Storytelling Bites 4 - Presence
There is a certain something that some people have that draws us to them, makes us want to listen to them and to give them the time they need to express themselves, because they do it so well.
That certain something is an ephemeral quality often described as presence.
Not having presence makes itself known in many ways. It may be that you know someone who is overly quiet, shrinking back, or stating that presenting or even just speaking in groups, is not something they can do, it’s not in their personality: “I’m too shy.” “I have nothing to say.”
The opposite behaviour is another example of a lack of presence. We’ve all experienced them, people who like to put themselves very much at the front and centre in any circumstance, overly confident in their expertise, keen to speak (often at length) at every opportunity regardless of whether others are equally keen to hear them.
A third attribute, although this can masquerade as pound-shop presence, is someone who is very charming. It may well often be a flattering time we have with a charmer, but is there really any substance behind it all? Do we ever get to meet and connect with that person or are they fundamentally just subtly buttering us up?
So, what is presence, and how does it manifest itself?
Presence for us is created by having an interest in what you are talking about and in who you are speaking with, combined with an awareness for the situation or environment you are in.
The storyteller wants to tell the story but they are also just as interested in their audience and the relationship they can have with the story. This creates a reciprocal dynamic where everyone is involved in the story led by the teller, who the audience wants to watch and listen (because the teller is also watching and listening to what is around them).
You can find your presence by getting confidence both in your knowledge around the subject under discussion and in your right to speak, this allows you to comfortably take the space and time required to get your point across.
There’s also the need to be present, to be in the moment, so as to have the greatest possibility of achieving a state of flow between thought, expression and reaction. We all slip into autopilot from time to time, especially when sharing information that we have shared many times before, so we must notice as soon as we do this and snap straight back into the room and to the people around us. If you are present you can spontaneously adapt what you are saying and how you are saying it to reflect and take into account what you are hearing, both in words and body language, from those you are speaking to.
Our participants find their presence in our workshops firstly through the process of defining what they want to share with their audience and why – this gives them that sense of having a right to speak, a purpose. They build their content making the most of their expertise and the perspective they bring to their audience, which gives them authority on their subject and that elusive gravitas. They explore the relationship their audience has with the subject so they can build that into their content and therefore create more reasons for the audience to pay attention and feel involved.
As they practice speaking, they build on their ability to think and speak at the same time, to comfortably be in the moment, to be present.
Those who appeared to have too much confidence can now relax and step back a little to give room for their audience to be there too. And those who were shy or lacked faith in their knowledge have the preparation as a foundation to root themselves to from which to stand tall and deliver their message to their audience.
Find out how our training can help you find your authentic presence, to give you your best chance to connect to your audience, and for your audience to connect with your messages.
