Close the Gap. Drop the Glass – an intriguing title for a presentation tip.
Read on as I explain all.
I have been at a number of drinks receptions recently.
At each one, sometime during the event, the organiser got up to say a few words.
There were two mistakes that happened at most events.
What were they?
- Mistake one – being too far away from the audience
- Mistake two – holding a wine glass during the speech, for no apparent reason
Try to avoid these mistakes.
Firstly, get as close to your audience as possible.
There is often a sizeable gap between the speaker and the audience.
This gap makes it harder to connect.
Some energy from the speaker is lost before the words have even reached the audience.
Equally, some energy from the audience dissipates before reaching the speaker.
Each additional metre of distance adds a challenge to the speaker.
Close the gap.
Secondly, only hold a wine glass in your hand if you are proposing a toast.
In one instance, the speaker had a full wine glass in his hand for the entire speech.
It looked a little odd.
But worse than that, it restricted the gestures of the speaker.
And after looking odd and restricting his gestures, the wine glass remained full at the end.
Except for a tiny spillage!
So, remember to…
- Step forward
- Put the wine glass down
- And go for it
Close the Gap. Drop the Glass.
For more simple and straightforward presenting tips – check out the following article…
