Lucy, the English Bulldog, has trouble smiling

In the SpeakersTrainingCamp workshops you will often hear me coaching people to smile more. Audiences want their presenters to use a great deal of facial expression. I’ll often have someone who challenges me by asking, “Why should I smile? I’m not saying anything funny?” The reason for smiling is because when you smile you are conveying friendliness toward your audience and enthusiasm for your topic. The audience is reading your face for clues. I’ve noticed that people over 35 years of age often look like they are frowning when their faces are in a neutral position – the natural age lines create shadows on their faces which create a look of anger. It is even more critical that they smile. You can check out your level of friendliness by videotaping your next presentation or watching yourself in a mirror as you practice.