Focus on the Fun to Be a Magnetic Speaker

It’s summer and sun and all things hot.  Summer brings such fun energy!  Here come picnics and playgrounds.

As a kid, I loved pushing others as fast on a merry-go-round, seeing the spins of color race by.  Giggling and pretending the merry-go-round transported us to new foreign lands.  While spinning, we created worlds. Summer gives us the permission to read fiction books, explore and adventure to new places more often, and get our feet dirty in the grass and sand.

Having a fun impacts your communication.

Recently, I presented a keynote for a group of interns.  During a story, I was highlighting the importance of letting go of perfectionism.  Suddenly, my microphone attachment fell off my right ear onto the ground.
I had two choices: panic and quickly pick it up and resume my story, or laugh it off, make a joke, and jump back into my presentation.

I chose laughter.  

Instead of letting the negative merry-go-round negative self talk spin in my mind, which is an allusion of movement, failing to focus forward, I shifted my energy.  Playfully creating instead. What a great lesson for those interns!  Instead of berating myself and wishing the microphone hadn’t fallen off and my story not be interrupted, I modeled a playful attitude, becoming more human, approachable, and likable.

How can fun be part of your talk?  How can you see the audience as your cheerleader for what you’re promoting and passionate about?

Frame your presentations as informal conversations, letting go of being so exact and just be you.
Include childhood stories, fun examples, props, and other visual aids to support your message. Play with your talk and try not to take you or it so seriously.

When you let go of pressure, enjoyment happens.

Your audience wants to have fun with you.