Move
and gesture. Use your body as expressively as you use your voice.
Research has shown that gesture has a direct and important effect
on speech patterns, facial expression, and even your ability to
remember information and use language creatively. You will almost
invariably think more clearly, look more engaged and speak more
conversationally when you gesture as you read.
This
does not mean that you should contrive movement. It does mean
that it’s extremely important to be certain you move at
least as aggressively as you normally would in a conversation
you care deeply about. Human communication is, at core, the work
of demanding attention. And nothing is more fundamental to your
ability to demand attention than movement and gesture.
VIDEO EXAMPLE
This
live shot features WSB reporter Ross Cavitt. As you watch,
study especially the relationship between his movement and the
way he uses his voice – in the live lead and tag, and in
the standup in the middle of the piece.
Research
also suggests that expressive people are liked better and trusted
more than people who are less expressive. Here are some related
quotes, taken directly from the literature:
The
message that moves between the speaker and hearer includes not
only what comes out of the mouth and goes into the ear but also
what comes out of the hands and goes into the eyes -- we can’t
avoid “hearing” gestures as we hear speech.
Goldin-Meadows,
p. 241
Gesture
reduces cognitive load, making it easier to simultaneously perform
spatial and memory tasks. …It’s clear that gesture
can help free up cognitive resources that can be used elsewhere.
At the very least, we ought to stop telling people not to gesture.
Goldin-Meadows,
p. 246
In
study after study, people say they like expressive children
and adults more than they like their more subdued counterparts.
Feldman,
p. 375
So almost every aspect of your presentation –
including the way you are trusted by viewers – is influenced
by the way you move when you speak.
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