Public Speaking

Develop Effective Mannerisms (^189)
• Step back slightly or drop your hands from the podium to signal a transition.
• During one rehearsal, focus on your gestures and practice them until they seem natu-
ral. Avoid holding your elbows close to your body as you gesture.
• When possible, video a rehearsal and watch yourself with the sound turned off.
Analyze when and how you use your hands and arms to make effective points, and
when and how your movements are meaningless. Practice what to do with your
hands when you are not gesturing.
Displaying Emotion
Facial expressions are especially useful in conveying feelings such as disgust and con-
tempt (appropriate for a topic such as the blood diamond industry) or humor and
delight (appropriate for an awards speech). Posture can show confidence and pride or
sadness and defeat (just look at the winning and losing benches on a sports team). Here
are some tips for showing emotion:
• Maintain pleasant facial expressions. You don’t have to smile all the time, but it’s
important to show a friendly attitude toward your audience.
• Even if you don’t feel confident, you can look and act it. Stand tall; relax; hold your
head erect and look directly at the audience.
• Put yourself into the right emotional attitude toward your material and the occasion.
For example, if you want your audience to get excited about an idea, you get excited
about it. If you want them to be disgusted, you be disgusted. On a ceremonial occa-
sion, be happy; in a serious problem-solving meeting, be serious.
Avoiding Nervous Mannerisms
Bodily movements can betray your nervousness or stress. You might be tempted to fidget
with your hair, bite your lip, or scratch your face. Or you might twist your ring or tap
your note cards against the podium. Finally, you might use a gesture in a way that cuts
you off from your audience—like folding your arms across your chest during intense
questioning. These gestures suggest you are subconsciously protecting yourself against
the perceived psychological threat of the questioner. To minimize nervous gestures:
• Watch a video of yourself rehearsing, noting any nervous mannerism you use and
then plan specific ways to avoid them. Or rehearse in front of some friends and ask
them to list your movements that betray a lack of confidence. Discuss with them
ways to improve.
• On speech day, eliminate the temptation to fidget. For example, if you typically twirl
a pen, don’t take one to the podium with you. If you constantly flip your hair out of
your eyes, secure it somehow.
• On your speaking outline, write cues such as DON’T SCRATCH, if that is your
habit.
• Be especially aware of your body language, especially during a question-and-answer
period. Work to maintain an open body position, and avoid crossing your arms defen-
sively, even if the questioning becomes pointed.

Make Eye Contact

In the United States, the phrase “Look me in the eye and say that” is partly premised

on the cultural notion that people won’t lie if they’re looking at you. Here, eye contact

communicates that you are friendly, honest, dynamic, extroverted, and approachable;

purposely avoiding another’s gaze generally signals a lack of interest.^25 This concept

transfers to public speaking where the audience forms impressions of you based on your

eye contact. Eye contact also helps you know if your audience is confused or bored, so

you can adjust your speech accordingly.

eye contact looking audi-

ences in the eye; commu-

nicates friendliness in the

United States

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