Speakers turn off the lights for many reasons. One of the obvious is
that the need to see presentation slides clearly. As you have read, you
will want to minimize your dependence on slides, when possible, and
also have the font big enough that the audience doesn’t need to strain,
which may, in turn, allow for just dimming the lights or even keeping
them on altogether. Personally, I turned off the lights in my early
public-speaking experience because of the blotchiness on my neck and
face that I didn’t want seen. I also suspect that I didn’t want to look
the audience in the eyes. I might also add that I often accomplished
that mission because audience members’ eyelids would close when
the darkness came. Just think back to any school experience when the
teacher turned down the lights to show a movie, for example, in class.

When the lights go down, the comfort level of the audience goes
up. Regardless of how engaging you are, you will always fight audience
drowsiness. If you do need to project a presentation, do it in short
spurts, or simply turn the lights down, but not off. If there is background
lighting, try to use that. If you must turn off the lights, try using
interactive responses from the group to keep them focused on the message.
Don’t disengage the audience by putting them in the dark.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

You might ask the audience for a response and tentatively raise your
hand in the hopes that they will, too. However, the tips of your own
fingers may not even go above your head. How will the audience react?
They, too, will be reluctant to raise their hands because they are taking
their cues from you. Go big with your gestures. You should let it
out like you mean it. This doesn’t mean going so far outside of your
own comfort level that you are not being genuine, but understand that
the audience needs to see the energy and enthusiasm of an effective
gesture.

The audience wants to get the most out of the physical and nonverbal
aspects of your speech. If you are giving a sly smile, don’t
make it quick. Give a pause with the slow emergence of a smile so
the audience gets the full effect. A friend of mine who is an experienced
swimmer always talks about the full extension of the fingertips
through the water. The same concept should apply here with your gestures,
vocals, and any other pieces of the speech that can stir the audience.
In a speech, if you mention being a sprinter in a race, take a few
quick, bursting steps. You should fully embrace the emotion you want
to evoke in the audience. The audience should definitely know how
you are feeling and what you are doing—don’t make them guess or
assume. Their ability to view and immediately grasp your every move
will enhance their engagement, involvement, and understanding.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

We hear “public speaking” and obviously think about the spoken
words. We invest a lot of time as speakers in selecting the perfect
word for the perfect situation. As we prepare and practice, we should
remember to work on the complete package, beyond memorizing the
words and vocalizing. In our speech development, we sometimes lose
the physical aspects of the speech that can make the presentation come
alive.

Physical aspects of the speech include facial expressions and gestures.
Imagine a speaker sharing a “shocking” story with a blank look
on his or her face. Like a punch line in comedy, you need your face
and body to emphasize the emotions of the words to bring them alive.
In the “shocking” example, you would probably expect wide eyes or a
gaping mouth. Let the audience share the experience with you. Your
facial expressions may not even need words if your feelings can be
seen and related to by the audience.
Gestures are also important in moving the speech along, and you
must remember both the importance of timing and the naturalness
of the movements. You don’t want your movements to come across
as staged or prescribed. Although practicing the gestures to get them
to the point where you want them is imperative as you put the whole
package together, you do not want them to come across as acting. The
physical aspects of the speech are one more way to look at the speech
process holistically.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

You can have the most thoughtful and powerful words ever written,
but if they don’t come from your heart, they will land flat. Always
give your audience credit for the ability to see through speakers who
may not believe in what they’re talking about. Your own credibility is
at stake, and your ability to show the real you, including your personality,
values, and beliefs, will always connect with an audience.

At times you may want to exaggerate a point, to set the tone, or to get
the audience to visualize the message. Many public-speaking books
say that it is acceptable to stretch the facts a little to ensure that the significance
is grasped. However, even with tall tales or embellished stories,
you have to show that you, yourself, believe them and can execute
them with a burning passion because they are coming from your heart
and soul. An audience may not always agree with your points or message,
but they must always believe it is the real you.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Have you ever had a presenter stand in front of you and lethargically
say, “Hi, my name is John, and I’m really excited to be here.” My
first thought is always a sarcastic, “It looks like it.” What am I supposed
to look forward to as someone in the audience? Energy is contagious,
and the audience needs to feel the passion and enthusiasm you want
to share with them. Your ability to genuinely exude your hunger and
to motivate and inspire your audience will get the group hungry to
receive your message. Words without energy are just words without
meaning—until you bring them to life.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

I was practicing a very serious speech for the first time in front of a
co-worker. It was very personal and emotional. However, in a couple
of spots, I attempted to add some levity, to ease the seriousness of the
message. I saw no reaction to my attempts at humor. After the speech,
I asked my co-worker if it was inappropriate, ill-timed, or just not
funny. She said she thought it was funny but she wasn’t sure, given the
heavyweight of the message, if she was allowed to laugh.

The speaker needs to give some indication, whether it is a wink or
a smile or some other kind of non-verbal or verbal “permission,” for
the audience to come along on their journey. A well-placed pause, for
example, with an emerging smile, may be enough to connect with the
audience and let them know it’s okay to laugh.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Comedians use quick-hitting humor and one-liners because they
don’t want to lose the audience. They work on timing and delivery
to get the biggest laughs. I learned that not everything a speaker says
needs to be side-splittingly funny. Going for a few chuckles can be just
as entertaining to an audience. You simply need to know what your
audience wants and expects.

Once you determine this, you can develop your humorous stories.
As with a quick-hitting comedic set-up, you must get to the humorous
part of the story sooner rather than later. I have watched speeches
crash as the audience knew something funny was coming but it took
too long to get to the punch. I was involved in a humorous-speech
competition and four of the first seven contestants went several minutes
into a five-to seven-minute speech before they delivered their first
laugh. Don’t get me wrong. My fellow competitors were hilarious once
they got rolling, but they had unfortunately lost many of the judges
and audience members, who were expecting the funny parts sooner.
Don’t let the audience wait too long to laugh.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

My personality leans toward being more serious than funny. I have
my moments, but I have to work hard to get some laughs. I have concluded
that I will never be a stand-up comedian, but I have had more
fun with myself, and the audience, once I stopped putting so much
effort into being funny. I found all I had to do was remember to just
look around me. We are surrounded by humor.

Self-deprecating humor is always a winner and usually won’t offend
the audience. It can be fun to go back and remember funny and embarrassing
stories from your childhood, from school, or from work. You
may even begin to chuckle when you unleash the repressed memories.
How many times have you sat around the dinner table and rehashed
humorous stories with family and friends? After dinner, jot down
some notes to help you remember, and throw them in that folder or
file.

Look around you. Have you ever passed a sign that made you laugh?
I have learned that humor isn’t all about one-liners or long, drawn-out
stories. The simple stories can get a great reaction. For example, my
wife was driving down the road when my fourteen-year-old daughter,
at the time, asked her about an old building they had just passed. My
wife said that it was an old topless bar. This is the part in the story
where people start getting very concerned about appropriateness. You
can relax. My daughter asked, “What did they do when it rained?” We
are surrounded with funny life moments.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com