In a school of jellyfish, what attracts your attention to one in particular?
The way you use your body (and any tentacles that may be attached) will help attract your audience's attention and make sure that they listen to what you have to say.
Visual Impressions
One of the features of Western Society, whether we like it or not, is that we tend to make instant judgments about people according to what they are wearing. This means that as soon as you stand in front of the class, your audience has decided whether or not your are a credible speaker who is worth listening to. Paying careful attention to the way you look will pay off in the long run. For further discussion of the role of grooming see 'Hair'.
If you do not know what to wear it is often best to err on the side of dressing conservatively. Try to choose classic styles which are not too revealing. If you wear clothes that are outlandish or modish you will find that the audience is thinking about what you're wearing rather than listening to what you have to say. Recent studies suggest that people who are wearing dark colours are more likely to be seen as more authoritative and professional (See Cheryl Hamilton's Essentials of Public Speaking, page 229 for more details). Think about how many politicians you see who wear black, dark grey, or navy suits. They do this for a reason--these colours foster respect in their audiences. They appear to be more confident, reliable, and authoritative.
Give thought to what you are going to wear. On oral presentation day don't just wear the same style of clothing that you always wear around university. Shorts and t-shirts will not encourage your audience to see you as a reliable or credible source. No one expects you to wear a three piece suit but you need to think about ways that you can make your clothing work for you. Don't underestimate the confidence boost you will get by looking and feeling the part.
Standing out from the Crowd
Use your body language to help you to stand out from the crowd. Non-verbal communication says a lot about how professional you are and what your attitude to your topic and your audience is. An audience is much more likely to listen to a speaker who is looking at them, smiling, and communicating with them rather than one who is fidgeting, looking at notes, and shuffling his/her feet.
- For more information about making eye contact click here.
- For more information about body language click here.
- For more information about moving around the room click here.
Think about your posture. Standing up straight will help you to look and feel confident. It will also help with your breath control which will help to calm your nerves and deliver an appropriate vocal quality. Slouching over or leaning on one hip helps to make you look nervous so avoid these things if you want to exude confidence.
Practice standing in a comfortable position prior to getting up in front of the class. Try putting your feet shoulder length apart. Some people are more comfortable with one foot slightly in front of the other. Take a few really firm stomps to help to ground you. Once you've found a comfortable position, relax your feet a little so that you are not really stiff. You now have your feet in a position that is comfortable, well grounded, yet ready to move as required.
Try to make any gestures as natural as possible. Start to take notice of what gestures you use spontaneously when talking to your friends. When you're telling them about a movie that you've seen, what hand gestures do you use to add emphasis. These will often be useful when giving an oral presentation. Consider the size of your audience and expand you gestures to match. An intimate speech to a group of 10 people will require small gestures while a speech to a lecture theatre of 300 people requires large gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. Be conscious of any habitual gestures that may be distracting to an audience. If you tend to twiddle your hair or tap your foot when you are nervous, make a concerted effort to stop doing this.