Presentation Tips For Introverts

Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? If you’re an introvert, are you worried that your introversion will handicap you during an upcoming presentation? You shouldn’t. Introverts can be exceptional public speakers.

There are some tips and tricks that can help you overcome any hesitation you have about public speaking, however the most important tip is to believe in yourself, and don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot be a great public speaker just because of your introversion.

To empower you to embrace your personality style, this is an introduction to introversion, and an introduction to public speaking as an introvert. Let’s jump right into it!

Difference between introverts and extroverts

My favorite explanation of introverts versus extroverts comes from the article, The Science of What Makes an Introvert and an Extrovert. I appreciate this definition because it is to-the-point, and includes a dash of historical context:

In the 1920s, noted psychologist Carl Jung coined the terms “introverted” and “extroverted” in his 1920s work, Psychologische Typen (Psychological Types).

In his model, differences between the personalities basically boil down to energy: Extroverted people are energized by social interactions, whereas those same engagements are energetically taxing for introverts. So after attending a party or other social gathering, introverts need time alone to “recharge.”

To summarize, introverts are typically drained by interactions with other people, while extroverts are energized by social engagement.

introverted public speaking

To be clear, almost nobody is introverted or extroverted all of the time without exception. Humans are complex creatures and can almost never be put into one box, or defined by a single label. For example, ambiverts fall somewhere near the middle of the E/I spectrum, however even the ambivert personality type can’t completely define any individual. We are all like the ocean; we have tides of characteristics that come in and out as our environment shifts, and we also have currents of characteristics that run within our larger body of emotional waters.

The definition of introverts and extroverts from The Science of What Makes an Introvert and an Extrovert is a great starting point for discussing E/I continuum, although each of these personality types deserves a fuller explanation, especially considering the fascinating research that has been conducted in recent years. In this blog post, I want to take a closer look at introverts, specifically introverts who have an interest in delivering presentations and public speaking. 

Before we launch into the presentation tips for introverts, let’s take quick look at some of the physiological differences between extroverted and introverted personality types.

The Science of Introversion

Processing Information

Researchers have discovered some biological differences between introverts and extroverts that might explain why introverts and extroverts behave differently and have contrasting responses to environmental stimuli.

For example, according to German psychologist Hans Eysenck’s biologically based model for the E/I spectrum, the differing behaviors of extroverts and introverts can be explained by examining cortical arousal, the speed and amount of brain activity.

Introverts tend to have a relatively high cortical arousal, which means they tend to process more information per second than extroverts, who tend to have a lower cortical arousal. Cortical arousal rate might explain why introverts are drained by the stimulation of social engagement, and busy, noisy environments. Introverts are processing more information from their environment than extroverts who likely take in a more manageable amount of input from their surroundings.

In addition to processing more information, introverts also process input from the environment differently. For example, extroverts tend to value external motivational cues more so than internal motivational cues, while introverts emphasize internal rewards more than positive external feedback.

Introverts also assess human faces as they would assess non-human physical objects, such as images of flowers. Extroverts however place more significance on human faces, which might explain their preference for interacting with other people over alone time.

introvert public speaker

Behavioral Tendencies

The results of a 2012 study by Harvard psychologist Randy Buckner concluded that introverts tend to have thicker and larger gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain region associated with abstract thought and decision-making. Extroverted individuals, however, tend to have thinner gray matter in those same prefrontal areas.

Buckner concluded that this might be accountable for introverts’ tendencies to sit in a corner and ponder things thoroughly before making a decision, and extroverts’ ability to live in the moment and take risks without fully thinking everything through, according to Medical Daily.

Studies have also concluded that introverts tend to describe things more concretely while extroverts tend to be more abstract with descriptions.

In addition, researchers have discovered that introverts tend to be more cautious about risks, while extroverts tend to more sensation-seeking. This tendency impacts everything from preference for activities to fashion styles. Introverts typically prefer low-risk activities and more conservative attire.

Tips For Introverted Public Speakers

To provide introverts with some helpful takeaways for any public speaking opportunities that might arise, I want to lean heavily on insights from Susan Cain, TED speaker, writer, lecturer, author of the 2012 non-fiction book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and co-founder of Quiet Revolution. If the tips below are helpful for you, I encourage you to read Quiet.

In addition, I suggest checking out Cain’s TED talk, shared below. 

Solitude

Presentations are often a collaborative effort. Most presenters work with their colleagues or manager to prepare presentations, and speakers (even TED speakers) also often work with a coach to perfect their material and delivery.

Collaboration is extremely valuable for presenters, however Cain argues that too much collaboration can kill creative potential, especially for introverts.

Cain explains that solitude is essential to creativity.

Solitude, as Cain says, is a key to creativity. Darwin took long walks in the woods and turned down dinner invitations, Dr. Seuss wrote alone, and was afraid of meeting the kids who read his books for fear they would be disappointed at how quiet he was. Steve Wozniak claimed he never would have become such an expert if he left the house. Of course, collaboration is good (witness Woz and Steve Jobs), but there is a transcendent power of solitude. – TED.com

So what does this mean for you as an introverted public speaker? It means that you need to carve out significant alone time when preparing for your presentation. Collecting feedback and brainstorming ideas can be helpful exercises for you as you create your presentation, however group-think should be minimized to ensure your creativity is maximized.

