NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

An audience will consider the messenger before considering the message. They want evidence that the speaker is sincere, honest, interested, confident, and in control. A good speaker will dress at least as well as the best-dressed member of the audience and will always face the audience while speaking.

On stage, good speakers are the focus of attention; they are their own most important visual aid. They use gestures to clarify and dramatize ideas. In fact, gesturing will help dissipate nervous energy. Types of gestures include:

 suggest inspiration, uplift, and emotion.

 display sadness, apathy, or condemnation.

 suggest serenity and calm.

 underline the words being spoken.

 help the audience visualize an object or concept.

 are useful in evoking a response. For example, after asking a question, the speaker will raise a hand to prompt the audience to do the same.

Gesturing should be practiced all the time so that it becomes a habit. Gestures should come naturally, although on stage presenters need to reach beyond their normal comfort zones. Just as they raise their voices to be heard at a distance, so too must they extend and exaggerate their gestures.

How and when to move about is another puzzle for would-be presenters. Movement always attracts audience attention, so it should not be haphazard. The presenter should never move without a reason. Stepping forward indicates arriving at a key point while stepping backwards allows the audience to relax after a point has been concluded. Lateral movements, such as walking across the stage, indicate transitions.