Eventually, I joined a company that ran public workshops in presenting and communication. They hired actors, which makes sense. We’re curious creatures. We need to understand what makes people tick, why relationships work (or don’t), 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.

Having written two collections of plays, and award-winning comedy films, I’m also obsessed with how words work – 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.

I’ve 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’s language manifests through movement, words, emotions, and psychology. It’s all connected.

You present a unique angle by focusing on “presentation skills for geeks.” What do you consider a geek, and what presentation skills are important for them to learn?

When I say “geek,” I mean technical specialists – PhDs in pharmaceutical consultancy, industry analysts, product managers, architects. Brilliant minds. But often, they rely too heavily on facts. And facts aren’t enough.

There’s a story I share on my blog, “Tips ’n’ Tools,” 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’t make decisions. He ended up divorced and bankrupt due to seriously flawed decision making. Saved from the tumor, but not from life.

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.

The point is to connect. You can’t influence action without that connection and presentations are a form of influence. With the right bag of skills, you can do this whether you’re speaking to 100 invisible faces online or a room full of humans. It’s possible. And it’s essential.

How do you guide clients to get listeners’ attention – and keep it?

I use what I call The Spice Rack© – 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’s so popular, I suspect it’s caused a few marital splits!

Then we layer in body language to simplify complexity and structure, to keep both speaker and audience on track. It’s holistic.

And when clients say they’re nervous, it’s rarely nerves. It’s usually something else, like the pressure to memorize a script. That’s enough to make anyone totally terrified!

What do managers and leaders get wrong when it comes to speaking and presenting?

Overreliance on data, underuse of body language, and vocal expression. Basically, you’d rather count sand grains in the Sahara. Less dry!

Also, no one has ever said, “That was a thoroughly captivating presentation. It inspired me to act. Shame it was so short.”

If you’ve nailed it in 20 minutes, and you were given 30 – exit stage left. Don’t pad. Don’t waffle.

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?

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

Actors know this instinctively. But when presenting, we often forget we have arms.

Another key skill is understanding how language affects persuasion. I have a list of weak words and their stronger alternatives – clients love it. It’s a revelation. They start noticing the ripple effect across all their communication.

And finally, harmonize your needs with their wants. You don’t 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.

Your blog likens presentation styles to “cats and dogs.” Can you say more about that? Does either “animal style” get better results?

Cats are cool, contained and precise. Dogs are warm, enthusiastic and expressive.

Neither is better – but knowing your style helps you play to your strengths. And if you’re a cat presenting to a room full of dogs, you might need to wag your tail a bit more than usual!

What’s your quirkiest presentation tip that gets results?

Movement. It adds dynamism to the voice. I voice characters for video games, and in the studio, we gesture like we’re on stage. The voice is physical; it needs movement to come alive.

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.

Coughing your way through content is an attention grabber but one to avoid.

Any final thoughts for our readers?

You don’t have to be a natural. These are learned skills. Ironically, the more you learn, the more “you” you’ll sound. Clients often say they feel more natural and relatable after training, even though they’ve added structure and technique.

That paradox is the magic. My blog, Tips ’n’ Tools, dives into all this – neuroscience, performance and the occasional chuckle.

What’s Next?

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

Tip of the Week

Solving Problem Behavior

By Kevin Dunne, Mindtools Content Editor and Writer

From poor timekeeping to bullying and harassment, problem behavior can be a big problem for managers.

Tackling each issue appropriately calls for sound judgment and a considered approach. Here’s our quick guide on steps to take:

• Don’t jump to conclusions. There may be mitigating circumstances which explain the behavior, so don’t make assumptions. Give the person a chance to explain.
• Don’t ignore it. Problem behavior won’t disappear if left unchallenged, it will likely get worse.
• Gather evidence. Rely on factual information and direct observations, not hearsay or subjective opinions. If you’ve witnessed the problem yourself, make notes.
• Be consistent. Treat all instances of problem behavior in a consistent manner. That way, you make your expected standards of conduct clear to everyone.
• Be clear about the consequences. State clearly what will happen if the behavior does not improve. Set a time for when you will review the situation.
• If all else fails, consider formal action. If there’s no improvement, you may need to consider moving to formal disciplinary procedures. Your HR department should assist you in this.

For more on this thorny subject, see our article Top Tips for Tackling Problem Behavior.

Pain Points Podcast

Am I Confusing Effort and Ability?

With Linda Henman

Too many organizations promote people to strategic positions – only to discover that they can't do strategy!

On the podcast this week, how to stop confusing effort and ability, and why the people who look and sound like leaders may actually be the worst hires for the top jobs.

Listen to Pain Points to discover how to find the true strategic thinkers, via stories, insights, and practical tips from "The Decision Catalyst" herself, Linda Henman.

Subscribe Today

Video of the Week

What Is Leadership? How the Experts Define It

With Global Leadership Experts

What is the essence of leadership and what does it look like in practice? In these montage clips, learn from the best as our experts give their definitions, based on decades of collective experience.

Watch Now

News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

Beating the "Summer Slump"

It’s hot, other people are on vacation, and you’re wishing you were.

No surprise, really, that global management consultants Korn Ferry found that 46 percent of workers admitted “the quality of their work slumps in the summer.”

Luckily, the firm’s experts had tips to help you stay engaged – and give your career a boost.

Time to Shine

With plenty of folk out of the office, it’s a chance to shine. Senior client partner Mark Royal describes it as a time to “expand the perception people have of your capabilities.”

Change Is Good

Working outdoors or at a coffee shop instead of at home can support engagement and renew excitement.

Use That Time

Fewer people around means fewer meetings and interactions. So use this space to reflect on, and pursue, the aspects of the job that most engage you. Meaning matters.

Catch Up

Summer’s a great time to move from facetiming a client or co-worker to saying “Hey, do you have time to grab a coffee or lunch?” Build those relationships.

Stampede for the Exit in Toxic Workplaces

Mission statements and stated values don’t add up to a hill of beans, as far as employees are concerned in almost half of U.S. workplaces.

And that has left disaffected staff considering quitting their jobs over their employers’ “ethical inconsistencies.”

In their Ethics Fallout Report, online careers service Resume Now revealed that 47 percent of those surveyed were thinking about quitting “because their employer's actions didn't align with its stated values.”

And 36 percent said they’d stayed quiet about unethical behavior to keep their jobs.

Other key findings included:

• Only 26 percent would definitely report an unethical boss.
• 21 percent saw retaliation after someone spoke up.
• 54 percent feel pressure to "fit the mold" at work.
• Just 41 percent feel comfortable raising ethical concerns.

Resume Now warned, “Inconsistent or lacking ethics in the workplace can damage morale, create fear, and contribute to a toxic workplace culture.”

For an understanding of what a healthy workplace culture looks like, see our article How to Create Psychological Safety at Work.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mindtools team!