{"id":57889,"date":"2025-08-07T11:01:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T11:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"\/a6rlhat\/member-newsletter-presentations-you-cant-influence-action-without-connection\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T11:01:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T11:01:19","slug":"member-newsletter-presentations-you-cant-influence-action-without-connection","status":"publish","type":"product-content","link":"https:\/\/www.mindtools.com\/a6rlhat\/member-newsletter-presentations-you-cant-influence-action-without-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Member Newsletter: Presentations: You Can’t Influence Action Without Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Presentations: You Can’t Influence Action Without Connection<\/h1>\n\n

By Melanie Bell, Mindtools Content Writer and Editor<\/p>

You started off working in theater and ended up offering public speaking training as well. Do skills transfer between these disciplines? <\/p>

I still do both \u2013 acting and communications training. Back in my 20s (roughly 130 years ago!), I was incredibly jealous of actors who\u2019d landed gigs in corporate training. It beat performing Fringe shows for profit share and a stage manager who doubled as the audience. And frankly, it seemed a more dignified way to rebuild self-esteem than temping for \u00a38 an hour. <\/p>

Luckily, I had a diploma in Public Speaking and Communication from Guildhall School of Music and Drama \u2013 back when they ran such courses. It had been lying dormant between typing jobs, so I set up my own drama school. <\/p>

We started with 15 children in a scout hut and grew to 200 in three years. Then the parents wanted in \u2013 they saw their kids gaining confidence and wanted the same. <\/p>

Soon I was writing U.N. speeches, training the parents in presentation skills, and running drama workshops for adults. It was infinitely more enjoyable than doing dodgy \u201cprofit-share\u201d theater \u2013 with no profit and no share! <\/p>

Eventually, I joined a company that ran public workshops in presenting and communication. They hired actors, which makes sense. We\u2019re curious creatures. We need to understand what makes people tick, why relationships work (or don\u2019t), and how to get under the hood of human behavior. That curiosity, plus the ability to blend energy, credibility and structure, is exactly what clients ask for. <\/p>

Having written two collections of plays, and award-winning comedy films, I\u2019m also obsessed with how words work \u2013 their rhythm, register and punch. Especially in short-form comedy, where you need to hit hard and fast. That same skill helps people to structure their messages in the corporate world. <\/p>

I\u2019ve always been fascinated by the nonverbal too. Mime school was my deep dive into that, and later, I completed a mastery in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which explores how the mind\u2019s language manifests through movement, words, emotions, and psychology. It\u2019s all connected. <\/p>

You present a unique angle by focusing on \u201cpresentation skills for geeks.\u201d What do you consider a geek, and what presentation skills are important for them to learn?<\/strong><\/p>

When I say \u201cgeek,\u201d I mean technical specialists \u2013 PhDs in pharmaceutical consultancy, industry analysts, product managers, architects. Brilliant minds. But often, they rely too heavily on facts. And facts aren\u2019t enough. <\/p>

There\u2019s a story I share on my blog, \u201cTips \u2019n\u2019 Tools<\/a>,\u201d about a highly successful businessman named Elliot. After surgery to remove his tumor, which sat in the part of his brain connected with emotional regulation, he could still process facts, but he couldn\u2019t make decisions. He ended up divorced and bankrupt due to seriously flawed decision making. Saved from the tumor, but not from life. <\/p>

We may decide a course of action based on facts, but we act because of how we feel. So, if you want to incite action, you need to fire the emotional brain, through techniques such as humor, shock or novelty. The technique depends on the context, but the payoff is twofold: you sound more engaging, and you feel more natural. <\/p>

The point is to connect. You can\u2019t influence action without that connection and presentations are a form of influence. With the right bag of skills, you can do this whether you\u2019re speaking to 100 invisible faces online or a room full of humans. It\u2019s possible. And it\u2019s essential. <\/p>

How do you guide clients to get listeners\u2019 attention \u2013 and keep it?<\/strong> <\/p>

