When you give a talk, do you prefer to stand behind a lectern or to roam free? As a speaker coach, I recommend you do whichever feels more comfortable. If you are stepping out from behind the lectern onto the open stage, here’s how to do it well.
Speakers who are used to the protection of the lectern and want to challenge themselves to use a microphone or lapel mic should do some work on how they move on stage. However, I don’t mean contriving postures and hand gestures.
Standing on the open stage is a powerful position to take. It lets the audience see all of you. It also makes speakers worry. “What do I do with my body?” they ask. Others say, “I like to pace around so I feel more comfortable”.
Perhaps contradictorily, I encourage speakers to allow natural movement but tell them not to pace! Pacing is distracting for the audience and, in my experience, a sign the speaker is not totally comfortable. While it might seem natural, it’s avoiding true connection with your audience.
Instead, to find natural movement, you should first root yourself first in stillness. The stillness I am talking about is not clasp-my-hands-tightly-behind-my-back-so-I-don’t-do-something-stupid. It’s the stillness that feels very uncomfortable to begin with, but eventually gives way to feeling yourself. This kind of stillness eventually becomes relaxed, open and vulnerable. To quote one of my first clown teachers, Rick Allen, it say, “I am here for you, dear audience.”
It says: What I have to say is important and I want you to hear it.
When you find presence through that physical stillness, emotion must come out through your voice and facial expressions. This is good! Many conferences are so large these days that speakers are projected onto a large screen, making it even more potent for your audience.
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STRATEGIC SPEAKER COACH RACHAEL WEST 