Chapter 14 Delivering Presentations 417Incorporating Facial Expressions and Gestures
Have you ever seen a cartoon in which a character’s face contorts with the jaw
dropping to the floor or the eyes bugging out? The animator certainly gets the
point across—this character is either entirely surprised or seriously confused.
Your facial expressions, although not as exaggerated as those of a cartoon char-
acter, serve a similar purpose: they let your audience know when your words
arouse fear, anger, happiness, joy, frustration, or other emotions. The critical
factor is that your expressions must match the verbal message that you are
sending in your speech. As a competent communicator, you are unlikely to
smile when delivering a eulogy—unless you are recounting a particularly funny
or endearing memory about the deceased.
Like facial expressions, gestures amplify the meaning of your speech.
Clenching your fist, counting with your fingers, and spreading your hands far
apart to indicate distance or size all reinforce or clarify your message. What is
most important is that your gestures are appropriate and natural. So if you want
to show emotion but you feel awkward putting your hand over your heart, don’t
do it; your audience will be able to tell that you feel uncomfortable.
Controlling Body Movements
In addition to eye behavior, facial expressions, and gestures, your audience can’t
help but notice your body. In most speaking situations you encounter, the best
way to highlight your speech content is to restrict your body movements so that
the audience can focus on your words. Consider, for example, your posture, or
the position of your arms and legs and how you carry your body. Generally, when
a speaker slumps forward or leans on a podium or desk, rocks back and forth, or
paces forward and backward, the audience perceives the speaker as unpolished
and listeners’ attention shifts from the message to the speaker’s body movements.
How do you prevent such movements from happening, particularly if you’re
someone who fidgets when nervous? One useful technique is called planting.
Stand with your legs apart at a distance that is equal to your shoulders. Bend your
knees slightly so that they do not lock. From this position, you are able to gesture
freely, and when you are ready to move, you can take a few steps, replant, and
continue speaking. The key is to plant following every movement that you make.
Connecting with Your Audience
It is through vocal and visual delivery that speakers are able to interact with their
audiences—that’s what makes public speaking different from just writing a good
presentation. When you compose an essay, you write it and it goes off to the
reader; it’s a linear model of communication (as discussed in Chapter 1). But
speaking before an audience is more than just providing information through
words; it’s an interaction between speaker and audience.
Indeed, gifted speakers like Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were always
aware of this and became known for their ability to deliver even the most for-
mal speeches in a style that felt conversational, personal, and connected. That’s
because both were able to use their words, voices, and gestures to convey the way
they felt about a subject. They also spoke directly to their audiences in a way that