Episode #158: Should I Go Over The Top When I Present

Why do so many business presentations in Japan feel flat and forgettable?

In many boardrooms and online meetings, especially in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo), presenters speak in a narrow range. Voices stay moderate, body language is muted, and gestures are restrained. The result is a monotone delivery that puts audiences to sleep, no matter how good the content is.

At Dale Carnegie’s High Impact Presentations Course, we deliberately ask participants to “go over the top” in controlled exercises. They dramatically increase their voice, body language, and gestures beyond what feels comfortable. While this would be too much for a professional meeting in its raw form, it is a powerful training method to expand each person’s range as a presenter.

Mini-summary:
Most professionals are too restrained on stage. “Over the top” practice is a deliberate method we use to unlock a wider, more engaging presentation style.

“Over the top” does not mean random theatrics. It means going further than your daily conversation level in a way that is congruent with your message, your audience, and your role.

For example, if you are genuinely outraged by a business issue, it is appropriate to show that in your delivery. You may:

• Raise your voice volume at key moments

• Hit certain words harder

• Use strong, aligned body language

• Reinforce your message with clear facial expressions and larger gestures

However, you cannot stay at this high intensity the entire time. Doing so exhausts your audience and quickly reduces impact. Instead, you use short, well-planned bursts—like crescendos in classical music—contrasted with calmer sections, so that the “over the top” moments stand out and are remembered.

Mini-summary:
“Over the top” means going beyond your normal intensity in a way that fits the message, then returning to calm. Contrast is what makes your delivery powerful and credible.

At Dale Carnegie Tokyo, we use daily chorei (morning meeting) to train dynamic body language and voice. Each day a different team member leads the group through our Vision, Mission, Values, a Dale Carnegie principle, a motivational quote, and more—similar to how leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) must communicate consistently.

Two examples:

• Mission Statement Gesture
  When the chorei leader says, “By providing customised business solutions, based on the Dale Carnegie Principles, we exceed our client’s expectations,” everyone thrusts a pointed finger upward on the word “exceed.” This big, unified gesture embeds the feeling of going beyond expectations.

• “10X” Mantra Gesture
  Our mantra is to “10X our thoughts and our actions.” Originally, we crossed our arms with fingers spread to create an X shape. Then one colleague proposed going more over the top: standing with feet wide apart and pushing both arms up and out at 45 degrees, forming a powerful X with the whole body. The movement is dynamic and visually communicates the concept of expanding impact.

These repeated, physical routines train us to break free from the restrictions of everyday polite conversation and build a more energetic “presentation persona” that we then bring into プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), and even DEI研修 (DEI training).

Mini-summary:
Daily chorei with bold gestures and strong voice is a practical way to train “over the top” skills so they feel natural in real presentations.

When you present in a large venue—such as a company-wide meeting for 日本企業 (Japanese companies) or a global town hall for 外資系企業 (multinational companies)—the people in the back may see you as small as a “peanut.” In this situation, subtle is invisible.

To overcome the distance, you need to:

• Use the entire stage: center, left, right, and the front edge

• Project your voice with clear, varied volume and pace

• Employ exaggerated, well-shaped gestures that can be seen from the back row

Combining a key word with a big, decisive gesture amplifies the message dramatically. Hitting a keyword loudly or elongating its pronunciation, while making a strong gesture, cuts through the mental clutter of emails, deadlines, and notifications that normally distract your audience.

Mini-summary:
For large rooms and hybrid events, you must scale up your voice, movement, and gesture. Small gestures and flat tone simply do not reach a big audience.

Can “over the top” showmanship be used with props—without losing credibility?

Yes—when it is congruent with your message and culture, a bit of showmanship can be extremely effective.

In one example from a speech in Japanese in Nagoya, the presenter wanted to emphasize that Australia should focus more on Asia. He reversed a famous Meiji-era slogan, originally “Datsu A Nyu O” (“Leave Asia, enter Europe”), to “Datsu O Nyu A” (“Leave Europe, enter Asia”)—a powerful conceptual twist that Japanese audiences, who studied this phrase in high school, immediately recognized.

The “over the top” element was how the message was revealed:

• The slogan was handwritten in Japanese kanji on a traditional hanging scroll.

• Small weights were attached to the bottom so that, when unfurled, it dropped sharply and made a snapping sound.

This dramatic unfurling of a culturally familiar object, used in an unexpected way by a foreigner, created a memorable, high-impact moment that perfectly supported the message. It was “over the top,” but still respectful and congruent.

Mini-summary:
Props and showmanship work best when they reinforce your core idea and respect cultural context. Then they become memorable business tools, not cheap theatrics.

Here are practical ways to apply “over the top” in プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training):

• Choose specific moments:
  Identify 2–3 key ideas where you will increase volume, slow down, or hit a keyword strongly.

• Use big gestures for big points:
  For critical data, strategic decisions, or calls to action, use larger, cleaner gestures than you would in normal conversation.

• Employ facial expressions intentionally:
  Show real emotion—wonder, surprise, concern, joy, or urgency—when it matches your content.

• Remember “less is more”:
  You do not need fireworks in every sentence. A few well-designed “over the top” moments are much more powerful than continuous high drama.

None of us needs to deliver another “vanilla” presentation that everyone forgets. At the same time, we should avoid unnecessary theatrics. The sweet spot is where your delivery is slightly more intense, more visual, and more emotionally honest than usual—while always aligned with your message and your audience.

Mini-summary:
Use “over the top” techniques sparingly and strategically. A few well-timed peaks in energy can transform your executive presence without sacrificing professionalism.

• Most business presentations in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) are too restrained; expanding your range is essential for impact.

• Controlled “over the top” practice, like our High Impact Presentations Course in 東京 (Tokyo), trains stronger voice, gesture, and presence.

• Daily routines such as chorei can build the habit of dynamic communication that transfers directly into leadership, sales, and DEI-related messaging.

• Strategic bursts of high energy—supported by congruent gestures, expressions, and props—create memorable moments while maintaining executive credibility.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.