Eight great public speaking tips!

In my experience, 95% of speakers under gesture, which makes them appear uncomfortable, overly formal and stiff.  It can also lead to many yawns in the audience.

For novice presenters, gestures are at the bottom of the to-do list because many speakers simply want to survive the speech. They are primarily focused on their verbal flow. However, those who are a bit more advanced in public speaking are aware that they should be gesturing as they typically do when having a one-on-one conversation with a peer.

What happens then? Why do so few speakers gesture naturally when they present? I call it the cartoon factor. When people are in the spotlight, they FEEL like a small gesture looks big and goofy. It’s not true, of course. When I train businesspeople, they get to watch their own presentation on video, and they are amazed at how small those seemingly “big” gestures appear to the audience. Thinking gets warped when you are in the spotlight. Just as a two-second pause on stage feels like an eternity, a small gesture on stage feels huge.

Compound this false sense with the fact that most speakers would far prefer to look conservative and boring over flamboyant and goofy; and you now understand why people look like talking statues when they present.

What to do?

1.  Be aware that to gesture properly, you will probably FEEL a bit cartoony, but you will not appear that way to your audience.

2. Video your presentation, so that you can SEE what looks natural from the outside.

3. Keep in mind that the larger the group, the larger the gestures must become to create your presence.

4. Study a bit on body language and gestures.  Many warn against over-prepping your gestures because you can look robotic or too slick.  In my experience, that is hardly the problem with presenters.  Most speakers have torsos and arms that simply look petrified.

5. When you rehearse your speech, look in the mirror, and imagine that you are simply talking to a friend.  Watch how your hands move.

6. Avoid keeping your hands on the podium. In fact, get out from behind the podium.

7. Avoid the T-REX position with your arms.  So many speakers only extend their forearms throughout their entire presentation – keeping their upper arms glued to the sides.  After a while it looks funny, like a T-REX.  They subconsciously do this because of the cartoon factor.

8. Remember, people hate to be bored, so show some zeal.  Do try to avoid clapping your hands over your head though, because that would be cartoony.

There you have it, eight great public speaking tips on gestures.  I encourage you to leave a comment.

Public Speaking and Movement

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Here is an advanced tip for anyone who presents multiple awards to a large group.

The next time you attend a graduation or awards ceremony, watch and notice…usually the presenter is on a tight agenda; so she requests “everyone please hold your applause until the last award recipient is named.” This request is usually made when there is a large number of recipients for the same award, for example, perfect attendance.  Here is what almost always happens: the first name is called, and there is an awkward pause followed by few people clapping; the second name is called and about half the audience applauds, the third name is announced and everyone claps.  From that point on, the presenter pauses after each name to allow for applause.  Now, she is running into the next presenter’s time on the agenda.

This happens at almost every awards banquet and graduation. Here are the mistakes and how to avoid them:

Mistake 1:  Weak verbal request. What makes it weak?  It is not followed by a pause. In addition, it is articulated far too quickly. Finish your previous point, pause and slow your rate of speech. In a loud and clear voice state, “To stay on target with our timing, I will be announcing 12 recipients for this award . . .  PLEASE . . . HOLD . .  YOUR . . . APPLAUSE until the last name is announced.”

Mistake 2: Poor placement of the request. This request will not work if you say anything else before announcing the recipients. An example of this mistake: “Please hold your applause until the final name is announced. All these people have 100% attendance in their programs of study; the first award goes to David Adams . . .”  The secret is to make the request and immediately launch right into the names.

Mistake 3: The awkward pause after the first name is announced. If you pause too long after your first announcement, there will be an awkward silence followed by a weak sputtering of clapping, which has that popcorn sound. Here’s the key. You asked them to hold applause until the end, now you must read the names fluidly with only a minor pause between them.

Mistake 4: Not responding to applause. If the audience does applaud, you need to immediately stop and restate your request “I love your enthusiasm, but . . . PLEASE . . . HOLD . . . YOUR . . . APPLAUSE . . .until the end”.

There it is. I’ve seen it done right on rare occasion, but when these mistakes are avoided, the event runs far more smoothly. You avoid awkwardness and keep within your time constraints. Next time you attend an awards banquet or graduation, check in with us, and tell us whether you witnessed these all-to-common mistakes.

Frank

How to get applause.

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