HOW TO PRESENT AUTHENTICALLY?

In today's skeptical and information-driven world, the ability to communicate authentically is very popular. If a speaker has this quality, he or she can inspire other people and influence individuals, teams and organizations. However, if he/she doesn't, a potential moment of connectedness can fail.

Speaking in front of a group of people and being “authentically yourself” sounds so easy, but it is usually difficult. Most of them pretend and don't show who they really are. Authentic appearance and communication create closeness and solidarity.

Let's see what an authentic speaker does. Here are six factors for showing your authentic self when speaking in front of an audience.

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."

Oscar Wilde

1. Forget perfect - just be yourself

Most of us are very relaxed and confident when we are with our friends or family. We can tell stories and even crack jokes. However, that changes when we stand on a stage. When we speak to an audience, we usually put on a mask and use a different voice.

Honestly, the same thing happened to me during my training as a moderator. I just wasn't me. I wanted to be full of energy and vigor and sweep my audience away. When I saw a video of my first moderation appearance, it fell like scales from my eyes. I thought to myself who is this person? That's not me. I come across as too unnatural.

It seems simple, doesn't it? Just be yourself and not pretend. But why can't we be ourselves when speaking in front of an audience?

The reason is that we want to be perfect in public speaking, present at a high level and deliver an almost flawless performance. People see us as experts, form opinions and assessments, which is why we prefer to show our best behavior.

However, being authentic doesn't mean being perfect; it's more about being sincere and genuine.

Hence the first tip, don't pretend. Just be yourself. Record your performance and analyze yourself afterward and thus find more and more to your golden, authentic mean.

2. Speak as you would with a friend

In situations where we speak publicly, so many of us become completely different people. How often have you already seen a friend, colleague or team member on stage or at meetings and hardly recognized them? And how often did you subconsciously transform yourself into a different person when giving a lecture? Public speaking can shrink our true selves and let us slip into a role. To avoid this, forget about giving a presentation. Rather see it as a conversation than talking to friends or family. Just relax. You don't have to preach or dictate anything, just share your knowledge and expertise with people.

But public speaking is a performance! So how can you perform and be authentic at the same time? Although public speaking is a performance, it cannot be equated with acting. As an actor, you pretend to be someone else, but as a public speaker, you are yourself. The trick is to come across as natural enough that it doesn't seem like you're playing a role!

This is also shown by this example: When I was watching the annual international speech contest at Toastmasters International, there was one of eight finalists that I thought was particularly great. He gave everything, played with the camera, used humor and storytelling. He was exaggerating a bit, but for me, he was an entertainer and the clear winner. However, he was "only" second. The winner, however, did not convince me very much. I then showed the three best speakers at the Vienna Speakers Club, where I am President, without saying who won. Then I let people vote who they thought came first. Most voted for the real winner. When I asked why I got the answer: "She came across as authentically as if she were talking to a friend". This example shows very nicely that presenting as if you were chatting with friends seems real and is best received by the audience.

The majority of public speaking, whether at work or at an event, should appear like a conversation in a conversational tone - completely relaxed and informal.

3. Show your different personal facets and stay natural

It's about showing your audience your real self through your words, your voice and your body language. So being authentic means “being real”. When we are real, we convince and gain trust. It's not primarily about impressing others, but rather showing people who we are. Knowing this takes the pressure off us and makes us and our message more exciting, interesting and, above all, more tangible.

Authenticity does not contradict the many facets in us. I, as Danja, want to be calm and comfortable at home. But I'm a lot livelier on stage. Despite these different facets, I can seem real. When I'm on stage, it gives me a lot of energy and I'm more alert than in other situations, although I'm still myself.

Still, I have to adapt when speaking in front of an audience. If I talk about facts and want to convey information, I speak more calmly and take more breaks, even if I speak rather quickly and without pauses in normal conversations. You can adjust to inspire and convince others and get the content across appropriately.

Show your different personal facets and stay natural.

4. Free yourself from the textual corset and speak freely

The energy level of authentic speakers is high and they know their text without appearing overly rehearsed. You are not reading a PowerPoint slide or you are not letting the slides dominate the presentation. Likewise, they do not read from their notes or memorize the speech word for word.

I noticed this recently with a customer during my public speaking coaching. I listened to her presenting and realized that it sounds a bit strange. I asked her if she would read her text, to which she replied "yes". That was exactly the problem, it just didn't sound natural. She read her text because she didn't want to make a mistake, but this pursuit of perfection counteracts authenticity. Better to make a few mistakes than reading. Because that is human and also looks much more real.

You can do it too. Prepare yourself well for your speech. But don't get stuck on knowing word for word by heart. Because excessive rehearsing can appear inauthentic and stiff when actually speaking on stage.

You should be familiar with the structure and content of your presentation. You should know which slide is next or which important points you want to point out. Trust in finding the right words when the time comes. Every time you practice your presentation and text beforehand, it should be a little different. Your ideas and their order shouldn't change, but most of what you say shouldn't be "mandatory".

5. Tell personal stories and be vulnerable

The audience wants to connect with the presenter. Storytelling can be very helpful in establishing this connection and gaining the trust of the audience. Give your audience insights into your experiences or share personal stories with them. So you don't have to think up anything and your stories make you appear much more authentic to people.

Don't be afraid of being vulnerable in doing so. Try to speak from your heart. Be vulnerable, share a story from a time when you were down and trying to change something. Being vulnerable is not a weakness. It takes a lot of courage to be who we really are. The connection with the audience is created when we share our experiences, failures and successes. When you let people participate, they'll see themselves and know it's okay to be themselves. You are the message, so share your story, be vulnerable and authentic. Just be yourself!

"The words are worthless, if you don't underline them with the right body language and vocal melody"

Stefan Verra, body language expert

6. Trust your body, it knows what it is saying

Some speakers appear artificial with their body language. This is because the non-verbal signals they are sending contradict their words. For example, saying “I'm very excited to be here today” in a monotonous voice and an indifferent expression. When there is a separation between our verbal and non-verbal communication, people judge us as unconvincing at best and false at worst.

Our body language is guided by our emotions or impulses in our brain that precede conscious thoughts. Authentic gestures come before we even think of saying a word. Therefore, when gestures are used after the words, it looks artificial. So take the time to focus on your message and key points instead of thinking about your hand gestures. This helps you to engage authentically with your audience through natural and relaxed body language

Summary

To be authentic means to be yourself. Don't try to pretend and share personal information with your audience to create a connection with them. Your presentation shouldn't appear rehearsed, but rather as if you were speaking to friends or family. Therefore, practice presenting your text as naturally as possible and do not despair if it is not perfect. Perfect was yesterday - the new perfect is authentic!

Do you want to be authentic and effective in your public speaking and presentations? Then feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I will give you my honest feedback.

#publicspeaking #presenting #authenticity #presentauthentically