Look the Part: Displaying Congruence When Presenting Online
Photo by Mikael Blomkvistl from Pexels
As Rich Mulholland says, when presenting online, everyone has a front-row seat. They are right there with you—and are probably seeing you up closer than they would if they were sitting in the audience in an auditorium or large meeting space!
As a result, facial expressions are a critical element of an outstanding online presentation. They complement your spoken words, hand gestures, and eye contact. Your facial expressions also communicate emotion (e.g., anxiety, happiness, fear, disgust) and we assert that facial expressions can communicate confidence and skill in your craft. And in an online environment where your natural movements and connection with the audience are limited, your facial expressions are crucial for enhancing messages that you want to send to your audience.
The critical element is a concept called congruence. Congruence means that your verbals and nonverbals are aligned. A classic example of incongruence is when a speaker says, “I am so excited to be here,” but their nonverbals and voice communicate an entirely different message (as in, the speaker’s facial expression is blank or bored, they are sitting or slouching without much engagement, and their voice is monotonous). When a person is authentically excited, their eyes get bigger, and they deliver a Duchenne smile. When people are “concerned,” nonverbals may include narrowing the eyes, a look off to the side, and closing the mouth. These nonverbals are often aligned with a slower pace, a lower volume, and long pauses for effect.
To be truly impactful, your facial expressions must be congruent with your spoken message. This is especially important online because your face is right there on everyone’s screen and is visible to every participant (as opposed to those who sit in the back of the auditorium and can’t see your face clearly when you’re on the stage in person).
Think about your favorite actor for a moment. Let’s say everything in their performance is aligned—voice, eyes, hand gestures, the lines—except their facial expressions lack congruence with the requirements of the script. If this was how that actor was presenting themselves, they would lose their job. Think of the nonverbal elements that we’ve described as an important part of your “act,” and an essential element of your on-screen “character.”
To ensure that you have achieved congruence in your presentation, begin by identifying the purpose and goals of your talk: Are you informing your audience of something? Motivating them to change behaviors or improve performance? Bringing their attention to some kind of problem that needs to be rectified? Each of these purposes aligns with a different “character” for a speaker. Once you’ve pinpointed the purpose and goals, then craft your delivery, including everything from voice volume to inflection to speed to facial expressions to hand gestures. And remember: even if the tone of your presentation is serious and subdued, beginning and ending with a facial expression that is welcoming, appreciative, and/or neutral is a good approach to make your audience feel respected!
P.S. If you truly ARE excited to be with your audience, ensure that your words and non-verbals are aligned. Our friend Richard Mulholland has mastered this craft. His non-verbals align with his message, and it’s awesome. Click through for an incredible example of congruence! AND check out his latest book, Here be Dragons.
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We explore this topic and others in our new book Captovation: Online Presentations by Design.