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The Powerful 6Vs In Presentation

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My mentor once asked me: “what makes you successful in Asia as a speaker for the last 15 years?”

There are plenty which I have learnt and still learning. I have done many research and come up with a power 6Vs to power up your presentation skills which create Champions in presentation.

From the research done by Professor Emeritus of Psychology for UCLA, Albert Mehrabian on the percentage given to Verbal, Vocal and Visual which add to a total of 100%, not many can achieve that 100% as there are no perfection in this world. But I can increase and/or double up your percentage to make you a more powerful speaker.

The 6 Vs which I have been sharing are:-

Verbal – Words used as well as language used holds 7% of the 100% according to Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Albert Mehrabian. If one lives in a country which only has one language, it is very important for them to master that language. But in Asia, most of us can deliver in two or more languages. Therefore, if we make some mistakes in your grammar once a while, your audience will forgive you. Language is more important to teachers and lecturers for they need to use it to teach and educate their students correctly.

Vocal – This receives 38% of the 100%. Vocal variety is important to enhance on the verbal language used to add feeling, authority, and connecting with the audience. Many don’t understand what is vocal variety. They thought that with the right pronunciation of every single word is vocal variety. But are they? Vocal variety consists of the rate, pitch, volume and the quality of the voice. The rate for international speakers is within the range of 120 to 180 words per minute. Most people in Asia and some caucasian speak within the range of 80 to 120 words per minute.

Some think that 120 to 180 per minute is too fast, but the truth is, if you love listening to the news on radio or television, these people are speaking at the range of 120 to 180 word per minute.

The ability to speak with different pitch and tonality can make your speech lively. With every pitch and tonality for every character you would like to act during your presentation will bring life in your animated speech.

Sometimes, we need to speak at higher volume while at times, we need to speak at a lower volume to draw the audience attention. The right practice will allow you to engage your audience instantly and make your presentation more interesting.

Visual – 55% goes into this category. How you think and how you feel will create the action you will do. Therefore, body language is the most important. It comprises of eye contact, facial expression, gestures, body movement, postures, and positioning. It will take time for one to master their body langauge. The right practice will allow you to be better and better everyday.

Next, I am about to share with you te next 3 Vs to increase your performance instantly. May it be double or increasing the possibility of a greater presentation. Here goes:-

Vision – It is only with vision that you will have the objectives and passion to achieve what you want in life. Your vision will gear you up to who you want to be, where you want to be in 5 or 10 years down the road. If you have a vision, it is easier for you to achieve your dream as it is also your goal. You will know how to navigate towards your objectives. Hence, it will increase your performance.

Views – You need to have your own views. Never take the views of others without thinking carefully and understanding them. If you don’t believe in their views, you will not be able to deliver with passion, conviction and confidence. Doubts in your mind will disable your performance. Therefore, your must have your views. Give careful thoughts, concentration, and understanding on everything you learn before you present it to anyone.

Value – This is the sixth V and it is important as it is the one that creates everlasting results which your audience will remember you for. Audience likes learning and they want to take home some values. Your presentation is of no use to anyone if there is no value at all. No one will remember you and no one will remember your speech as well. With the values, your audience will learn and able to practice your teaching, allowing them to remember you and/or your speech.

If you are preparing your next presentation and wanted it to be a speech with impact and unforgettable, remember to apply the powerful 6Vs presentation which I have just shared. It will increase your performance and recognise as a better speaker any time. If you want to learn more about the 6Vs in Power Presentation 1.2.3…, contact us by emailing or call for meeting arrangement for workshop to be conducted at your premises. We would love to share with more people and nurture more Champions in the world.

The 3Vs in Presentation

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Albert Mehrabian (born in 1939 to an Armenian family in Iran, currently
the Professor Emeritus of Psychology, UCLA) has become known best for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages. His findings on inconsistent messages of feelings and attitudes have been quoted throughout communication seminars worldwide, and have also become known as the 7%-38%-55% rule.

In his studies, Mehrabian came to two conclusions. First, there are basically three elements in any face-to-face communication:

  • Words/Language (e.g. English, Mandarin, Malay)
  • Tone of voice (e.g. pitch, rate, quality)
  • Non-verbal behaviour (e.g. facial expression, gesture)

Secondly, the non-verbal elements are particularly important for communicating feelings and attitude, especially when they are incongruent. This means if words disagree with the tone of voice and nonverbal behaviour, people tend to believe the tonality and nonverbal behaviour.

Please note emphatically it is not the case that non-verbal elements in all senses convey the bulk of the message, even though this is how his conclusions are frequently misinterpreted. For instance, when delivering a lecture or presentation, the textual content of the lecture is delivered entirely verbally, but the non-verbal cues are very
important in conveying the speakers’ attitude towards what they are saying,
notably their belief or conviction.

Attitudes and Congruence

According to Mehrabian, these three elements account differently for our liking for the person who puts forward a message concerning their feelings. Words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55% of the liking. They
are often abbreviated as the “3 Vs” for Verbal, Vocal & Visual.

For effective and meaningful communication about emotions, these three parts used in expressing the message need to support each other – they have to be “congruent”. In case of any incongruence, the receiver of the message might be irritated by ‘two
messages’ coming from two different channels, giving cues in two different directions.

The following example should help illustrate incongruence in verbal and non-verbal communication.

  • Verbal: “I do not have a problem with you!”
  • Non-verbal: person avoids any eye-contact, looks anxious, has
    a closed body language, etc.

It is more likely that the receiver will trust the predominant form of communication, which according to Mehrabian’s findings is non-verbal (38% + 55%), rather than the literal meaning of the words (7%). This is known as “the 7%-38%-55% rule”.

It is important to say that in the respective study, Mehrabian conducted experiments dealing with communications of feelings and attitudes (i.e., like-dislike) and that the above, disproportionate influence exerted by the tone of voice and body language
becomes effective only when the situation is ambiguous. Such ambiguity appears
mostly when the words spoken are inconsistent with the tone of voice or body
language of the speaker (sender).

Non-verbal communication is usually understood as the process of communicating through sending and receiving wordless (mostly visual) messages – i.e. spoken language is not the only source of communication. There are other means too. Messages can be communicated through gestures and touches (Haptic
communication), by body language or posture, by facial expression and eye contact. Meaning can also be conveyed through object or artifacts (such as clothings, hairstyles or architectural designs).
Speech contains non-verbal elements known as paralanguage, such as voice quality, rate, pitch, volume, and speaking style, as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation and stress. Dance is also regarded as a form of non-verbal communication.

Non-verbal communication is the most important skill that a presenter needs to develop to enhance his speech quality and make it to be easily understood. The results of Prof. Albert Mehrabian’s study shows:

Visual

55%

Vocal

38%

Verbal

7%

During a presentation, a vast amount of information is visually conveyed by your appearance, manner and physical behaviour as you deliver your verbal message. Your body lanuguage is an effective tool for adding emphasis and clarity to your speech. It is the most powerful instrument for convincing an audience of your earnestness, sincerity
and enthusiasm.

However, if your physical actions are distracting or they contradict your verbal message, your body language can rule over your words. Whether your objective is to inform, persuade, entertain, motivate, or inspire, your body language and the personality you project, must be appropriate to what you want to say.

If you want to be a better speaker, you must understand how your body can speak. You must learn how to manage and control your body language.

For more information on how you can be a better communicator or presenter, click and get you copy of Instant Guide for Instant Speakernow.