Oxygen: Body Language

Monday, April 15, 2013

Body Language

Here's how you can incorporate appropriate body language into your speeches:

Start with eye contact. Being Prepared- having control of your message- is a prerequisite for being able to project and estabilish a bond with the audience. Dont just pass your gaze throughout the room; try to focus on individual listeners and create a bond with them by looking them directly in the eyes for five to 10 seconds.

Express emotion with your facial muscles. For inspiration, take a look at the The Human Face, a BBC documentary narrated by john Cleeseof monty Python fame, now available on DVD.
Avoid distracting mannerisms- have a friend watch as you practice and look for nervous expressions such as fidgeting, twitching, lip biting, key jingling, hands in pocket or behind the back.
Telling a story? Highight the action verbs and look forways to act out pne or more parts. Speaking about marathon running? Run a few steps.
Stay true to your personality. Dont copy gestures from a book or other speaker, but respond naturally to whatyou feel and say.
Make Gestures convincing. Every hand gesture should be total body movementthat starts from theshoulders- never from the elbow. Half-hearted gestre look artificial.
Vary your speaking position by moving from one spot on the stage as you move to a new topic or move toward the audiencce as you ask a question.

Body Language

Here's how you can incorporate appropriate body language into your speeches:

Start with eye contact. Being Prepared- having control of your message- is a prerequisite for being able to project and estabilish a bond with the audience. Dont just pass your gaze throughout the room; try to focus on individual listeners and create a bond with them by looking them directly in the eyes for five to 10 seconds.

Express emotion with your facial muscles. For inspiration, take a look at the The Human Face, a BBC documentary narrated by john Cleeseof monty Python fame, now available on DVD.
Avoid distracting mannerisms- have a friend watch as you practice and look for nervous expressions such as fidgeting, twitching, lip biting, key jingling, hands in pocket or behind the back.
Telling a story? Highight the action verbs and look forways to act out pne or more parts. Speaking about marathon running? Run a few steps.
Stay true to your personality. Dont copy gestures from a book or other speaker, but respond naturally to whatyou feel and say.
Make Gestures convincing. Every hand gesture should be total body movementthat starts from theshoulders- never from the elbow. Half-hearted gestre look artificial.
Vary your speaking position by moving from one spot on the stage as you move to a new topic or move toward the audiencce as you ask a question.

Oxygen