Using light and shade

Have you seen China's AI newsreader? It’s a brilliant example of what not to do when trying to communicate.

Novelty and cost savings aside, what the AI presenter lacks is the use of light and shade. We know that when delivering a message – whether it’s a formal presentation, a sales pitch, or sharing a story over drinks – the facts aren't enough, you need to be engaging.

A monotone delivery using a single, predictable pace makes it difficult to follow because everything is given equal prominence, meaning nothing stands out. Introducing light and shade into your communications allows you to build tension and intrigue, draw your audience in, and drive home key messages.

In verbal presentations, you set the pace with the pitch, tone and volume of your voice. And, if not limited to just audio, you can also use pacing, eye contact, hand gestures… perhaps a particularly potent eyebrow raise?

In written communications, you have punctuation at your disposal. Commas, dashes and full stops allow you to compose and control the pace at which your arguments unfold.

Imagine you’re attending the ballet. The music swells, the curtains open and the dancer on stage extends into a graceful arabesque. Gorgeous. Now, imagine that for the entire act, she only repeats the very same move – again, and again… and again. By intermission, you’ll have either gone to sleep or gone home.

And yet that’s exactly what many do when presenting. Too often we sit through an endless procession of slide after slide, each one looking the same, each one removing any curiosity by including all the contents in detailed diagrams and text. Slide. Click, click, click... Slide. Click, click, click... A technology heavy, AI-like delivery.

Music needs rhythm and melody, communications need light and shade.

Embrace your humanness, don’t lead with the facts and demote the delivery. Focus on using light and shade to get your audience to sit up (and the AI programmers to take notice).