[VIDEO] 3 Tips for Using Your Hands During a Speech or Presentation
“What do I do with my hands?”
This is the question I’ve been getting since I began teaching Presentation Skills in 2004. I know what I do: Keep my hands at my side and let the gestures come naturally. I’ve also been presenting at the front of the room for a long time, so I know this habit comes a little more naturally to me than others.
So I tapped former anchorwoman and video pro Kim Brattain to share her suggestions.
Check out my 10-minute (closed captioned) chat with Kim, above. Or scroll down for my 3 favorite tips from our talk.
Three takeaways from my chat on public speaking gestures with Kim Brattain:
Gestures are meant to emphasize; not distract.
It’s only when your gestures are obnoxious or distracting that they become a problem. Think about when you need to use your hands: to emphasize a point or to notate the points your are making in your speech. Be intentional.Use your hands to emphasize your points as you move through them.
In short, count off on your fingers. It may sound basic, but this is useful when speaking to a roomful of adults. Adults need a “road map” whenever taking in information; counting off each point on a finger indicates “we’re moving on.”Be deliberate.
The one gesture that will definitely distract is wildly flailing hands. This is often a side effect of nervousness. Take a breath and don’t let your nervous energy fly out through your limbs. Be deliberate with your movements. This will read as more grounded, and keep your audience focused on your speech - not your lightning-fast gestures.
Kim Brattain is the founder of Kim Brattain Media, a video production company based in Charlotte, NC.
She has been named one of Mecklenburg County’s 50 Most Influential Women and a two-time finalist for Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year. As executive producer, she has won 6 Tellys in the past two years.
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About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I can teach you how to speak with strength and confidence. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and speaking. To learn more, Get in touch.