Hayden is one of Chris' Spring 2012 Professional Speaking students at Carnegie Mellon. Here he writes about Presentations.
“Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee,
and just as hard to sleep after.” This quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh
reflects on the never-ending challenge to perfect communication in a day and
age where stimulation is so common. Think of the colorful city sceneries, the
graphic and high definition TVs, the slick designs of Facebook.com, the
organized yet efficient Google Mail – you get the point. We have been
incorporating more sources of information in our daily lives – from newspapers
to TVs & computers. Studies show that information usage is rising and data
usage on mobile phones is now the norm [1]. In such day and age, how do we, as
presenters, compete with such artificial stimulation? How do we let our voices,
our PowerPoint decks, and our presence leave a lasting impact in a hyper
connected digital world?
When I think about these issues – I think to myself, what
can we offer that a computer screen, a television, a radio or the www cannot? The
first thing that comes to mind is Passion.
Passion. Passion is the lifeblood of emotion. Passion is the
act of believing, conveying raw emotion through voice and presence. Various
sources, ranging from David V. Lorenzo’s book on career intensity [2] to
Seahawk Associate’s articles [3] to blog posts from Presentation Zen [4] all
attest that passion is integral to the success of a presentation and
communication. Passion wakes audiences; passion shows the confidence and the
ability to convey the intangible – emotion. It adds veracity to and affirmation
to presentations. Passion, however, can’t be faked [4], the best presenters
aren’t actors, they are everyday businessmen, designers, and researchers who
can convey sincerity through warm connections with the audience.
Throughout my college experience at Carnegie Mellon
University – one of the best presenters that I’ve ever met, and also one of my
closest friends, was someone with overflowing passion. Academically, Suraj is a decision science
major who will be working for IBM Consulting in New York. But that’s not who he really was. At the
core, Suraj was Mayur Sasa President, BIB MC, Alpha Kappa Psi VP Pledging,
comedian, mentor, and fraternity brother. Whenever he spoke, he commanded such
passion that everyone would listen, his voice was booming, clear, and sincere.
He commanded such respect in front of audiences that whenever I thought of
presentations, I thought of Suraj. Most of all, he was an individual who
believed so sincerely in ideals and himself that passion was inherit in his
personality. Turns out – the biggest thing I learned from Suraj was:
“Praise can be your most valuable asset if you don’t direct
it at yourself”
Given his accomplishments, his university awards, leadership
and academic success, Suraj was by far one of the most humble individuals I’ve
ever met. Point is – Passion can be conveyed by the most humble of people. You can watch Suraj speak here [5].
In my own life – whenever presenting, I have always found
passion and the ability to motivate and touch others intrinsically, one of the
most valuable assets in life. I’m sure Suraj can attest to this statement.
Thus, in a day and age where we compete against computers, TVs, cellphones for
the attention of our audience, it is essential to use what they cannot offer –
passion, emotion, conviction.
[1] “Data
use now the norm on cellphones” http://mobile.blorge.com/2010/07/28/data-use-now-the-norm-on-cellphones/
[2] “Career
Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace Warriors and Entrepreneurs”
[3] Bring
Passion to Presentations
[4] The
Power of Passion
[5] BIB 4 MC
– Suraj Baxi
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