Get Rid of Distracting Body Movements

Get Rid of Distracting Body MovementsYour body movement during your presentation hasthe ability to strengthen the impact of yourmessage or it can seriously be a distraction.One of your goals as a speaker is to look sonatural with your movements and with what you saythat no one even notices that you are usingintonation and inflection or body movement as ameans of emphasizing the points of your speech.What kinds of mannerisms are distracting?

- Swaying to and fro in front of the audience- Hanging on to the podium- Finger tapping- Licking your lips or biting your lips- Fidgeting with clothes, pockets or jewelry- Frowning- Fussing with hair- Bobbing your head- Flailing arms at inappropriate timesThe movements you make in your speech should beplanned or at least controlled by you. Anymovement that is not planned could potentially bedistracting. Many of the above mentionedmannerisms stem from being nervous about being onstage. Additionally, they could also come justbecause you don't know you are doing them.Either way, you'll need to minimize and eliminateas many of these movements as possible.1. Make a video tape of yourself. Do you even

know that you are making these movements?Probably not. A video will help you identifywhich distracting movements you'll need to workon eliminating.2. Review your video tape for places where youmake distracting mannerisms. Make a list of themannerisms you have and thoughtfully practiceyour speech without those mannerisms. Rerecordyourself and keep reviewing your tapes until youa satisfied that all the mannerisms are gone.3. Work on feeling comfortable with deliveringyour speech. You should feel natural as youspeak about your topic. You should feel like youare sharing information with a long time friend.This will come when you've spent many hourspracticing, reworking and revising your speech.This will also come because you speak from yourheart and let others know the way you feel aboutyour subject.

4. Work on eliminating nervousness whendelivering your speech. This will come as youget more familiar with your material. This willalso come as you take the time to focus ondelivering your message instead of focusing onthe feelings of fear and anxiety.5. You can also review your video tapes for placein your speech that you need to add body movementsinto your presentation that will make it moreinteresting. Let your movements show the way youfeel. These movements should be natural and canwork in your favor as you emphasize specificpoints in your presentation.6. Consider this when deciding which bodymovements to incorporate into your presentation.Body movements should look natural. You can usefacial expressions and make eye contact with youraudience for maximum effects.Every movement should be planned during your

presentation. You can easily lose your audiencewith distracting movements because youraudience's focus and attention will be turned tothese movements instead of what you have to say!