lively and engaging.

[00:06:40] Or better yet, seek professional feedback and continuously improve your presentation skills through self-reflection and learning from others. By addressing these factors and adopting effective presentation techniques, presenters can avoid the danger of presenting in a stupor. And in, I don't know what stupor is.

[00:06:58] Didn't that John, what's stupor? Hmm. What's stupor? No idea. No idea. Christine Gotta change stupor, I dunno. I, I, I think I know what it is, but whatever. As John unwraps his 56th component. Uh, and so stu and deliver engaging and impactful presentations.

[00:07:18] Want to improve your virtual presentations with a more powerful tone? Well, our experts offer personalised coaching to help you deliver engaging and impactful presentations. Learn how to infuse energy and authenticity into your voice, captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Elevate your virtual presentations today. Contact us for more information and subscribe to our channel for valuable tips.

[00:07:41] Master your tone in your presentation. That's all for this episode. Say bye, John. bye. Hi John, and thanks for listening and see you next week.