Public Speaking tip #14 – Body Language

People will have made up their minds about you before you even open your mouth to speak.

Don’t let yourself down with bad body language.

Your audience may have made up their minds about you before you even say a word. It’s all about body language.

TRANSCRIPT;
Body language in public speaking is every bit as important as what you have to say.

You can have the most powerful well crafted talk prepared but if you delivery it without visually commanding your audience you’re doomed to failure.

BL is so important in fact that your audience has often made up their minds about you before you’ve even uttered a word.

It’s about how you look, how you dress, how you take to the stage, your posture, your presence.

So once you’ve prepared your winning address take time to make sure you project the right body image.

What don’t you do – take to the stage like your walking to the gallows, shoulders slumped and chest caved in. Walk to the podium with energy and a smile like you really want to be there – shoulders back and stand tall;.

The 2nd no no is avoiding eye contact – we’ve all seen them speakers who talk only to their notes. to the floor, the back of the room or their powerpoint slides – never the audience.

Eye contact is the most powerful weapon in building trust with your audience.

don’t create a barrier or wall between you and your audience – things like standing with arms crossed, wringing your hands church steepling your fingers are all barriers to building a rapport and trust with your audience. If you don’t know what to do with your hands just try to keep them by your sides with occasional appropriate gestures.

Don’t be rooted to the spot If you’re on a stage try to make use of it move away from the lecture to make a major point – remember like it or not you are giving a performance don’t be a statute.

Work on your gestures the right hand movements at the right time can send a powerful message.

Do not relate negatively to your audience – you’ve seen it – someone is asking a question and half way through the speaker begins nodding impatiently as if to say hurry up my turn, pointing a rigid finger at the next questioner. looking down at the floor while considering an answer. These factors all add up to a speaker who’d rather be somewhere else. The audience is lost.

Also don’t be caught doing unnecessary things – hand in pocket jingling keys while talking, repeatedly throwing and catching a piece of chalk into the air, twirling with a pen. All annoying and distracting.

Put your audience first – see your talk as a performance, be passionate and watch the body language.

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