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Imagine if public speakers were super-heroes. What wold their powers be? If I were to describe the powers of Public Speaking Woman or Orator Man, this is how I would do it:

The Power of Eye Contact
Sincerity is a great element in public speaking. No other part of the body can show it better than the eyes. When Public Speaking Woman speaks in front of people, she looks at them, and makes eye contact with several people in the room. This way she helps establish rapport with her audience and shows them that she is honest about what she is sharing with them.

The Power of Visual Aids
Not all people are willing to listen that long. So, in order to retain their attention, Orator Man uses powerful visual aids. He shares charts, graphs and illustrations that help him communicate his points. His visual aids are clear and uncluttered, and they always support what he is saying.
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Your body movement during your presentation has the ability to strengthen the impact of your message … or it can seriously be a distraction. One of your goals as a speaker is to look so natural with your movements and with what you say that no one even notices that you are using intonation and inflection or body movement as a means of emphasizing the points of your speech.

What kinds of mannerisms are distracting?

• Swaying to and fro
• Hanging on to, dare I say clutching, the podium or lectern
• Finger tapping
• Licking your lips or biting your lips
• Fidgeting with clothes, pockets or jewelry
• Frowning
• Fussing with hair
• Bobbing your head
• Flailing arms at inappropriate times

Being of Mediterranean descent (Spanish) and having ADD, I know how difficult this can be. But if I can do it, you can too!
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