Guidelines for Gesturing
When You Speak in Public

During the numerous individual speech coaching sessions I have conducted for clients--such as Gillette, Procter & Gamble, Duracell, Worldwide, Inc., and Aivant, based in Germany--I have heard one question repeatedly:

"How should I gesture when I give a speech?"

Usually, the questioner goes on to say: "I feel awkward enough just trying to remember my speech. Then the tension escalates when I realize that my audience members are watching my movements as well as my words."

I understand the uneasiness. I experienced it myself during my first years of making presentations. As a manager who conducted staff meetings, trained volunteers, and presided over corporate functions, I fretted over my discomfort.

Eventually, I discovered seven guidelines for gestures that worked for me, and now for my coaching clients. I'm glad to share them.

One: Never plan or can a gesture

Speakers who plan or can gestures, rehearse them, and then insert them at the time they seemingly fit their message will resemble robots. They will appear rigid, inflexible, and out of touch with the audience.

Would you consider planning a gesture for a one-on-one conversation? Of course not. You just let gestures happen. You gesture when a hand or arm motion expresses your mood.

Follow that approach when you face an audience. Listeners will consider you genuine and likable.

Two: Check videotape to eliminate annoying gestures

Three years ago I watched videotapes of four one-hour speeches I had given for a client. Much to my amazement, I noticed a gesture that I wasn't aware of at all--not terribly offensive as a one-time motion, but it became very annoying when I did it over and over. Soon I eliminated the problem.

Three: Use gestures approriate for you

Yes, we have opportunities to watch highly animated speakers who gesture with captivating vitality--candidate Barack Obama, evangelist Joel Osteen, marketing expert Terry Brock, newscaster Kiran Chetry, and success guru Tony Robbins. We think, "If that works for him or her, I'll adopt that pattern."

You'd be just as mistaken to try to copy those speakers' fingerprints. Gestures emerge from an individual's personality and communication style. Follow Ralph Waldo Emerson's advice: "Imitation is suicide. I must be myself."

Four: Gesture visibly enough for large audiences

Adjust the range of your gestures to match your audience size. A gesture you use for a staff meeting of twelve people would hardly catch attention with an audience of 500, much less have impact.

Five: Limit your gestures for television interviews

To stick within the camera range, gesture close to your face. Otherwise, you could exceed the lens boundaries.

Six : Put your best face forward

With facial expressions, it's important that you relax enough to enable your face muscles to correspond with the mood you are feeling Here again, videotape helps. You'll learn that a spontaneous smile helps your audience enjoy your humorous comments.

Seven: Move away from the leactern or podium

There's a tendency to hold on to a lectern or podium with the same tenacity of a drowning man holding a life preserver. We fear letting go. What would happen if we drifted away?

Just this--walking away to another spot frees you to gesture. Even when I deliver convention keynote speeches, I ask my host to provide a small table for my materials and remove the lectern. Ordinarily I wander away from the table about five minutes into my speech, roaming the audience.

Try these seven gesture guidelines. You will enjoy speaking more, and your audiences will love to listen--and watch you.

You can get additional speaking guidelines by ordering my audio CD, How to Become a Dynamic Speaker! and my book, The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication, Change Your Life! at my online store .

Bill Lampton, Ph.D., helps organizations strengthen their communication, motivation, customer service, and sales, through his speeches, seminars, and executive coaching. His prestigious client list includes the Ritz-Carlton Cancun, Celebrity Cruises, Duracell, Missouri Bar, and Gillette. Visit his Web site to contact him and to subscribe to his complimentary monthly E-mail newsletter: http://www.ChampionshipCommunication.com. You can also visit Dr. Lampton's new video blog

Some Related Articles:

Seven Ways For Making the Most of Your Voice
Why Do You Talk With Your Hands?
Body Language Tips From the Presidential Debates
Help for an Excessively Loud Voice
What You Say Without Speaking
Help for a Shaky Voice
How to Be More Charismatic When You Speak
For Better Body Language: Put First Things First

Search for further content on the topic of your choice:

Home   Effective Communication Skills  Business Communication   Resource Guide    About Azriel