When it comes to the delivery of your message, one of the most important points to bear in mind about getting your message out there is to forget your message. Stop worrying about your message, as it is not nearly that important. Of course, it is natural that you think your message is important. If you did not think that, you would not be giving your presentation in the first place.
Communication
However, when looking at interpersonal communication between people, communication is a broader topic than simply what you say. Visual communication- body language, your personal image and so forth- makes up 55% of your communication. Vocal communication- the pace at which you talk, the tone of voice you use, and the speed at which you talk- makes up 35% of your message. That leaves only 7% of your message being made up of verbal communication- the actual words that you speak.
If you consider all the effort you put into writing your presentation, the sum total of all the life experience you have gained, the hours of reading, study and education you have invested in your learning, mastering the practical application of those skills and choosing the best words to convey your message, all of that effort only contributes to 7% of your communication.
No one would blame you for wondering at this point why you should even bother putting a presentation together. However, the fact that words are only 7% of your message does not mean your words are not important. In fact, the message you share and the words you choose to convey your message are a powerful and influential tool on the hearts of your listeners. However, always remember that words are not the most important aspect of communicating your message.
Focus on the more important Aspects
One of the greatest contributors to stage fright is becoming overly concerned about saying exactly the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, and searching for the exact right words to perfect your message. However, that’s really not so important. How you present your message, how you stand, the body language and gestures you use while talking, making eye contact with your audience, expressing emotion in your body language, and so on- these are the more important aspects of communicating.
There are tools you can use to help you with the verbal aspect. We covered how using notes or a skeleton of main points you want to cover in your presentation is a wise idea to give you added confidence as well as flexibility to move around the stage more and connect with your audience. You can use software such as PowerPoint including pictures and written phrases that you can read straight from the screen. Perhaps you have a written script that you can read out. Alternatively, you might prefer to ad lib referring only to your main points as you talk.
Whichever method you choose, just remember it is only worth 7% of your total message. If you keep this in mind, it will help you keep it in perspective while choosing your words and remind you to focus more on what really counts: the delivery.
