How to Show Your Passion Without Seeming Obsessed

It should come as no surprise that one thing great public speakers have in common is a passion for their topic. Passion is an essential ingredient to a great presentation. Speakers who infuse passion into their presentation are exciting, enthusiastic, and entertaining. That enthusiasm is infectious and entices the audience to want to hear more. If you are one of those people who are naturally passionate and enthusiastic about your subject matter, you might think you have what it takes to wow an audience. However, displaying passion during a presentation can be a little tricky. While it’s great to be passionate, you don’t want to come across as fake or over the top. You have to learn how to maintain the right balance between sounding enthusiastic and sounding obsessed. So, how can you demonstrate your passion while remaining authentic? Let’s consider the following do’s and don’ts of showing passion in a presentation. 

Don’t: Sound Obnoxious

 It’s great to show a little enthusiasm but too much enthusiasm can come across as obnoxious. Engage with your audience by making eye contact, smiling, moving around on stage, and delivering your message confidently. However, avoid yelling at them, forcing your opinion, and displaying over the top antics. People appreciate someone who is excited about their presentation and anxious to share it with others, but too much energy is more likely to annoy the audience than entertain them. 

Do: Share a Personal Story

If you are selling a product, your audience is expecting you to get up and talk about how great it is. However, no matter how enthusiastic you are about the product, they are likely to roll their eyes and assume you are just doing your best to sell it. If you really want your audience to believe in your passion, you have to give them a reason why. Sharing a personal story or experience is a fantastic way to explain your passion. Crafting a compelling narrative will connect with your audience and make your passion seem more authentic.

Don’t: Beat a Dead Horse

Once you have told your audience how you feel about your product or service, you don’t have to keep telling them again and again. It’s one thing to share your passion about something and it’s quite another to keep repeating it over and over. This begins to sound more like an obsession than a passion. Rather, focus on explaining the topic thoroughly in a way that your audience will understand and encourage them to form their own opinion. 

Do: Keep it Short and Sweet

Whenever you are delivering a presentation, put yourself in the shoes of the audience. How long could you stand listening to someone talk about their passion? After a while, you would probably find yourself thinking, “Ok, we get it already!†Your goal should be to deliver your message in a concise, clear manner. Some presenters get so excited about their topic that they go on and on without taking a break, but this can be exhausting to the audience. If you want to win over your audience, keep things short and sweet. 

Don’t: Make It All About You

 It’s great that you have such a passion for your topic but remember that not everyone shares that same interest. Your presentation should be tailored to meet your audience’s needs, NOT to fulfill your own agenda. It’s important to consider what your audience is looking for and give them a chance to ask questions and share their thoughts. 

Do: Be Authentic

It’s true that enthusiasm is infectious and even appreciated by audiences, but if a presenter is over the top it can be a huge turnoff. Even if you are overly excited about your presentation, you want to avoid sounding fake. You want to share your passion while also remaining authentic. Be open and honest, smile, and make an effort to connect with your audience on a personal level.