Public speaking: how to maximize your visual impact

By visual impact we mean the effect of body language, facial expressions, working with the support of the speaker, moving around the presentation area, any of our physical actions that the audience will observe while we present them to them. Do all these things influence the perception and interpretation of meaning? Yes, they do and more than we probably realize.

What impact do they have? Different findings from psychologists and communication experts agree that visual stimuli will actively influence up to 50% of the interpretation of a presented message. Why is visual stimulation so powerful? It has to do with the way our minds process information. All the information we receive is stored. Most of it we don’t consciously remember or use it, but we use it unconsciously. As we receive new information, we compare it to that “old” information to find meaning. The interesting discovery was that the mind has a subconscious channel that is much more efficient in this referencing process than the conscious channel, and it is especially intelligent in interpreting sensory input and activating emotional reactions.

What all this means is that whatever message we think we are presenting to an audience, it is our visual cues, both deliberate and involuntary, that the audience will consciously and unconsciously observe and interpret.

First things first, how to present yourself visually

The audience’s attention should ultimately be on the message, but before that, they should be happy with the messenger … you! Basically, you want them to trust you and like you. So the signals you want to send are credibility, competence, trust, and accessibility. These good habits will send those signals:

o Relax your entire body. Imagine that it gently suspends you by the shoulders and goes out of your head. Feel your legs loose. Gently shift your weight from left to right and between your heel and toes.

o Feel tall. Stand tall and straight with your shoulders back and your chin gently raised.

o Center and rotate from the hips 45 degrees to the left and right.

o Keep your hands away from your mouth.

o Look at each and every section of the audience separately as you present your presentation. Add a nod or a smile as if you are greeting them.

o Maintain eye contact and talk to groups of faces. Create the impression that you are speaking separately to each group at some point during your presentation.

o Do not gaze absentmindedly at the walls and ceiling, it suggests that you are lost or uncomfortable with your words.

o Do not stroll excessively without a specific purpose. Some movement will attract the audience, but too much will be distracting and will also confuse the interpretation of your message.

o When using notes on a music stand, keep them loose. Keep the current and next pages open for a smooth transition. Avoid crunching the paper on the microphone.

o Don’t shake the notes, it’s a distraction. Keep your hands empty.

o Do not repeatedly look at the speaker support screen. It distracts your attention and suggests uncertainty, prompting your audience to read for themselves.

o Autocue is excellent as an indicator of a learned script. Never read an unfamiliar script. Have monitors positioned left, right, and center for natural eye contact with the audience.

o Powerpoint is great for confirming with keywords what you just said. Never let it direct you or allow the audience to read in front of you. Have clear linking phrases.

Once you’ve practiced these techniques and established them as good habits, you’ll feel like presenting the look and aura of an accomplished presenter. With that practice, you will also become fully aware of how you are communicating visually.

Here’s how to visually present your message.

Once you are aware and in control, you can begin to communicate visually to maximum effect and give your message emphasis and meaning. Public speaking at its finest is performing art! Public speakers who perform at the peak of their art use stage art to show the meaning and also the emotions of their message.

Visual emphasis

o Facial expressions can show a variety of emotions: Joyful, Serious, Curious, Ironic, Shocked, and Confused. Practice them in a mirror and create your favorites. Act them in faith to get noticed.

o Directed glances show how you are thinking: Look up and to the right when reasoning. Look up and to the left when you remember. Look down and to the side when you are deliberating.

o Hand gestures confirm their actions and intentions: count. Hammering points. Open arms say acceptance or openness. The hands together say union or closure.

o Movement on stage shows how you are communicating: Center stage or lectern says listen to me. Take a step to the side or forward when you ask them to think of something. Walking to the front says “this is between you and me”. Move to the far side when you see an argument. Go to the opposite side when looking at the opposite view.

Subconscious visual emphasis

o Taking advantage of the visual stimulus and the opportunity for subconscious communication, we can use the above techniques to anchor a desired state of mind or the perception of the audience. Then, at the moment you choose, you can activate that mood by repeating the action.

o EG: You chose a part of the stage to discuss the benefits of a clean slate approach to difficult problems. Later, you return to that area when you invite the audience to question the issues without instructions from you, but want them to apply the same form of clean slate.

o “Stage accessories” such as a high stool or even a flip chart can be excellent anchoring tools, as can light changes on set.

Additionally, stage props can act as visual metaphors. Red card from a referee indicating dismissal. A very large mobile phone from the 80s that indicates the degree of progress. When visible but not explained, accessories are great for generating curiosity. They are also unforgettable images and therefore great for embedding messages.