In this week's presentation tip video, I'm going to teach you a fast and easy way for
how to use hand gestures in a presentation or when giving a speech. You've probably heard
different ways you should use your hands when presenting or speaking and you've probably
been confused by what you've heard. Well, I'm here to shed some light on this important,
but somewhat confusing topic. In this week's video, I'm going to talk about
what the heck to do with your hands when you're giving a presentation or speech. I'm going
to explain why using your hands is important and give you some tips for how to use your
hands while standing and waiting to speak and while speaking, so you can look all cool
and confident when you're up there giving your presentation.
I know that this particular topic causes people a lot of grief because many people don't feel
comfortable expressing themselves with their hands even though that's what they've been
taught to do in most presentation or public speaking courses.
Why are hand gestures important? The main reason why you should understand
how to use hand gestures in a presentation is because of how you'll appear to your audience.
You've probably heard about how it's so bad to cross your arms in front of you while speaking
and that's true. But the other thing is this: If your hand gestures are good, you'll make
your audience feel more comfortable because they can see that you're confident and in
control. And that's a good thing if you're selling them something, or presenting at a
conference, or you're speaking at school, or you're talking to potential employers during
a job interview. You know what?
For you single guys… This will even help you when you're trying to land a date with
that pretty girl you see everyday that you're too scared to talk to.
Ok, so let me explain how you use your hands when giving a presentation or speech. But
remember this… Nothing will help your presentation if you
didn't prepare and practice. Nothing.
Nothing I can teach you about using your hands is gonna be worth anything if you didn't take
the time to prepare your actual presentation and practice.
Got it? Good. Anyway… First, I'm going to talk about when
you're waiting to speak. You know, that uncomfortable time when you're
not sure what you should do, especially if you're waiting for other people to finish
speaking first. The solution for this is elegantly simple and it's something easy to remember
and do. Just stand up nice and tall and clasp your
hands behind your back. Really easy. But don't bounce around or sway or fidget
with your hands while you're waiting. Just stand still and relaxed, not military stiff,
and you'll give off a sense of calm and confidence. You can look at the speaker and listen to
them, which is a polite thing to do in this situation.
Ok, so now it's your turn to speak. This is actually a lot easier than you think
and you won't have to learn anything new. And I'm really excited about teaching you
this because it's just such brilliantly simple thing to do.
You see, I realized that when we sit and talk to people, whether it be with your friends,
your boss, or whoever… we naturally use our hands when we speak. Think about it…
When you're having a conversation with someone while sitting down, what do you do with your
hands? Yes, I know, sometimes your hands are on your
lap, or whatever, but I'm gonna guess that most of the time you're speaking and using
your hands. So you've probably figured out by now that
my big revelation with hand gestures is to just pretend you are sitting down and talking
to someone. There's absolutely no need to plan or choreograph
your hand gestures. That's so unnatural and really bad advice. You'll look like a robot.
So here's how you practice… Prepare your presentation and then practice
giving your presentation while sitting down, just as if you were having a conversation
with a friend and your presentation is the topic of your conversation. You might find
that you'll have to edit your presentation so it sounds more conversational. It that's
the case, do it, because you'll sound much more natural and look way more comfortable
and confident. And don't worry if you don't naturally use
your hands that much. It's totally fine, but I think if you really think about it, you'll
find that you do use your hands more than you think.
So that's it. All you gotta do to get good at hand gestures during your presentation
are two things: Number one… When you're waiting to speak,
just hold your hands behind your back and stand tall and relaxed.
Number two… When you're giving your presentation, use your hands like you would when having
a normal conversation. Practice this by sitting down and giving your
presentation like you were speaking to a friend. Now go and try it and let me know how it goes.
If you have a better way, or other suggestions, let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thanks and see you again next time.