Three Ways To Enhance Your Charisma As A Speaker

Have you ever noticed that some speakers possess some sort of charisma; you resonate not only with their message, but the way they are delivering that message? And yet other speakers deliver great content, but their message doesn’t have the same impact because their delivery tends to be low-key and/or boring?
Content is King but delivery is Queen.Whether you speak to ten or ten thousand, here are three simple ways you can bring more charisma and energy to any presentation:
1. Create an attention-getting opening.Commonly, speakers begin their presentations with something such as, “I am so happy to be here with you today.” This opening is polite but boring and predictable. Instead, try opening with a story or powerful statement. Something that will immediately grab the attention of your audience. Think of a movie with a slow start versus one with a powerful opening scene–one that grabs your attention from the very beginning. Be like that movie that draws your audience in immediately.
2. Never close with Q&A. In the book, “The Power of Moments”, authors Chip and Dan Heath highlight when people assess an experience, they tend to rate that experience based on two things: the best or worst moment, and the ending. Psychologists call this the ‘peak-end rule’. Many speakers save Q&A for the end of their presentations, which often makes sense, but if you want to enhance your charisma, prepare something to deliver after Q&A. It is nearly impossible to end Q&A with high energy—you need a final closing statement, story, video, etc. to bring your presentation to a powerful close. 
3. Be a thermostat rather than a thermometer. As a speaker, you have probably experienced both ends of an audience’s energy spectrum. You can speak to one audience that exudes positive energy from the time you enter the room, and yet another audience is strangely quiet and the room feels drained of energy. In past years, I would adapt to whatever my surroundings were. I speak to a lot of introverts, who are by nature, more quiet and reserved.  But that does not mean my message should be downplayed and delivered with low energy. I was being a thermometer–merely reflecting the energy of my audience. What I learned over the years is that it is my responsibility to create a positive energy for my audience. In effect, I have to be a thermostat, and set the temperature of energy.  Believe me, it’s much easier to walk into a room that already has a temperature of positive energy, but when it’s not present, a speaker with charisma brings it.
All three of the above require preparation and intentionality, but your efforts can make all the difference in the way your audience relates to not only your message, but with YOU,