There are many movements on stage that can make a speaker appear nervous. Pacing is one of them. While walking on stage is important, too much back and forth will make you appear uncomfortable and insecure. To avoid this, a TED talk coach shared this presentation tip to stop pacing.
Presentation Tip: Stop Pacing With This Trick from a TED Coach
Bryn Freedman gave a workshop at TED’s headquarters in New York City in July. According to Quartz, Freedman shared a small yet effective trick to help nervous speakers appear more confident on stage. This trick only involves your toes and your imagination. She says to stand with your feet about six inches apart. Then squeeze your toes tightly together as if you were grabbing onto a tree branch. “This simple visualization centers the speaker and prevents them from moving their feet,” reports Quartz. This will help the presenter stand still on the stage.
Does this trick work? Quartz asked one TED speaker trainee who has tried this presentation tip before. “Before I learned about it, I used to pace back and forth during my talks, which came across as a nervous tick,” says Kesha Williams, a software engineer. “I actually used it when I spoke recently and only moving for emphasis was a great way to engage my audience.”
Moving with emphasis is important for your presentation. Too much pacing may make you appear nervous, but no movement at all will bore your audience. The solution lies in the middle. Make your stage movements deliberate and timed.
Presentation Tip: Walking on Stage
1.Start your speech standing in front of the middle of your audience.
2.Use the toe-squeezing trick to firmly plant yourself as you begin your presentation.
3.Once you finish the introduction of your presentation, walk to one side of the audience.
4.Plant your feet again to speak to one corner of the audience for a few minutes.
5.Repeat this movement to speak to the other side of the audience.
Practice this presentation tip on stage movement in front of your family or coworkers to get comfortable. Make sure to get feedback on this makes you appear in front of your audience.
Stop pacing and start impressing your audience. Use this presentation trick from a real life TED coach to appear more confident and professional. For more presentation tips, check out these posts on the Ethos3 blog:
How to Have Remarkable Presence
