How to Utilize Your Christmas Gifts (Props!)
It's time to present your presents to your friends and family! Everyone is waiting to open their gifts from you.
But wait...
Your family and friends ask you to describe your gift with clues first. Now you need to speak!
Let's imagine you speak just fine. After all, what everyone really cares about is opening presents, not hearing about them.
But imagine if there was no physical present. No matter how well you spoke, no matter how excited you made your recipient, nothing matters unless they can actually "see" the present.
Welcome to the importance of utilizing props in your speech.
Props serve as physical proof that what you are talking about exists. It helps your credibility that you took the time and effort to claim and bring it in. Yes. Props for bringing props!
To maximize your Prop, here are a few tips.
- Start showing your prop only when you're ready to reveal it. There is a timing to this. Think about the Hollywood wedding proposal. The man gets down on one knee. Right when he says "Will you marry me?", he opens the box and reveals the diamond ring! Imagine if he didn't have the ring (the prop). His credibility gets shot. end of romantic story.
- Only show your prop when you are referring to it. Too many people have a lingering powerpoint slide on display. Show it only when you are referencing it. Stop showing it once you are done. Turn to a blank screen if you have to. As speakers, we are already competing for attention versus cell phones. We do not need another adversary with a background. Remember, keep the focus on you.
- Really and truly reference your prop when using it. You own it (or at least borrowed it, or at least didn't steal it) so be proud of it. Makes sure you hold it up for all to see and everyone in the room gets a chance to directly see this. One perfect example is in the Lion King. Watch it again to see how proud and poise Mufasa is as he holds his newborn son, Simba for everyone to see! Keep up your prop like a proud parent!
Happy Speaking everyone. Remember if you're going to speak, Speak At Your Prime.
John D. Lin | National-Award Winning Speech Professor
www.speakatyourprime.com