Movement is a big issue. It's one of the many discussions we have on our fear of public speaking course in London.
It draws a heavy interest each time.
Should I stand still or move around?
The answer is, it depends.
If you're making a speech or presentation in a meeting room, you'll find that there isn't much of a stage to move around on.
For health and safety reasons, I always place a table covering wires and computer cables.
In my IT training career, strolling around the room was too dangerous because of all the cables.
I would say that you'll be static 90% of the time in a team meeting with an audience of 10 to 12 people.
For me, static is fine, but not static and rigid. If you're rigid in the upper body, your vocal capacity will diminish quickly.
You must have good posture and strong breath control.
What about speaking at conferences on a wide stage?
Sure, I'd say that if you have a stage and it's danger-free, use it if you're comfortable with it. But it's not essential.
If you're doing a good job without movement and that's your authentic style, I'd stay with it.
However, I love conference speaking, and I usually have two flip charts, separated by about 3 yards.
That gives me a reason to move.
If you must move, move with purpose. At first, the movement can seem mechanical. Move like it's necessary, and do it deliberately and tidily.
We often see a lot of unconscious vacillation on stage among nervous speakers. There's movement, but it's distracting.
The idea behind movement on a big stage is that the audience's eyes will be drawn to it and follow you.
Whatever feels authentic to you is fine, especially if you're speaking at a conference. After a while, your movement flows naturally.
If you want to enhance your professional skill set or help an employee on the road to success, enrol in our 2-day Train-the-Trainer courses. The course is ideal for new trainers entering the industry, as well as experienced trainers seeking opportunities to enhance their CV and career prospects. Book a place on this 2-day course for just £795 + VAT
