How An Improv Class Can Improve Your Public Speaking
Inspiration often comes from unexpected places.
Many public speakers probably never think of enrolling in an improv workshop or class, however an improv class might be just what they need.
Some speakers have caught on to the value of improv, and have paved the way for other speakers to follow in their footsteps and experience the benefits of improvising in front of an audience.
If you’re looking for a thrilling experience to help you take your public speaking skills to the next level, consider taking the plunge like other innovative, pioneering speakers have done, and enroll in an improv class. Here are some of the lessons you can expect to learn during your improv class:
1. Yes, and…
Improv classes require you to take the stage with other actors, and whenever another actor changes the situation with their words or actions, you are required to embrace the new situation with a yes, and attitude. You cannot negate their contribution to the scene in any way, instead you must build off their contribution with your own words and actions.
As a public speaker, the yes, and mentality is a powerful tool to carry with you onto the stage. You never know what is going to happen during your time in the spotlight. Technology might fail you, the audience might throw you a curveball, and you might also complicate matters for yourself by forgetting some of your lines, or fumbling through some of your points.
No matter where the curveball comes from, if you embrace it with a yes, and attitude, the curveball will become an opportunity instead of a roadblock that stops you in your tracks.
Curveballs can be a good thing when you’re speaking because audiences have a tendency to respect and enjoy speakers who are able to incorporate mistakes into their presentation. The novelty of unexpected bumps in the road that quickly become part of the presentation experience is refreshing for audience members who might typically glaze over during a presentation that is too polished and perfected.
According to Time:
People performed best at public speaking not when they feared making mistakes or even when they were willing to forgive their own mistakes. They felt great and were rated most highly when they took a “novelty” perspective: deliberately making mistakes and then incorporating them into the presentation.
2. Don’t Be Afraid
Another way to make the most of unexpected scenarios, especially situations that have the potential to make you look bad, is to use self-depreciating humor to get the audience to laugh, loosen up, and enjoy themselves.
Author Brandy Reece explains that the use of self-deprecating humor can increase a communicator’s likability, and therefore, their ability to inform and persuade audiences. Self-deprecating humor, the type of humor that good naturedly pokes fun at one’s self, is the most effective style of humor when it comes to persuading people, Reece says.
Poking fun at yourself is not always an easy task. It requires you to drop any fear of judgement and criticism. In addition, it forces you to admit you’re not perfect in front of other people.
For public speakers this is a challenging task because speakers work hard to paint themselves as experts and polished professionals; being seen as a competent leader is part of the gig. However it is only part of the role of a speaker. If you’re too put together at all times, you become unapproachable and potentially unlikable because people cannot easily relate to you.
The best way to win over your audience, no matter what happens during your presentation, is to roll with the punches, and laugh along the way.
3. Pay Attention
Lastly, improv class will help you heighten your awareness when you are on stage.
When participating in an improv workshop, you need to watch and listen to everything the other actors are doing during scenes. If you get lost in your own thoughts, or space out momentarily, you might miss something important, and as a result, take the scene in a direction that doesn’t make sense, or that disappoints instead of delights the audience and other actors; they might be hoping you will take the scene in a different direction, but you are unable to do so because you don’t fully understand the scene.
This heightened awareness of what’s happening when you’re on stage will be helpful for you as a public speaker. Even though you will not be interacting with other actors during your presentation, you still need to be aware of the mood and actions of the other people in the room – the audience.
For example, if you notice audience members are pulling out their phones, and losing interest in your presentation, you might need to improvise and divert from your originally planned presentation. You might decide to give the audience a quick 5 minute break to let them rest their minds and stretch their legs. Or, you might decide to turn off your slides and have a get real moment with the audience in which you share a personal story or a lighthearted joke.
Conclusion
If you’re skilled at improvisation, you will be able to work with anything that comes your way during the presentation. Whether it be a lack of interest from the audience, unexpected questions from attendees, or disapproving faces in the crowd, you can make it work for you if you have a yes, and attitude, a good sense of humor, and are aware of your surroundings.
Additional Resources:
5 Ways Improv Can Improve Your Sales Game
How to Tell an Engaging Story of Scientific Discovery
Why Improv Training Is Great Business Training
The “Yes, And…” Approach: Less Ego, More Openness, More Possibility
Why You Should Add Humor To Your Business Presentations
