Presence Training
7 Tips on Utilising Space in Your Presentation
There is just no way that a presenter standing still during the whole presentation can make a good impact on their audience. No matter where you are and how many people you are talking to, you should incorporate movement. It increases the energy and adds some variety to the presentation.
As you move, you appear and feel more confident. That is often enough to guarantee success with your presentation. Planning a few different positions and using them when the time comes is a good way to boost your speech. Here are a few additional clever tips in that regard:
1. Find the power position and state your key message from there
The core and essence of your entire presentation is the key message you want to convey. For it to have the greatest impact, you should speak it out from the power position. This is basically the dead centre of the place, close to your audience. That way, it will resonate with them the most.
2. Map the structure on the stage
As you use the physical space on the stage, you should map out the structure of your presentation and where you will be during any given moment. For instance, when you first start, you can position yourself in one part of the room, slowly move to the centre when you are approaching the second part, and then move to the other side as you advance towards the end. Return to the centre for the conclusion. That way, you will improve engagement in the presentation.
3. Utilise a stage timeline
This strategy is similar to the previous point; only it has to do with time. For instance, if you are describing things from the past, position yourself on one side of the room. As you move to the centre, start talking about how things are now. If you want to make a point about the future, move to the other side of the room. It is good to keep ‘the past’ to your audience’s left (not your left).
4. Imagine you are in a debate when explaining pros and cons
So during a debate, the two sides are arguing with each other on different areas of the stage. And while you are alone during your presentation, you can easily adapt this strategy when describing pros and cons. Pick a side for describing pros and then pick a different side of the room when describing cons. That way, the audience will get a clear view of your arguments.
5. Physical reflection of the points of view
The different points of view on a given topic often go from one extreme to another. Use the room to showcase this by picking one side of the room for one of the extremes, and the other for the second extreme. Needless to say, the centre is the golden middle, where you will state the middle ground.
6. A spot for every option
When you want to present a range of options, as is often the case, give each one a different spot of the room. To further emphasise the option, return to that spot of the room when you later go back to discuss it.
7. Move close to your audience for emphasis
Normally, you will be standing some distance away from your audience. However, when you want to emphasise something, you should seek closeness. This is a powerful move, which some even consider intimidating, but it does hold great potential. If you want to minimise this aspect, simply stand close to someone and then look at another part of the audience.
Utilising movement in this manner during your presentation is a great way to get your message across.
