The three important steps for perfect body language when giving a public speech.
There are no simple rules for how you should stand, where your hands should be, what you should look like, or how to dress for a speech. However, you need to achieve three things to support the message of your speech.
Sandy Linver addresses three particular areas in her book “Speak and Get Results”: They need to convey authority, energy and closeness to the audience. Authority means that you look and sound as if you have something to say on the subject. Energy means that the audience knows and feels that the subject matter is important to you. Closeness to the audience should encourage you to integrate them into the presentation so that they feel as a part of the speech.
How do you convey authority?
There are three ways to use your body language effectively as a means to an end:
Visual impression – The clothes you choose in the morning of the day will have a big impact on how your audience perceives you. Do you look like an expert in your field? If you talk business about business matters, you should pay particular attention to that. If you’re talking about social media and Web 2.0, you might be able to show up with a slightly different dress style. If you speak to Greenpeace members, or a movement for workers, a suit could convey a false image.
Physical Impression– Feet shoulder-wide apart, body balanced, gestures that support the basic idea of the speech, walking during breaks – Most importantly, there’s nothing about your movements to distract listeners from your speech (you shouldn’t look as if you`re about to fall forward, or suddenly develop an incredible interest in the keys in your trouser pockets).
Voice Impression – There are five qualities that make a good speaker’s voice
- Breathing – relaxed, deep breathing gives you a stable appearance
- Articulation – open your mouth and speak clearly, no murmuring and no “filler words” (uhm, uh, ehm, …)
- Lowering pitch – In all human languages we go down with the tone of our voice at the end of the sentence – only when we ask a question do we raise our voice. Often nervousness will drive you to sentences like “THIS is the best business school in the world” with a raised pitch in the word “world”. This turns the sentence into “THIS is the best business school in the world??”.
- Pauses – Use 3-8 seconds of pauses at key moments – before important arguments or after a story – to better engage the audience in the speech.
- Projection and resonance – make sure you use your complete membrane – chest and lungs just like mouth and nose – feel the vibrations in your chest? A voice that comes from the upper body rather than the nose will reach even the back rows in the audience with great effect.
Energy and Power
It’s simple – you just have to look as if the subject you’re talking about really really matter to you.You got to burn for the topic you preach and teach! If the speaker doesn’t burn for the content of his/her speech, it becomes impossible for the audience to follow the speech with passion.
Closeness to the audience
Many signals from the audience reach the speaker during the speech. You can see whether people are engaged or not. You can hear if parts of the audience have lost interest and are talking about other things, for example. Normally, a quick glance in that direction, combined with a short break, can tell them that you are still in the room and that you care about the audience.
Engaging the audience with questions, rhetorical questions or just a close look into their eyes make them feel like a part of your speech.
About the author of this article:
Etienne Dubach stays a lot in Barcelona but works internationally.
He is a versatile and passionate coach, personality developer and author.
With over 1000 training days and 12 years of communication studies, he brings a wealth of experience and broad repertoire into all of his seminars.
Find out more about Etienne HERE.
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