6 Ways to Own the Stage

Just about anyone can stand on stage in front of a group of people and speak, but any seasoned presenter will tell you that delivering a killer presentation requires a whole lot more than simply speaking.

For your presentation to be as effective as it can possibly be, you have to own the stage. You have to command attention and a level of trust from the audience using a strong sense of presence and self-assuredness.

If the thought of doing so makes you feel a bit intimidated—don’t let it. Anyone—no matter their weaknesses, background, or experience level—can own the stage. The following techniques are simple to integrate into your presentation prep. They’ll ensure you nail that presentation every single time.

Pose to Strengthen Your Presence

Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and Harvard Business School professor, discovered in her research the power behind power poses. If you pose with your hands on your hips for two minutes before a presentation, you’ll instantly become more powerful. Seriously. Posing in this manner triggers neuroendocrine and behavioral changes in both men and woman, elevating testosterone levels, decreasing cortisol (your stress hormone), and increasing feelings of power and tolerance for risk.

Play With Your Full Range

Nothing kills enthusiasm for a message quite like a monotone speaker delivering it. To avoid boring your audience to death, pay mind to the entire range of your voice. Use inflections to emphasize points by getting louder or softer for dramatic effect. Don’t be afraid to be generous with showing your excitement and enthusiasm. Not only will this prevent your audience from falling asleep, but it’ll allow them to get excited about the idea with you.

Include Breaks for You and Your Audience

The average attention span for adults is between five and 10 minutes. That means that no matter how compelling your presentation is, most people’s minds will naturally start to wander after a few minutes. To combat that, take care to include little breaks throughout your talk. They can be in the form of movie clips, audience questions, or small group activities—basically anything that gives their brains a brief reprieve from paying attention will help them stay engaged throughout the entirety of your presentation.

Tell a Strong Story

We can’t possibly emphasize the importance of presentation storytelling enough. In addition to making your presentation more entertaining, telling an amazing story gives you the opportunity to grab your audience’s attention and keep it. After all, anyone with a Netflix account knows how hard it is to walk away from an awesome narrative. Once you earn your audience’s attention, it’s a whole lot easier to earn their respect.

Know as Much as You Can About Your Topic

It’s mighty difficult to own a stage if you’re asked a bunch of questions that you don’t know the answers to. Therefore, you want to be sure you know more about your topic than the main points you’re planning on presenting. As you go through your preparations, think through potential questions you might get and look up the answers, even if you have no plans to share that info. Doing so will prevent you from being stumped and allow you to step on stage with even more confidence.

Take Your Time

When it comes to really owning the stage, pace is huge. If you rush through your presentation, your audience will not only know you’re nervous and be less inclined to invest in your idea, but they won’t remember anything you have to say. Instead of focusing on finishing, focus on Taking. Your. Time. Pause for reactions, ask questions, and allow yourself to revel in the feeling of leading an audience through an amazing presentation.

If you’re ready to command the stage with every presentation, then start with our Badge Assessment, which will give you insight into your unique presentation persona and show you where to focus to be the best you can be.

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