I use what I call The Spice Rack\u00a9<\/a> \u2013 a one-pager of engagement techniques, nonverbal cues, and structure. I trawled through TED talks, keynotes, work presentations, and distilled their best bits into this document. It\u2019s so popular, I suspect it\u2019s caused a few marital splits! <\/p>

Then we layer in body language to simplify complexity and structure, to keep both speaker and audience on track. It\u2019s holistic. <\/p>

And when clients say they\u2019re nervous, it\u2019s rarely nerves. It\u2019s usually something else, like the pressure to memorize a script. That\u2019s enough to make anyone totally terrified! <\/p>

What do managers and leaders get wrong when it comes to speaking and presenting?<\/strong><\/p>

Overreliance on data, underuse of body language, and vocal expression. Basically, you\u2019d rather count sand grains in the Sahara. Less dry! <\/p>

Also, no one has ever said, \u201cThat was a thoroughly captivating presentation. It inspired me to act. Shame it was so short.\u201d <\/p>

If you\u2019ve nailed it in 20 minutes, and you were given 30 \u2013 exit stage left. Don\u2019t pad. Don\u2019t waffle. <\/p>

Body language is something you write about often. What related skills are useful when presenting? And if you experience challenges reading body language, is that a problem for speaking?<\/strong><\/p>

Body language is essential. A 2016 paper by Kang and Tversky<\/a> showed that gesture augments meaning: it\u2019s a second channel of communication. Another study linked specific gestures to how CEOs were perceived<\/a> in terms of trustworthiness, even affecting investor valuations. <\/p>

Actors know this instinctively. But when presenting, we often forget we have arms. <\/p>

Another key skill is understanding how language affects persuasion. I have a list of weak words and their stronger alternatives \u2013 clients love it. It\u2019s a revelation. They start noticing the ripple effect across all their communication. <\/p>

And finally, harmonize your needs with their wants. You don\u2019t have to give people what they want, but you do need them open to your message. For technical specialists, that means speaking to mixed audiences without dumbing down or talking over heads. Analogies are one of several ways to bridge that gap. <\/p>

Your blog likens presentation styles to \u201ccats and dogs.\u201d Can you say more about that? Does either \u201canimal style\u201d get better results?<\/strong> <\/p>

Cats are cool, contained and precise. Dogs are warm, enthusiastic and expressive. <\/p>

Neither is better \u2013 but knowing your style helps you play to your strengths. And if you\u2019re a cat presenting to a room full of dogs, you might need to wag your tail a bit more than usual! <\/p>

What\u2019s your quirkiest presentation tip that gets results?<\/strong> <\/p>

Movement. It adds dynamism to the voice. I voice characters for video games, and in the studio, we gesture like we\u2019re on stage. The voice is physical; it needs movement to come alive. <\/p>

Also: beware of nuts and seeds before speaking. They look innocent. You chomp a handful. You’ll not stop choking until the very last second of your presentation, at which point they’ll decide to go south and stay there. <\/p>

Coughing your way through content is an attention grabber but one to avoid. <\/p>

Any final thoughts for our readers? <\/strong><\/p>

You don\u2019t have to be a natural. These are learned skills. Ironically, the more you learn, the more \u201cyou\u201d you\u2019ll sound. Clients often say they feel more natural and relatable after training, even though they\u2019ve added structure and technique. <\/p>

That paradox is the magic. My blog, Tips \u2019n\u2019 Tools, dives into all this \u2013 neuroscience, performance and the occasional chuckle. <\/p>\n\n

What\u2019s Next? <\/h2>\n\n

Mastery of presentation requires a range of skills, confidently delivered. Our articles 10 Common Presentation Mistakes<\/a>, Effective Presentations<\/a> and How to Structure a Presentation<\/a> should help you with this. <\/p>\n\n

Tip of the Week<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Solving Problem Behavior<\/h2>\n\n

By Kevin Dunne, Mindtools Content Editor and Writer<\/p>

From poor timekeeping to bullying and harassment, problem behavior can be a big problem for managers.<\/p>

Tackling each issue appropriately calls for sound judgment and a considered approach. Here\u2019s our quick guide on steps to take:<\/p>