What should you do with your hands when you are speaking?
There is a lot of misinformation about this subject. Some people advise speakers that they shouldn’t gesture with their hands – that they would seem unprofessional – and many obviously listen. Unfortunately, this is the worst advice any speaker can receive.
Confident, comfortable people always speak while gesticulating. Nervous people rarely ever move their hands.
So, if you want to appear to be confident and comfortable, move your hands.
When you speak to an audience or present to a TV camera you want to appear as natural as if you were speaking to a friend. Take note of your hands next time you do chat passionately to a friend and allow yourself to do same when you next speak publicly.
Moving our hands when we make sounds from our mouth is how we as human beings are programmed!
Allow your hands to make natural movements and relax. If you keep your hands from doing what they do, you’ll tense up through the arms. This tension will then spread to the rest of your body until it reaches your vocal cords.
The result?
A voice that once sounded rich, resonant, energetic and conversational
that now sounds dull, flat, monotone, tense and low in volume.You are bound to fail!
My best advice is to loosely clasp your hands in front of your body and forget about them.
Let them do what they normally do when you talk.
The more passionate you are, the more your hands are likely to start talking.
The more they do, the more expressive and interesting you become!
There is a lot of misinformation about this subject. Some people advise speakers that they shouldn’t gesture with their hands – that they would seem unprofessional – and many obviously listen. Unfortunately, this is the worst advice any speaker can receive.
Confident, comfortable people always speak while gesticulating. Nervous people rarely ever move their hands.
So, if you want to appear to be confident and comfortable, move your hands.
When you speak to an audience or present to a TV camera you want to appear as natural as if you were speaking to a friend. Take note of your hands next time you do chat passionately to a friend and allow yourself to do same when you next speak publicly.
Moving our hands when we make sounds from our mouth is how we as human beings are programmed!
Allow your hands to make natural movements and relax. If you keep your hands from doing what they do, you’ll tense up through the arms. This tension will then spread to the rest of your body until it reaches your vocal cords.
The result?
A voice that once sounded rich, resonant, energetic and conversational
that now sounds dull, flat, monotone, tense and low in volume.You are bound to fail!
My best advice is to loosely clasp your hands in front of your body and forget about them.
Let them do what they normally do when you talk.
The more passionate you are, the more your hands are likely to start talking.
The more they do, the more expressive and interesting you become!