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Have you ever considered the language your face and body are speaking when you address an audience? Facial expression and body language are two components of colorful speaking that can have a tremendous effect on your audience no matter what your voice is saying. When I was teaching at the Ivey School of Business in London, Canada, one of my students tested that theory to its very core. She stood perfectly still, never moving a muscle. Her face showed no emotion, one way or the other. While her voice had some variety in speaking, her lack of any body language was telling the class a different story. In essence, this young lady looked bored and thus, the class was less than enthusiastic about her material. Even the smallest movement is better than an immobile, static posture – if you do not move, your audience will. However, when you speak to an audience, you should not move just for the sake of movement. Your facial expression and body language is a reinforcement of what you are saying just as it would be were you talking to colleagues at the water cooler or to friends in your living room or at your child’s soccer game. This is where the video camera is so important. You do not know how you look to others until you see yourself in action. If you can record yourself while presenting, you will have a true picture of how you look and sound to your audience. You may discover that you play with your hair or your glasses. Or maybe you are a man and you play with the change in your pockets! Perhaps you rock from side to side or pace from one end of the stage to the other. You may tap your foot out of nervousness. The list can go on and on. It is even possible that your expression is too much, that you are ‘over the top,’ so to speak. Actors often use large gestures to convey their character on a stage. You are not an actor but one whose job is to communicate with an audience; therefore, your body language and facial expression should be similar to what you would do in conversation, not what you would do if you were performing in a play. - People often ask me, “What do I do with my hands in public speaking?” My response is, “What do you do when you are talking to your friends or family?”
Your face and body language can do so much to enhance the vocal variety in your voice. Don’t ignore this most important aspect of color when addressing an audience. The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skillsas well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, visit Voice Dynamic or watch a brief video as The Voice Lady describes Dynamic Public Speaking.
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