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8.3: Nonverbal Aspects of Delivery

  • Page ID
    54950
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    Personal Appearance

    Here is the golden rule: Dress appropriately for the situation. You should be comfortable and confident knowing that you look good. It is good practice to dress a bit more formal than less. Err on the side of formal. Most class speeches would be best in business casual (which can vary from place to place and in time). The culture or standards of the audience should be considered. There are exceptions depending on the speech. A student once arrived in pajamas to deliver his 9 a.m. speech. At first, I thought he got up too late to dress for class. However, his speech was on Sleep Deprivation, and his costume was deliberate. What he wore contributed to his speech.

    If you have long hair, be sure it is out of the way so it won’t cover your face. Flipping hair out of your face is very distracting, so it is wise to secure it with clips, gel, or some other method. Be sure you can be seen, especially your eyes and your mouth, even as you glance down to the podium. Hats should be avoided as they block your face and affect eye contact with the audience.

    Think of it as an interview…just like in an interview, you will want to make a good first impression. The corporate culture of the business will determine the dress. Always dress at the level of the person conducting the interview. For example, a construction foreperson (or project manager) will conduct an interview to hire you as a carpenter. Do not dress like a carpenter; dress like the project manager.

    Movement and Gestures

    Overall movement and specific gestures are integral to a speech. Body stance, gestures and facial expressions can be generally categorized as body language. Movement should be relaxed and natural, and not excessive. How you move takes practice. Actors usually have the advantage of directors helping to make decisions about movement, but a good objective listener or a rehearsal in front of a large mirror can yield productive observations. Moving around the performance space can be a very powerful component of a speech; however, it should be rehearsed as part of the presentation Too much movement can be distracting. This is particularly true if the movement appears to be a result of nervousness. Avoid fidgeting, stroking your hair, and any other nervousness-related movement.

    Among the traditional common fears of novice speakers is not knowing what to do with one’s hands. Sometimes the speaker relies on clutching to the podium or keeping hands in pockets. Neither is a good pose.

    Try This!

    Gestures

    Using only your hands, convey the following:

    1. “It’s OK.”
    2. “I give up.”
    3. “He’s crazy.”
    4. “We will be victorious.”

    Facial Expressions

    Since facial expression is a valid form of communication, it is integral to delivering a speech. The face supports the words, and the speaker’s commitment to the material is validated. The press scrutinizes a politician for every twitch of insincerity. Detectives have created a science of facial communication for interviewing suspects. Like inflections, gestures and movement: facial expressions should be organic and spontaneous, not contrived. If there is a hint of artificiality in your expression, you will sacrifice your credibility.

    Try This!

    Facial Expressions

    While looking in a mirror, try to express these thoughts without words:

    1. “I am thrilled that I am getting a raise.”
    2. “I am worried about tomorrow.”
    3. “Lemons are too sour for me.”
    4. “I am suspicious about what he did.”

    After you have determined a facial expression for each, say the phrase. And see how well the verbal expression goes with the nonverbal expression.

    Eye Contact

    Next to clearly speaking an organized text, eye contact is another very important element of speaking. An audience must feel interested in the speaker, and know the speaker cares about them.

    Whether addressing an audience of 1000 or speaking across a table, eye contact solidifies the relationship between the speaker and audience. Good eye contact takes practice. The best practice is to be able to scan the audience making each member believe the speaker is speaking to him or her.

    However, there are some eye contact failures.

    • Head Bobber: This is a person who bobs his or her head looking down on the notes and up to the audience in an almost rhythmic pattern.
    • Balcony Gazer: A person who looks over the heads of his or her audience to avoid looking at any individual.
    • The Obsessor: A person who looks at one or two audience members or who only looks in one direction.

    The best way to develop good eye contact is to have an objective listener watch and comment on the eye contact. The eyes are called the windows to the soul, and the importance of eye contact in communication cannot be overemphasized. Ideally, a speaker should include 80% to 90% of the delivery time with eye contact.

    With good eye contact, the speaker can also observe and gauge the attention and response of the audience. This is actually part of the feedback process of communication. The ideal is that the audience is not overly aware of the speaker using notes.

    How do you develop good eye contact? First, practice the speech with a generous amount of eye contact. Second, know the speech well enough to only periodically (and quickly) glance at your notes. Third, prepare your notes so they can be easily read and followed without hesitation.

    There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

    ~ Colin Powell

    Contributors and Attributions


    8.3: Nonverbal Aspects of Delivery is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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