Don’t Stand Behind the Lectern
What do I do if there’s no lectern for my speech? Lisa B. Marshall tells you how to get out from behind the lectern, and engage your audience with body language and hand gestures.
Lisa B. Marshall
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Don’t Stand Behind the Lectern
One of my listeners, Kate, called to ask what to do if there’s no lectern available for your presentation:
“What do I do about body language? What do I do with my hands?”
Kate, I appreciate your questions, and I’m glad for the chance to share a few tips with you and the rest of my audience..
First, I believe presenting without a lectern is the absolute best way to present. In fact, in my speaker agreement, I specifically outline that I don’t use a lectern at all—although I do put my computer on a small, round table in front of me. Especially in smaller rooms, the lectern just gets in the way, and in larger rooms, you’ll want to have the freedom to walk around the entire stage. If you saw a comedian do a routine behind a lectern, it would seem weird, right? Professional speakers are the same. A professional speaker rarely speaks from behind a lectern because they want to remove all barriers so they can connect with their audience.
See also: The Secret to Great Public Speaking
Now let’s get back to Kate’s questions. If you’re used to standing behind a lectern, finding the right body language can be a bit awkward at first. And it’s important to be concerned with proper body language.
Don’t leave this to chance, because your body language communicates on its own. Your face and body gestures will either emphasize and highlight your important messages, or they will contradict what you are saying—and unfortunately, your audience will always believe the gestures over your words. It’s important to not leave your gestures to chance.
Tip #1: Walk, Talk, and Smile
The most natural way to present is to walk, talk, and smile. The idea is to make your “presentation” as close to conversation as possible. If you imagine you are talking to a single person, it may help you walk, talk, and smile naturally. I find it helpful to map out speaking spots. Before your presentation, take a walk around the stage. Pick 2-3 spots where you can make eye contact with your audience easily, and that spread out your speaking area.
When you start to walk, talk, and smile, aim for one of those spots. You don’t want to be constantly moving. Stopping in place is an effective way to emphasize a point. When you transition to your next main point, you can walk to one of the other spots you’ve chosen. These deliberate movements will keep you from pacing too quickly or wandering aimlessly and act as transitional markers for your audience.
Tip #2: Use Your Hands to Emphasize Your Words
What you do with your hands makes a big difference in how the audience sees you. If you stand with your arms crossed or your hands folded in front of you, you’ll look nervous or aloof. Waving your hands around with no purpose is distracting to your audience. You might be thinking, “Well, of course, I’d never do that.” The problem is, when we are in high stakes situations, our nerves sometimes kick in, and distracting gestures often creep in without our knowledge. It is important to remain self-aware in all speaking situations, but especially during high-stakes situations.
When you deliver messages, it’s always important to ensure that your hands and body support your words. One great way to do this is to look for the action verbs in your speech and use your hands to mimic those actions. For instance, “I discovered the door was stuck, so I pushed (use your hands to demonstrate a push) as hard as I could.” Think about how you might act out your words.
Another option is to use your hands to demonstrate words that indicate size or shape. For example, outlining a square with your hands or pinching your thumb and forefinger together to indicate “tiny.” One important caveat—it’s important not to create fake gestures to match your words, but instead, to feel comfortable enough with the material to allow your natural gestures to highlight the main ideas and to avoid distracting mannerisms. Video recording is essential to determining what is working and what is not.
Get into the habit of walking, talking, smiling, and using natural gestures to emphasize your message. Your audience will be more interested in what you have to say because they are receiving your messages, not only in words, but in the movement of your face and body as well.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, helping you maximize sales, manage perceptions, and enhance leadership through keynotes, workshops, books, and online courses. Passionate about communication; your success is my business. If you want even more success in your life, I invite you to read my latest book, Smart Talk and listen to my other podcast, Smart Talk: Inspiring Conversations with Exceptional People.
Teacher Standing Talking to the Students at the Lecture Hall and Public Speaker images from Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.