Successfully using your voice in presentations
Using contrast to enhance your presentation impact
I have been inspired to write this post after reading my first book all about Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). I was a little sceptical about NLP at first - is it some kind of Jedi mind trick? But I wanted to find out more.
If you are not familiar with NLP don’t worry, I will quickly explain more about it below. For now, the important thing is this; as I read further and further into the book I recognised lots of useful techniques that could be employed to boost our public speaking performance.
Several of these techniques were things that I already recommend we all do when presenting or speaking, but it is really useful to understand why and how these techniques work. I have collated a few of the best NLP techniques that can be used to improve your public speaking and presentations within this article.
Quick links for this article:
How to boost your mindset for public speaking using NLP
How to turn on confident feelings for public speaking
How to set useful public speaking goals
What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)?
Wow, big question. There is so much written about what NLP is (and isn’t) and I have found that often there is a distinct lack of a focused definition. But here’s my take:
Neuro Linguistic Programming is an applied psychology. It’s all about understanding how we all understand and process the world around us and how we communicate it to ourselves and others. It features is a clear framework of how we process and understand the world and different scales and categories that we each use.
NLP helps us to understand how we process the world, but also to change the ways in which we do it, to achieve more positive outcomes. It helps us to think differently, engage better with others and can help us to change their views too. All of these things are really useful for us as public speakers.
How does NLP apply to public speaking and presentations?
Here are 5 ways that NLP can be applied to positively impact the success of your next presentation or speech. Some of these ideas may be familiar to you. Some might give you an ‘aha’ moment as you realise they can help you to achieve your goals much more easily.
Keep checking back to this blog as I will likely do a deeper dive into each techniques in the near future. I will add links from this article when I do.
Switching to the best mindset for public speaking
In NLP, a state is how we currently think and feel. It’s a combination of our mind (thoughts) and body (sensations). The two combine to give us an emotional and physical state of being. We are not fixed in one state, as how we think and feel can change during the day. Think of your day today, there have already likely been times when your state may have been best described as tired, energised, curious, excited or something else.
State changes regularly and can change due to external factors influencing us, such as other people, food and drink or experiences. Importantly, we can also choose to recognise our state and change it ourselves.
Why are states useful for public speaking?
Closing your eyes, taking a deep breath and considering your state is really useful to help us achieve our peak performance in our next presentation or pitch.
Often the pace of life and time pressures to put slide decks together and rehearse scripts mean that we don’t stop to really ask ourselves ‘how do I feel about this?’
If you are aware of an underlying nervous tension, then you can take steps to help boost your confidence (more on that in the next section!). If you are feeling rushed and can recognise it, then you can slow down and reflect on how best to create space and calm for yourself. If you are excited about the upcoming speech, then it is wonderful to be aware of this and really relish the experience.
Whether you want to move from a negative state to a greater one, or just want to really recognise that positive state that you are in, it is only really easy to change your state once you have taken the time to recognise it.
Top tip: In the days and hours before your next big presentation, take a minute to stop, close your eyes, breathe and reflect on your current state. Is this the best state for your upcoming presentation? If not, what can you do change it to a more positive state?
Anchoring for public speaking confidence
After our quick discussion above about states, this NLP and public speaking top tip follows-on nicely as it focuses on a really useful way to change your state ahead of your next big speech.
Anchoring is a process within NLP that allows you to assign a positive emotion (and therefore state) to a touch, action or gesture. The touch, action or gesture then becomes a trigger that you can use to activate that positive emotion whenever you need it to help you perform.
This is a fantastically useful tool for us as public speakers and presenters as we can create a special touch, action or gesture that fires off a positive emotion within our body (confidence!) whenever we need it. It will help us to move from a nervous state to a much more confident state.
So how can we anchor a confident feeling and trigger it when we need it?
How to create an NLP confidence anchor
Step 1: Recall a powerful moment of confidence
Step 2: Intensify the feeling
Step 3: Set the Anchor (Pinch your fingers together)
Step 4: Repeat for reinforcement
How to activate the confidence anchor before a presentation
1. Take a deep breath and stand tall.
2. Pinch your right thumb and forefinger together hard for 5 seconds.
3. Let the feeling of confidence flood your body just like in your memories.
4. Release the pinch and step forward with that confidence.
5. Repeat if needed before stepping on stage!
Goal setting for our presentations
Goals are really important for successful speakers. If we don’t have a clear goal for our presentation, then when how we can be sure if we have succeeded or not? I have written more about great goal setting for speeches and presentations here.
