AI can’t replace this … yet

Nary a day goes by when we are not presented with an article or discussion about artificial intelligence. Early adopters tout it as a game changing must-have, while resisters fear for their jobs and livelihoods. The former make great arguments for the use of AI in just about every aspect of life. The latter cautions against rapid adoption, also presenting logical arguments. Then there are those in between who basically advise to proceed with caution.

On this all three can agree, AI is here to stay. If we’ve learned anything from the advent of the internet in the ‘90s it is that technology changes, change is inevitable and increasingly swift, and adapting to change is the only way to grow.

Why, then, would I taunt AI’s ability? It’s simple, for all its advances—good, bad, or indifferent—it cannot produce a live human being physically on a stage before a live audience.

As long as humans are wired for communion with one another, which we are (sans neurotechnology), there will be a market for in-person presentations.

Sure, you can avoid physically addressing an audience by producing a video address and sending it electronically or by creating a powerful slide deck full of animation but pound for pound, there’s no exact replication for an in-person presentation. Even if holograms were perfected, we might still end up in the uncanny valley with an ineffective outcome not much different from that of showing a video address on a jumbotron. Ditto for VR headsets; besides, everyone in the audience would need one.

Simply put, you can avoid such situations, or you can leverage them for your personal and professional growth.

The ability to impact an audience through artful presentations can increase your confidence, boost your credibility, and improve your bottom line. Below are four good rules for any conversation.

1. Be positive: Begin by talking to yourself in positive terms—taking time to clarify the message in your own mind before you try communicating it to someone else.
2. Organize your thoughts before you speak: When you speak to individuals, take time to express yourself in an organized manner.
3. Consider your audience: Ask for feedback. Do not assume that the message sent was the message received.
4. Adapt your presentation to your purpose: Whether you are informing, persuading, or motivating, know your audience and speak to their wants and needs. Solicit feedback and be empathetic.

Whenever you speak from a stage, be it a boardroom or a large auditorium, you are in a position of power and scrutiny. Opt for humility and integrity every time.

Here are more tips for making an impact with your presentation:

• To quell your nerves, turn off the negative chatterbox in your head. Think only about what can go right! Also, take a few deep breaths.
• Include sharp visual aids that support your message but don’t make them the focal point of the presentation.
• Speak with your audience not at them (use first person plural, “we”).
• Smile when you speak and never apologize, criticize, or complain (Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People).
• Good speakers use language accurately and are sensitive to shades of meaning. If you are not familiar with a word, do not use it.
• The use of vivid language (imagery and rhythm) will add impact to your presentation. When possible, paint a picture with your words.
• Use pauses to your advantage and avoid filler words such as “um,” “uh,” and “like.
• With careful control, personal appearance, movement, gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions can enhance your presentation. Body movement stimulates and inspires the speaker, thus the audience.
• Body language should be appropriate, natural, and spontaneous. When you use body language, you relax physically and mentally.

Above all, HAVE FUN! Enthusiasm is contagious, and you want your audience feeling good as they leave.