Here's how you can use emotional intelligence to deliver impactful presentations or speeches.

Using emotional intelligence to deliver impactful presentations or speeches involves understanding and connecting with your audience's emotions. Start by understanding their mood and adjusting your tone and content accordingly. Show empathy by addressing their needs or concerns, and use storytelling to engage their emotions. Additionally, be aware of your own feelings to manage anxiety and project confidence. It is important to align emotional expression with your message, so you can create a more powerful and resonant delivery.

I have been teaching Emotional intelligence for over a decade. Next week, I am presenting at a National Project Management Symposium at UTD on "Emotional Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence - siblings or Not?" There is coming a tremendous disconnect between EI and AI. I'm afraid management will see AI as the savior to more profits, and it's not. It can't show empathy or handle difficult stakeholders - it is just a machine with algorithms. Let's hope for an awakening for people to realize it is a tool to help people - not to replace them. EI and AI teaming up is a much better solution - heavy on the EI. We shall see.

I’ve been speaking to large groups of people since I was 17 years old. Still… to this day, I sometimes get out of my heart and into my head. When I’m in my head, the presentation doesn’t go as well as I had planned… and people can feel that. When I speak from the heart, because I’m passionate about my presentation… people can feel it, too. Knowing who you are is important. Just Be YOU and be aware of your emotions. Learn how to respond to your emotions. Not everyone will get you.. but those that do, will be inspired. And those people will walk away just a little bit better than when they arrived. ONE ?? at a time!

When we see speaking coming from a state of "being" as opposed to "doing," then it is much less about your words and what you say, the power is in your presence. So knowing how to bring yourself to present moment is to first know yourself and how you take yourself away from the power of being grounded in the moment.

As a top woman in accounting, I've been presenting since 2020. Recently, transitioning from online to live events, I've learned to show up as my brand, read the room and adapt my approach. At my most recent engagement, I arrived early to assess the vibe, mingled with guests, and lightened the mood by joking about "reading the temperature." This helped foster engagement and create a positive atmosphere, enhancing the impact of my presentation. Utilizing emotional intelligence in presentations involves showing up as an authentic person, understanding your audience and adjusting your approach accordingly.

I always start with 2 - 3 engaging questions so my audience feels included in the talk. That also helps them to know I'm interested in why they're here and what they're struggling with. I ask them to raise their hand as they answer so they're including their whole body. Then I'll go into my personal story and finish that with another engaging question like to tie it back to their own experience so again, they feel that I'm getting them and they feel seen and heard.

Human expression is deeply moving, and human connection, immensely powerful. Kicking off a presentation with a relatable, mildly embarrassing story can effectively build rapport. For example, a speaker I saw recently opened by humorously admitting her inability to use public restrooms. It was hilarious, relatable, and perfectly pitched for the audience. Always be authentic; such stories resonate well.

Emotional intelligence can provide valuable insights into what is causing us to feel nervous in any form we are presenting. It also helps us recognise the symptoms of nervousness like heart racing, sweaty palms, blanking out. So when we can identify the symptoms and the source, it is easier to strategise to manage them and steadily focus on the content to be presented through stress management exercises, visualisation techniques etc.

Emotional Intelligence helps in identifying our emotions and aids in eliminating the weakness such as tension,nervousness,It also helps in understanding the audience and regulates the flow..

Hace algunos a?os, mientras dictaba una conferencia magistral pude notar que los asistentes an la sala estaban algo inquietos y distraídos. Había perdido su atención. En ese momento hice una leve pausa (el silencio ayuda) y en mi cerebro se produjeron dos ideas: 1) Sigue así, ya falta poco, igual te están pagando. 2) Haz que sea un cierre memorable, arriésgate. Opté por la segunda opción e introduje un tema que conectaba con los principios fundamentales de esa audiencia, haciendo surgir su identificación emocional. Fue una reconexión inmediata, valiosa. El leer la situación de la audiencia y ser resilientes es una habilidad que se desarrolla con mucha inteligencia y agilidad emocional.

Incorporating audience feedback into public speaking, grounded in emotional intelligence (EI), enhances effectiveness and audience connection. Key strategies include using interactive tools like polls for real-time feedback, monitoring non-verbal cues to adjust delivery, and directly soliciting feedback to foster constructive criticism. Emotionally intelligent speakers also adapt flexibly, reflect on feedback for self-improvement, develop targeted improvement plans, practice empathetic listening, and continually apply insights gained to enhance future presentations. These EI-driven practices ensure ongoing learning and speaker-audience engagement.

Using emotional intelligence can be key to delivering impactful presentations and speeches. By understanding and regulating your own emotions, you can stay calm and exude confidence. Additionally, by having empathy with your audience, you can adapt your message to connect more effectively. It's also important to read your audience's emotional cues to adjust your approach as necessary.