Effective
Presentations: Let Your Body Do The Talking
Gestures
are
an integral part of effective presentaions. Rather
than standing on the platform like a stuffed dummy,
powerful public speakers know how to use their hands,
eyes, and body movements to add power to the spoken
word.
Here
are five
suggestions
on how to use the body for effective presentaions:
1.
Descriptive Gestures
Use
descriptive gestures - gestures
that describe size, shape, distance,
location, etc.
Descriptive
gestures produce two major benefits:
2.
Emphatic Gestures
Use
emphatic gestures - gestures that
stress a key point, key word, or phrase.
Using
the hands or fingers to point or in some other way
emphasize a key thought should come naturally throughout
the presentation.
One
caution: be careful a particular emphatic
gesture doesn't become a mannerism. If done too
often it loses its power.
You
may need a friend or partner in attendance to look
out for it and alert
you
if the gesture is becoming too frequent. Or video
the presentation, play it back, and become your
own critic, watching out for detracting mannerisms
you may be unaware of when in front of an audience.
3.
Express Enthusiasm
Expressing
enthusiasm through an animated
delivery
with a variety of facial expressions, gestures,
and voice pitch contributes a great deal to effective
public speaking.
Enthusiasm
doesn't mean a speaker has to jump around all over
the platform. But through the feeling, intensity,
and expressiveness of your presentation, the audience
will walk out of there feeling conviction,
glad they were there.
4.
Vary Enthusiasm
One
caution with enthusiasm - don't carry it
on a high level all the way through your presentation.
This will leave the audience feeling exhausted and
detract from the effectiveness of your presentation.
There
has to be a reason for your enthusiasm relative
to the material. Match your enthusiasm with
the points you want to stand out. If everything
is presented at the same level of enthusiasm nothing
stands out. The impact loses its impact!
5.
Use Your Eyes
Our
eyes
reveal much
about us. If a speaker fails to look directly at
the audience he or she may appear unsure, lacking
in confidence, even lacking in conviction and sincerity.
So
practice good visual contact with your audience
to be effective in public speaking. This includes
looking
around
the body of the audience, not just fixing your eyes
in one particular place.
In
addition to browsing and scanning the audience,
look at an individual and get
eye contact
for a few seconds and talk directly to that person.
Then do the same with another individual in another
section of the audience. Do this regularly during
your presentation.
Mastering
this skill will not only engage the attention of
the audience but it will provide you with valuable
feedback on how your presentation is being
received as you take note of the expressions on
the faces of those you are speaking to.
A
truly animated delivery will set you apart
as a public speaker. If you are alive with your
subject as reflected in your body movements, gestures,
facial expressions and eye contact, you will have
the audience focused on everything you say. That's
what effective presentations are made of!
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Presentation Skills For Powerful Delivery
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