NLP has a focus on ensuring that goals are well-formed, focused and positive and I have found it really useful for expanding my thinking on what makes an effective goal when public speaking.
NLP uses the term ‘outcomes’ rather than goals, but I think for the purposes of our public speaking thoughts, the two terms are reasonably interchangeable.
NLP defines 9 steps to setting well-formed outcomes or goals. I think that they are really useful for us as public speakers too.
How to set a clear and focused outcome for your presentation
1. State the outcome in positive terms
2. Specify the present situation
3. Specify the desired outcome in sensory terms
4. Make sure you control the outcome
5. Ensure the outcome fits you
6. Get specific with the outcome
7. Identify required resources
8. Define the terms of success
9. Take action
Understanding our audience (and tailoring our content)
NLP focuses on how we interpret, process and communicate about the world.
Understanding how our audience interpret, process and communicate about the world helps us to tailor our message and our speech to match their needs. If our message feels like it ‘fits’ our audience well, then they will be more inclined to agree with it and act upon it. The result is an increased chance of us achieving our public speaking goals.
NLP talks a lot about meta programmes. Meta programmes are unconscious filters that help us to organise our beliefs and behaviours. They come in pairs. Any understanding of our audience is useful to us as speakers as it allows us to tailor and format our message appropriately. I found that considering the preferred meta programmes of my audience were a good place to start to understand what to say to my audience and how to say it.
Here are details of the meta programs, and how you can tailor your presentation content to make it more compelling for audiences that have different elements of each program.
1. Towards vs. Away From (Motivation Filter)
- Towards: Audience is goal-oriented and focused on rewards and benefits.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Emphasize what they will gain by following your message.
- Example: If presenting on productivity, highlight how implementing your strategies will lead to greater success, more free time, and career growth.
- Away From: Audience is motivated by avoiding problems and risks.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Frame your message around avoiding negative consequences.
- Example: Instead of saying, "Boost your productivity for more success," say, "Avoid burnout and missed deadlines by using this productivity system."
2. Internal vs. External Frame of Reference (Decision-Making Filter)
- Internal: Audience members trust their own judgment and experience.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Give them the information and let them evaluate it themselves.
- Example: "Here are the facts and principles—you can decide how best to apply them to your situation."
- External: Audience members rely on expert opinions and external validation.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Use testimonials, expert endorsements, and data to support your points.
- Example: "According to a study by Harvard Business Review, 85% of top-performing companies use this strategy."
3. Options vs. Procedures (Thinking & Problem-Solving Style)
- Options: Audience prefers variety, flexibility, and multiple solutions.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Present multiple approaches and emphasize freedom of choice.
- Example: "There are three different ways to improve productivity—choose the one that fits your workflow best."
- Procedures: Audience prefers clear, step-by-step instructions.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Provide a structured, linear process for them to follow.
- Example: "Here is a five-step framework to boost your productivity. Start with step one and follow the sequence for the best results."
4. Matcher vs. Mismatcher (Comparison Style)
- Matcher: Audience looks for similarities and likes to see how things are familiar.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Relate new concepts to things they already know.
- Example: "This new leadership strategy is similar to what great leaders like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have done."
- Mismatcher: Audience looks for differences and enjoys spotting what’s new or unique.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Highlight what sets your idea apart from traditional approaches.
- Example: "Unlike traditional leadership methods, this approach challenges conventional thinking and creates innovative leaders."
5. Specific vs. Global (Detail vs. Big Picture Thinking)
- Specific: Audience wants detailed breakdowns and practical insights.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Focus on specific data, examples, and case studies.
- Example: "Here’s a breakdown of exactly how this method works, with detailed examples from real companies."
- Global: Audience prefers to see the big picture first before diving into details.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Start with an overarching vision or big idea, then zoom in on details.
- Example: "Let’s start with the big picture—why productivity matters at a strategic level—then we’ll look at the specific tools you can use."
6. Proactive vs. Reactive (Action Orientation)
- Proactive: Audience likes to take initiative and act quickly.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Encourage them to take immediate action and apply what they learn.
