Are you a needy presenter?
If you find yourself ending most of your sentences with “right?” you could be undermining your credibility and searching for validation in all the wrong places. The audience tuned in for your expertise and insights, not to reassure you.
The best way to ditch this habit is to determine when and why it's happening.
If it’s during the beginning of your presentation, it’s likely due to nerves or not feeling your content is worthy. Nip this in the bud before you hit the stage by analyzing your audience and understanding what's really important to them. Then review your content. If you are taking to their needs and giving them two to three new insights then you've got a crowd-pleaser on your hands. Remind yourself of the value you’re sharing with a pre-show mantra: “This is powerful stuff, this is powerful stuff, this IS powerful stuff"
If it happens mid-way through, you might be feeling you’re losing their attention. “Right?” won’t earn it back. Instead, throw in an audience-centered, rhetorical question that highlights the ‘What’s In It For Me?’ factor, like: “You’re probably wondering how you can apply this…” or “You might be saying, but this is too expensive or time-consuming…”. Packing your presentation with WIIFMs will keep their attention.
If it happens at the end of your presentation, you likely forgot to create a strong close. Prepare for and practice your wrap up. Be sure to remind them of the take-aways, and WIIFMs and circle back to your opening story or metaphor with a memorable tag line or phase. A mic drop moment doesn't end in a question, it's a powerful statement, right?
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