Make Your Communication Energy Contagious

Have you ever watched a passionate speaker and felt energized yourself?

Don’t just chalk that up to stirring words and deliberate tactics. Research suggests that the transfer of energy from a speaker to an audience is part of a psychological phenomenon known as emotional contagion (EC).

The theory of EC suggests we unconsciously “mimic” the emotions of people we’re paying attention to, including their facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. That physical mirroring can shift listeners into feeling what the speaker feels, including joy, sadness, or anger.

EC may resemble empathy, but researchers describe it more as a cognitive process of mirroring and synchronization than an intentional act of care.

Author Malcolm Gladwell describes how emotions and emotional contagion work in different directions, “Emotion goes inside-out. Emotional contagion, though, suggests that the opposite is also true. If I can make you smile, I can make you happy. If I can make you frown, I can make you sad. Emotion, in this sense, goes outside-in.”

EC provides speakers with a powerful engagement tool. And the more deliberately you use it, the more powerful it becomes, so here are specific ways to make your mood matter.

Make your stories emotionally sticky.

We have all been moved by a movie’s tragic or triumphant scenes. But if characters don’t react, neither does the audience.

The same applies to stories told by speakers. The narratives may be inspiring, but their emotional impact will be limited if you don’t convey how those moments felt.

Use your voice, posture, gestures, volume, and pauses to convey those emotions, and try to deliver them honestly, not performatively.

“‘Acting out’ emotions isn’t the same as conveying authentic ones,” explains public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite. “If you’re truly moved by your content and your emotional conviction is genuine, your audience will experience it that way. Performing or contriving emotion, however, can leave them feeling manipulated.”

Choose emotional language. Words matter too. Using evocative and emotionally charged language primes your audience’s emotional response, making them more receptive to the mood you want to set. Even small shifts in vocabulary can change how a message lands.

“Audiences do more than listen—they mirror. When one person nods, others nod, and emotion spreads faster than logic,” says public speaking coach, keynote speaker, and 2018 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking Ramona J. Smith. “As a speaker, I’ve learned to use emotional contagion as a tool. When you use it well, your message doesn’t only land, it multiplies.”

Use energy as an amplifier.

Research demonstrates that a quiet, monotone delivery dulls the EC impact, while an engaged, energetic delivery amplifies it.

Great storytellers, speakers, leaders, and Toastmasters speech contestants may have never heard of EC, but they know their energy and emotions don’t just keep the audience awake. They inspire feelings, thoughts, and actions.

Convey positivity.

If mood is contagious, feelings like anxiety, nervousness, and anger can be transmitted regardless of the words we say.

Imagine a job interview in which a qualified candidate appears anxious or defensive. The interviewer will likely pick up on those feelings, which may impact their decision.

I once worked with an executive who often expressed anger about the challenges his organization was committed to overcoming. By increasing his enunciation, slowing his rate, and inserting pauses, he was able to reframe that anger as determination and commitment to the solution. As a result, he inspired audiences rather than enraging or frightening them.

As a presentation coach, I’ve seen firsthand how a speaker’s feelings become contagious in their audience, whose wide eyes, responsive laughter, and rapt attention demonstrate the power of those feelings.

Don’t waste the opportunity to show your audience how passionate you are. Emotional energy spreads—and this is one fever your audience will welcome.

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