Communication
Learning to use rhetorical techniques in presentations is about learning to communicate in the best way possible. Rhetorical techniques allow you to structure your content and use language engagingly and effectively. They make your presentation easier to understand and more memorable. In short, they help you become a better presenter.
Repertoire
There are many rhetorical devices for you to master. Mastering the art of rhetoric is about:
learning, recognising, experimenting – and then practising & practising.
Don’t dismiss a technique just because you don’t like it at first view. Techniques that work well in presentations are not always necessarily ones that we use in day-to-day conversation. Repetition, for example, might feel artificial and inauthentic at first but, with practice, it becomes natural and effective.
So, don’t dismiss a technique before you have experimented with it. Choose one or two techniques and practise them. Have fun in your practice and training. Once you find yourself using the technique and it is part of your presentation repertoire, choose new techniques and experiment with those. You will find yourself building a personal repertoire of techniques that you can draw on for years to come.
Relevance
Your choice of rhetorical techniques must be relevant to your content. A technique that is just used for the sake of using technique can leave the listener perplexed and confused. The listener ceases to engage with your content so that you create the exact opposite of what is desired or intended.
In an assessment, don’t pack in every technique you have ever encountered. You will fail as you will be using techniques just to show you’re using techniques rather than applying them relevantly to drive your content. Success will come from demonstrating that you can use the right technique at the right time and have mastered the art of presentation.
It’s about emphasising certain moments of your presentation, making your message more persuasive and convincing, giving your presentations a punch and making them zing.
Your choice of the relevant technique will ultimately depend on your stage of development, personal preferences and the subject matter of your presentation. Having a whole range of techniques at your fingertips will enhance your performance and leave a lasting impression of you as a skilled presenter.
Evidence
Techniques are not new. They’ve existed for centuries and have been taught for centuries. The tricolon – the Rule of 3 – was used by the Greeks and Romans and has been used successfully by many business leaders and politicians in recent times.
There is lots of evidence that they work and they will work for you too!
Techniques are not rocket science and they are not a hidden secret. They are not just there for Aristotle, Shakespeare and Steve Jobs but are there for all of us to learn, use and enjoy.
Learning techniques will not only give you the power to communicate and persuade successfully but also win hearts and minds and maybe even move mountains.