A lot of presenters have a dip in the middle of their speech.
Here is one way to avoid it.
In a way, it is understandable.
The speaker has been going for a while, so they have used up energy.
But there is a long way to go, so this weighs on their mind.
And the dip ends up becoming rather elongated i.e. most of the rest of the presentation.
There are many things you need to get right here but two simple steps can reduce the problem substantially.
Step One
Where is the approximate mid-point of your presentation?
You may be surprised by the number of people who cannot answer this question.
They do not know.
Then they make a wild guess that proves they do not know.
If you do a timed rehearsal, you can get an accurate mid-point.
Or look at your slides and speaker notes to get an approximate one.
You now know where the dip is most likely to happen.
Step Two
What are you going to do before, after or around this mid-point to maintain momentum?
Sometimes you will get a winning idea instantly.
Sometimes you won’t.
But keep asking the question and you will come up with something.
Deliver it with more enthusiasm?
Add in an engaging story?
Get some interaction?
Share something that gets you energised?
Clearly there are many other things you need to get right.
But following these two basic steps will give you an advantage over the majority of speakers.
For more advice and guidance on perfecting your presentation and avoiding a dip in the middle of your speech – check out the following article on Better Presentation Structure…
