Gestures

From "THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING"
Third Edition of Stephen E. Lucas
Page 244-245(Part Four Presenting the Speech)

Few aspects of delivery seem to cause students more anguish than deciding what to do with their hands. "Should I clasp them behind my back? Let them hang at my sides? Put them in my pockets? Rest them on the lectern? And what about gesturing? What should I do that---and how?"Even people who normally use their hands expressively in everyday converstion seem to regard them as awkward appplenages when speaking before an audience.

Over the years, more nonsense has been written about gesturing than about any other aspect of speech delivery. Adroit gestures can add to the impact of a speech; but there is nothing to the popular notion that public speakers must have a vast repertiore of graceful gestures. Some accomplished speakers gesture frequently; other hardly at all. The promary rule is this: Whatever gestures you make should not draw attention to themselves and distract from your message. They should appear natural and spontaneuos, help to clarify or reinforces your ideas, and and be suited to the audience and occasion.

At this stage of your speaking career, you have many more important things to concentrate on than how to gesture. Gesturing tends to work itself out as you acquire experience and confidence. In the meantime, make sure your hands do not upstage your ideas. Avoid flailing them about, writinging them together, cracking your knukcles, or toying with your rings. Once you have eeliminated these distractions, forget about your hands. Think about communicating with your listeners, and your gestures will probably take care of themselves---just as they do in conversation.

Bodily Action

From "THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING"
Third Edition of Stephen E. Lucas
Page 244(Part Four Presenting the Speech)

Novice Speakers are often unsure what to do with their bodies while giving a speech. Some pace nonstop back and forth across the podium, frearing that if they stop, they will forget everything. Others are perpetual-motion machines, constantly shifting their weight from one foot to the other, bobbing their shoulders, fidgeting with their notes, or jingling coins in their pockets. Still others turn into statues, standing rigid and expressionless from the beginning to end.

Such quirks usually stem nervousness. If you are prone to distracting manerisms, your teaher will identify them so you can work on controlling them in later speeches. With a little concentration, these manerisms should disapear as you become more comfortable speaking in front of an audience.

As important as how you act during the speech is what you do just before you begin and after you finish. As you rise to speak, try to appear calm, poised, and confident, despite the butterflies in your stomach. When you reach the lectern, don't lean on it, and don't rush into your speech. Give yourself time to get set. Arrange yuor notes just the way you want them. Stand quietly as you wait to make sure the audience is paying attention. Establish eyes contact with your listeners. Then--and only then--should you start to talk.

When you reach the end of your speech, maintain eye contact for a few moments after you stop talking. This will give your closing line time to sink in. Unless you are staying at the lectern to answer questions, collect your notes and return to your seat. As you do so, maintain your cool, collected demeanor. Whatever you do, don't start to gather your notes before you have finished talking; and don't cap off your speech with a huge sigh of relief or some remark like "Whew! Am I glad that's cover!"

All of this advice is common sense, yet you would be surprised how many people need it. When practicing your sppeeches, spend a litlle time rehearsing how you will behave at the beginning and at the end. It is probably the easiest--and one of the most effective--things you can do to impprove your image with an audience.