Verve is indeed needed along with verbosity. In other words, energetic style showing proper body language is of utmost importance while speaking in public. To be specific, research based data show that 93% effectiveness of a speech depends upon not what you speak, but how you speak it – i.e. nonverbal communication.
Non verbal communication has several aspects like vocal variety, intonation, body language etc. But body language is most crucial of all. It is the reason why Television is a better mode of communication than Radio. Radio can cater to you the other qualities of a speech but the absence of body language makes it incomplete or imperfect.
Moreover body language doesn’t demand an athletic body or six pack abs, neither zero figure. It’s not a body builder’s prerogative but it’s the simplest way to build your speech stronger in terms of getting the message across. Body language is chiefly controlled by but not limited to the following three modes.
Facial Expression: Your facial expression has the capability to support or deny what you say. With a fallen jaw [ like a face similar to :( ] even if you punch your fists in air and proclaim in high pitch, “I am happy, my boss has bestowed this responsibility only to me barring other 9 members in my group!”, your colleagues will overhear something, that you are not at all happy because of this unwelcome burden. You will be a liar to them if you neglect the simple rules of body language. So learn to show your facial expressions aptly. And at least when you’re speaking to public, just believe that they are no inanimate invisible objects; please keep proper eye contact. Your confidence will pass through your eye balls and will hit the bull’s eye.
Gestures: When you are in a public speaking forum your hands and arms are like inevitable tools, much like the willows that Sachin uses in any Indo-Pak nail-biting one-dayer inside a jam-packed cricket stadium. Your hands can point or stomp with fists. You want to make a mockery of someone? Don’t just laugh at him, but also keep your one palm cupped to your mouth, and the index finger of the other hand pointed to that mortal. He will be on “ire” if not “fire”. Just imagine a leader, marching ahead, shouting “Inquilab Zindabad” [meaning, “Long Live Revolution”], with the right hand in his pocket. The movement won’t really last long; forget longevity. Faith moves mountains, and right Gestures, a whole mass movement.
Postures: Your stance supports you while speaking. It not just supports you (carries the load of your body), but it supports you in whatever you are saying (expresses the right body language needed for your content of speech). Generally, be balanced and upright when you face the audience, but learn to adjust your posture as you go on speaking. In the story you are narrating to a bunch of kids, suddenly a tiger jumps in front of you. With the heart pounding like thousand-watts-speakers, you started to run. Now if you really show the posture like that in the illustration, I wonder some of the kids will start running as well, taking the story to be true.
Body language does make things true if you use them properly. It has also the power to contradict your intent of speech. It’s like a wild (and lazy) horse, you need to tame for your own use. Great orators are great not for their thoroughly twisting tongue, but they are great men, bodily. In one of the Ted talks, that I watched few days ago, the renowned performer and social activist Mallika Sarabhai conducted a speech session. And she was not talking much. Then why on earth was she there for in that talk/speech show? Well she can dance, and when she dances her body does speak!
*(Write up for article in the coming issue of SPARK, -quarterly newsletter of Kolkata Toastmasters Club)
Non verbal communication has several aspects like vocal variety, intonation, body language etc. But body language is most crucial of all. It is the reason why Television is a better mode of communication than Radio. Radio can cater to you the other qualities of a speech but the absence of body language makes it incomplete or imperfect.
Moreover body language doesn’t demand an athletic body or six pack abs, neither zero figure. It’s not a body builder’s prerogative but it’s the simplest way to build your speech stronger in terms of getting the message across. Body language is chiefly controlled by but not limited to the following three modes.
Facial Expression: Your facial expression has the capability to support or deny what you say. With a fallen jaw [ like a face similar to :( ] even if you punch your fists in air and proclaim in high pitch, “I am happy, my boss has bestowed this responsibility only to me barring other 9 members in my group!”, your colleagues will overhear something, that you are not at all happy because of this unwelcome burden. You will be a liar to them if you neglect the simple rules of body language. So learn to show your facial expressions aptly. And at least when you’re speaking to public, just believe that they are no inanimate invisible objects; please keep proper eye contact. Your confidence will pass through your eye balls and will hit the bull’s eye.
Gestures: When you are in a public speaking forum your hands and arms are like inevitable tools, much like the willows that Sachin uses in any Indo-Pak nail-biting one-dayer inside a jam-packed cricket stadium. Your hands can point or stomp with fists. You want to make a mockery of someone? Don’t just laugh at him, but also keep your one palm cupped to your mouth, and the index finger of the other hand pointed to that mortal. He will be on “ire” if not “fire”. Just imagine a leader, marching ahead, shouting “Inquilab Zindabad” [meaning, “Long Live Revolution”], with the right hand in his pocket. The movement won’t really last long; forget longevity. Faith moves mountains, and right Gestures, a whole mass movement.
Postures: Your stance supports you while speaking. It not just supports you (carries the load of your body), but it supports you in whatever you are saying (expresses the right body language needed for your content of speech). Generally, be balanced and upright when you face the audience, but learn to adjust your posture as you go on speaking. In the story you are narrating to a bunch of kids, suddenly a tiger jumps in front of you. With the heart pounding like thousand-watts-speakers, you started to run. Now if you really show the posture like that in the illustration, I wonder some of the kids will start running as well, taking the story to be true.
Body language does make things true if you use them properly. It has also the power to contradict your intent of speech. It’s like a wild (and lazy) horse, you need to tame for your own use. Great orators are great not for their thoroughly twisting tongue, but they are great men, bodily. In one of the Ted talks, that I watched few days ago, the renowned performer and social activist Mallika Sarabhai conducted a speech session. And she was not talking much. Then why on earth was she there for in that talk/speech show? Well she can dance, and when she dances her body does speak!
*(Write up for article in the coming issue of SPARK, -quarterly newsletter of Kolkata Toastmasters Club)
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