Sync Your Voice, Gesture & Body Language

Sync Your Voice, Gesture & Body Language
An emotional connection happens only when a speaker's voice, gestures and body language are in sync.
Have you ever listened to a talk where the speaker spoke so slowly that you found yourself drifting off to sleep?
Yet speaking faster is not necessarily the solution.
The rate at which a speaker should talk depends on what you – the listener – are doing at the time.
Say you're doing something else – such as driving a car – while listening to an audiobook.
In this case, you'd want the narrator to speak relatively slowly.
However, if you're able to devote your full attention, as in a presentation, you'll want the speaker to talk more quickly.
What's the perfect speed for a presentation?
The author found that most speakers use around 190 words per minute.
However, mastering your voice is just the beginning.
Connecting with your audience requires also paying attention to your body language.
We gain a lot of information from how we move.
In one study, students were presented with either a video or an audio recording of the testimonies of criminal suspects, and were asked to decide which of the suspects they thought were lying.
Those students who only watched the video were far more likely to correctly identify the lying suspects (a 65% success rate) compared with those who only listened to the audio recordings (55%).
So, what sort of body language should you use?
US Commander Matt Eversman suggests that a leader should stand straight, displaying confidence, at all times.
The same applies to public speakers: they should stand tall in front of their audience, demonstrating confidence in their ideas.
Another important feature of body language is gesture.
Indeed, certain studies have associated a speaker's gestures with the amount of confidence an audience places in that speaker.
To use gesture effectively, you should limit your gesturing to the area between your eyes and your belly button, as gestures in this area have the greatest impact.
Also, save your most expansive gestures (such as spreading your arms at their widest) for emphasizing only your most important points.
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Sync Your Voice, Gesture & Body Language An emotional connection happens only when a speaker's voice, gestures and body language are in sync. Have you ever listened to a talk where the speaker spoke so slowly that you found yourself drifting off to sleep? Yet speaking faster is not necessarily the solution. The rate at which a speaker should talk depends on what you – the listener – are doing at the time. Say you're doing something else – such as driving a car – while listening to an audiobook. In this case, you'd want the narrator to speak relatively slowly. However, if you're able to devote your full attention, as in a presentation, you'll want the speaker to talk more quickly. What's the perfect speed for a presentation? The author found that most speakers use around 190 words per minute. However, mastering your voice is just the beginning. Connecting with your audience requires also paying attention to your body language. We gain a lot of information from how we move. In one study, students were presented with either a video or an audio recording of the testimonies of criminal suspects, and were asked to decide which of the suspects they thought were lying. Those students who only watched the video were far more likely to correctly identify the lying suspects (a 65% success rate) compared with those who only listened to the audio recordings (55%). So, what sort of body language should you use? US Commander Matt Eversman suggests that a leader should stand straight, displaying confidence, at all times. The same applies to public speakers: they should stand tall in front of their audience, demonstrating confidence in their ideas. Another important feature of body language is gesture. Indeed, certain studies have associated a speaker's gestures with the amount of confidence an audience places in that speaker. To use gesture effectively, you should limit your gesturing to the area between your eyes and your belly button, as gestures in this area have the greatest impact. Also, save your most expansive gestures (such as spreading your arms at their widest) for emphasizing only your most important points.