Movement (Part 3 in our Non-Verbal Communication series)
You’re on day 3 of an industry conference. You’re tired and in a daze. A shrouded stranger approaches, and instead of trying to sell you something, she gifts you a crystal ball. Not your typical crystal ball, but a “communication crystal ball.”
You look down at this glowing orb, wondering if you’re hallucinating or if you had some bad shrimp cocktail. You’re amazed to discover it gives you a silent, 4k glimpse into each breakout session you’re considering that afternoon.
The first, entitled, “Power, Pressure, and Persuasion: The Art of Selling,” is being led by a man pacing the stage like a caged lion, wildly gesticulating along the way. You instantly envision wagon trail-like ruts in the carpet.
The second is, “AI and HR: Improving the Tone of Internal Emails” led by a woman behind a podium. For a moment, you think the crystal ball may have frozen, but upon looking closely, her mouth is moving. She’s just stuck straight behind the lectern.
The final glimpse is into a session titled, “How to Attend Conferences without Sacrificing your Sanity.” In this session, the presenter is out from behind the podium and moving in front of her audience. But instead of pacing, she regularly stops, appears to talk with her audience, and then, about 20-or-so seconds later, moves to a new spot where the routine continues.
Envision each of these presenters. Based solely on their movements, which session appears most inviting? There’s a lesson there.
Social science research suggests that audiences favor speakers that are:
1. Dynamic. They move, ideally amidst their audience if they can remain visible to everyone.
2. Non-repetitive. Just like gestures, movements that get repetitive and predictable are tiring and distracting.
As a result, for your next presentation:
1. Stand, when appropriate (and if you need to remain seated, use your gestures to inject life into the presentation). Standing will elevate the energy in the room and make you and your content more engaging.
2. No podiums. Podium’s anchor speakers to a single position, impose a barrier between you and your audience, and limit your gestures. This was the issue in breakout session 2 when you thought the crystal ball had frozen.
3. Move & Plant. To avoid pacing like the salesman in the first breakout session, practice our technique of “Move & Plant.” As the name suggests you should comfortably move about your space, but then plant yourself for a few lines, a paragraph, or a topic. Only after delivering a chunk of information from a singular spot should you purposefully move again. This is what the speaker in the third breakout room had mastered.
4. Eliminate repetitive movements. Whether it’s rocking back-and-forth, swaying side-to-side, or bouncing on the balls of your feet, repetitive movements can fixate the audience on your movements and pull them away from listening to you. If you have any of these tendencies (and you can discover them by filming yourself), make sure you stand for all your practice sessions. Over time, you’ll get more comfortable being stationary when you’re planted.
In all, movement keeps communication lively and helps connect you to your audience. It showcases your comfort in the space and helps release nervous energy. Planting, on the other hand, keeps your movements from becoming repetitive and distracting, while also affording you and your audience a moment to bond.
Now imagine if your audience—your team, bosses, clients, or customers, had a “communication crystal ball” for your next presentation. What would they see?