- Example: "Try this exercise right now—take out your phone and schedule a 10-minute focus session today."
- Reactive: Audience prefers to observe, reflect, and analyze before taking action.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Give them time to process and provide frameworks for deeper thinking.
- Example: "After this session, reflect on these three questions before deciding how to apply this strategy."
7. Sameness vs. Difference (Change Acceptance Filter)
- Sameness: Audience values consistency and stability.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Show how your idea aligns with what they already know and trust.
- Example: "This strategy builds on time-tested productivity techniques but makes them even more effective."
- Difference: Audience enjoys innovation and change.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Emphasize how your idea is new, disruptive, and different from traditional methods.
- Example: "Forget everything you’ve been told about productivity—this approach flips conventional wisdom on its head."
8. Internal Locus of Control vs. External Locus of Control (Perception of Control)
- Internal Locus of Control: Audience believes their success depends on their own actions.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Emphasize personal responsibility and self-empowerment.
- Example: "The key to productivity isn’t external tools—it’s the daily habits and decisions you control."
- External Locus of Control: Audience believes success is influenced by external factors like luck or the economy.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Show how external forces can be leveraged to their advantage.
- Example: "With AI and automation evolving, now is the perfect time to adapt and gain a competitive edge."
9. People vs. Task vs. System Focused (Attention Filter)
- People-Focused: Audience values relationships and human connection.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Use stories, emotions, and human-centered examples.
- Example: "Let me tell you the story of how Sarah transformed her productivity and work-life balance using this method."
- Task-Focused: Audience values efficiency and results.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Focus on data, measurable outcomes, and actionable takeaways.
- Example: "This technique has been proven to increase productivity by 40%—let’s look at the results."
- System-Focused: Audience looks for structure, processes, and frameworks.
- Tailoring Your Presentation: Provide a clear system that fits within a larger framework.
- Example: "Here’s how this fits into the overall productivity framework we use at top-performing companies."
Of course, not every audience member will have an identical meta programme, but there may be some that are more common among particular audiences that you can lean towards.
Using language that connects with our audience
Predicates are the words that we use to signal how we are understanding and interpreting the world. Within NLP, it is believed that people generally have a preferred way of experiencing and communicating about the world. The primary options are: Visual (linked to sight), Auditory (linked to sound) and Kinaethetic (linked to movement or action).
Generally you can recognise which option someone uses to understand and process the world by listening to the words that they use. I have shared some examples below.
Visual (Sees the world through images and sight-related language)
- "I see what you mean."
- "Let’s focus on the big picture."
- "That idea is crystal clear to me."
Kinaesthetic (Feels the world through touch, emotions, and physical sensations)
- "That just doesn’t feel right to me."
- "Let’s get a solid grasp on this concept."
- "I need to get a sense of how this will work."
Auditory (Processes the world through sounds and language)
- "That sounds like a great idea!"
- "I hear you loud and clear."
- "Let’s talk this through and find the right tone."
What does this mean for us as public speakers?
Research has shown that we often feel more warmly towards people that we believe to be ‘just like us’. Plus, our job as communicators is to make our message as easy as possible for our audience understand and remember.
With this in mind, if we format our message in a way that is ‘just like’ our audience would, and we put it in their preferred terms too, then we are more likely to be judged as engaging and easy-to-understand.
If you know that there is a chance that your audience are more kinaesthetic, auditory of visually-focused, then you can tailor your language appropriately to match theirs. Have some conversations with your audience members ahead of your presentation and really listen to the words that they use.
If you spot a lot of kinaesthetic, auditory or visual language then highlight some key lines within your speech (preferably at the start of the speech, to build rapport nice and early!) and rewrite them to use terms linked to the preferred style.
In conclusion
So what does this all mean for us as speakers?
Well, I hope that after reading all of the above you have discovered five ways to boost your presentation performance and make your upcoming speeches even more engaging and effective.
Some of these ideas may be familiar to you, some may be new. Either way, being aware and understanding tips and techniques like these are the key to us all growing as communicators.
I am always happy to discuss all things communications and public speaking-related. I would love to hear your thoughts on the ideas shared within this article and your experiences of NLP too. Please do reach out to me via this website or find me on LinkedIn here.
