Listening to speaker with limited eye contact, a deadpan face and few gestures is as exciting as listening to the motor of a vacuum cleaner. But contrast the speaker who makes eye contact with the audience, smiles warmly and gives meaning to the topic through gestures and body language. That is an engaging speaker!
Even if you aren't a professional speaker, paying attention to your "visual presentation" in conversation is important! Do you make eye contact with the listener? Do you use your eyes, eyebrows and mouth to express your meaning? Or does your face suggest boredom and disinterest? Are your hands close to your sides, wide open or constantly moving out of nervous habit?
Some of us need to learn to enlarge our gestures and facial expression while others of us need to tone them down a bit. Here are a few suggestions for gesturing effectively whether you have an audience of one person or 100:
1. Minimize distracting gestures. Using your hands non-purposefully while talking is one of the biggest problems. If your hands are constantly moving, sit on them to keep still. This will help you get used to minimizing your gestures. Other habits that are distracting may be fixing your tie, pushing back your hair, facial ticks, swaying back and forth, etc. All of these can be eliminated with a little effort.
2. Let your body respond naturally to what you are thinking and feeling. The times that we feel most passionately about a topic are the times when our body movements are most natural. But you can bring natural movements into even the most mundane conversations. Raised eyebrows and expressive smiles are just a few sincere expressions.
3. Use your fingers when listing points. Successful speakers use gestures and words together to convey meaningful messages. For example, use two fingers to express two things. Point to a body part when you speak about listening or thinking. Look for other gestures that help to accentuate your message.
4. Use facial expression to express sincerity and a positive attitude. A warm smile, raised eye brows and head nods can help to express sincerity and warmth.
5. Make eye contact when you speak. In order to involve your listeners and let them know you are speaking to them personally and directly, you must look them in the eye. Failure to make eye contact may imply disinterest and a lack of confidence, sincerity and trust.
Take a few moments to observe others. What gestures do they use effectively in conversation or during presentations? The ability to communicate ideas through gestures and facial expressions will enhance your effectiveness as a speaker.
