How do you make a boring update sound engaging?
Try smiling while you deliver it. It shifts your energy and how the room hears you. Record yourself to check how you're coming across.
What I say in the video
I was working with a client this week who had to deliver what they called a "really boring update" to a customer. And when they practiced it, you could see it. They looked bored. And if they looked bored, you know the client was gonna feel the same way.
So what did we try? I simply asked them, can you try smiling while you deliver it? They gave it a shot and it was a total game changer. The energy shifted completely.
Let me show you an example: "This is your project update. Everything's on track." "Here's your project update. Everything's on track." You can see and hear the difference, right?
Now, I'm not saying you should be smiling all the time. That's not always the right move, but it's worth checking. Record yourself during a meeting or with your phone and see how you're coming across. You might be surprised at what you see.
What I didn’t say in the video
A lackluster update usually sounds flat because the person delivering it has already decided it's boring. The audience picks that up from your face before they've taken in a single word.
Smiling isn't about pretending to be excited. It warms up your voice, and it tells the room you're glad to be talking to them. That's often enough to get people to listen to an update they'd otherwise tune out. Recording yourself matters here because most of us have no idea what our face is doing while we talk.
Try it today
Record yourself giving a one-minute update twice, once with a neutral face and once smiling. Watch both back.Bill Smartt is a New York executive presence and public speaking coach and the founder of Smartt Talk. He works with leaders in financial services, tech, advertising and startups.