Your creativity will be essential as you craft your presentation content, develop thoughtful stories to weave throughout your overall message, design presentation slides, and sharpen your delivery skills.

Nature

Cain goes one step beyond suggesting solitude for creativity and urges people, especially introverts, to spend time alone in the wilderness.

Indeed, most major religions have seekers, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, each went into the wild to learn. No wilderness, no revelation. – TED.com

Cain’s emphasis of the power of nature is supported by research. Studies concluded that connecting to nature can boost creativity by up to 50%.

So what does this mean for you as an introverted public speaker? It means that you need to make outdoor time a priority. Not only will time in nature recharge energy reserves that might have been depleted from time in meetings, networking events, or just day-to-day social interactions, but it will also boost your creative potential. As mentioned above, creativity is critical to the success of your presentation, so ramp up your creative powers when preparing for your talk by taking a walk in the woods, sitting by a river, or any other activity that gets you outside and feeling inspired.

Mantra

As Susan Cain, the introverted author of Quiet who overcame her own phobia of public speaking to give a record-breaking TED talk, explains, “Your go system revs you up and makes you excited. Your stop system slows you down and makes you cautious and vigilant.” Cain suggests that it’s a mistake to work at turning off the stop system; you want to turn on your go system. Anxiety is an intense emotion, and it’s hard to make it vanish quickly in the face of uncertainty. It’s easier to convert anxiety into another strong emotion like excitement. – QuietRev.com

I have also written about the importance of transforming anxiety into excitement, and it seems that this technique was effective for Cain. (Check out my blog post here: Fight Your Fear of Public Speaking – 4 Proven Methods.)

So what does this mean for you as an introverted public speaker? It means that you should follow in Cain’s footsteps and not let your pre-performance anxiety drag you down. Use your anxiety to pump you up. You can turn your jitters into fuel by simply repeating the mantra, I am excited before you take the stage. Repeating this short phrase is a proven method for effectively ramping up enthusiasm and making a positive connection with the audience. Stating I am excited is a better option than telling yourself to calm down.

Calming down and going into a thoughtful, meditative state is probably more natural and comfortable for most introverts, however when public speaking, you should try to exude passion and enthusiasm.

Preparation

Cain shares a quote from Malcom Gladwell that inspires her public speaking preparation:

Speaking is not an act of extroversion,” he says. “People think it is. It has nothing to do with extroversion. It’s a performance, and many performers are hugely introverted. QuietRev.com

Cain explains how this quote impacted her speaking:

I think this is liberating—that it’s okay to pretend a little when you’re on stage. Who cares if you’re not a natural storyteller? You can craft your stories beforehand, practice them, and share them—for the brief moment that the spotlight is on you. Then you can step off stage and go right back to being yourself. QuietRev.com

So what does this mean for you as an introverted public speaker? It means that practice is especially important for you. All speakers need to rehearse before delivering a presentation, however introverts need to commit to a strict practice schedule to ensure success.

Since introverts tend to have less practice sharing stories and ideas with other people, introverted speakers need to polish their communication skills more than extroverted speakers.

Extroverts are constantly communicating and are more likely to have refined their stories and expression of ideas by sharing with other people. One of the beautiful results of extroverts’ habitual sharing is the feedback they receive from others. If an extrovert has shared their ideas with people over dinner, in the office, and standing in line at the grocery store, they already know how people respond to their ideas. They have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t work.

Introverts have less experience communicating with others, so practice is essential – especially practice in front of other people. After practicing by yourself for some time, be sure to practice in front of other people and use their feedback to finesse your message and delivery style.

What Type of Introvert Are You?

Jonathan Cheek, a psychology professor at Wellesley College, argues that there are four shades of introversion; most introverts are a mix of these four types: social, thinking, anxious, and restrained. Which type of introvert are you?

Take this quiz to find out:

What Type of Introvert Are You?

This quiz will give you a chart similar to the one below. As you can see, I tested as a thinking introvert with a mild display of other shades of introversion, such as social introversion.

introvert quiz

Conclusion

If you’re just starting to learn more about introversion, and public speaking as an introvert, this should just be the beginning of your journey of discovery. This blog post only scratches the surface of information that is available for you.

I hope this blog post helps you embrace your personality style, and also motivates you to carve out significant time to nurture your creativity, get outdoors, practice positive mantras, and rehearse with other people. I also hope it inspires you to continue learning about yourself. Many great speakers are introverts; don’t let anyone discourage you from pursuing your public speaking dreams just because you are an introvert. Break a leg. You can do it. 

Additional Resources:

Presentation Skills for Introverts and Extroverts

Introverts and Extroverts: Balancing Interactivity in Your Presentation

6 Myths About Introverts To Stop Believing





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