Have you ever had to sit through a 20 minute presentation, and went in thinking, “this is going to take forever!” But once the presentation began, you were so caught up with what the speaker was saying and doing, the time passed by. This is an example of flow.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines the concept of flow as:
“Being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
Another way to describe flow is being “in the zone.” We see this happen in athletes, artists, and creators. But it can happen to anyone when the challenge level and the skill level match. Watch this video to see how it works:
A presentation with good flow will make a huge difference for the presenter and the audience. And it’s not just the mental state, flow also effects the structure and organization of the presentation. Keep the following concepts in mind to achieve flow during a presentation.
Logic
You should be able to explain clearly why on slide follows another, why your three main points are important to the audience, and why you are telling the story. This is as much as matter of logic than creativity. A logic to why you open with a story that leads directly to your first main point is easier for the audience to understand. And it makes the transition seamless. If you can find a way to directly tie together each point with its corresponding, your audience’s minds will be blown by how you smoothly got them from start to finish.
Construction
Flow plays a part in the construction of your presentation. It’s one thing to outline the order in which you will present your main points, but building roads and bridges to arrive to each other is the foundation of a great presentation. The audience will be able to tell if you struggle to create an easy transition. Not knowing how to make that switch can be awkward for you and your audience. But knowing exactly how to move your presentation along with a hitch will impress the entire room.
Read More: The Importance of Flow in a Presentation
Authenticity
Give your presentation like you were talking to friends or family. If you can be yourself while delivering your message, your audience will trust and believe you. And speaking with authenticity will help you reach a state of flow. But the trick to getting to this point is getting plenty of practice so that you are completely comfortable with your content.
When you are in the zone, it’s a euphoric feeling. And it will amplify your storytelling so that you can move effortlessly from one point to the next. Make sure you get in lots of practice and deeply understand your content, so that you will feel comfortable with your audience and in return, they will feel comfortable with you.
Related Posts from the Ethos3 Blog:
What the Psychology of Flow Can Teach Us About Brand Storytelling
