By Dave Gilman
Effective movement during a speech can help clarify your message, make your ideas more memorable, and keep your audience engaged. In Toastmasters, using purposeful movement is key to enhancing your delivery. Here are five ways you can use the stage more effectively in your speeches:
1. Moving to Represent Different Ideas or Locations
Using movement to show different ideas or locations can help your audience visualize your message more clearly. When you physically move, you’re signaling a shift in your narrative, making it easier for listeners to follow along.
For example, if you’re discussing various stages of your life, step to one side of the stage when talking about your childhood. Then, move to the opposite side to represent adulthood. This simple shift helps the audience track the changes in your story visually.
2. Using Movement to Show Progress Along a Timeline
If you’re discussing events over time, using movement to show the progression of that timeline can help the audience follow along. Since the timeline goes from left to right from the audience’s perspective, you should move in the opposite direction (right to left) to represent time moving forward.
For example, if you’re talking about past events, move toward the right side of the stage. As you transition to the present, move to the left side. This reversal of movement visually reinforces the passing of time, helping the audience understand the shift from past to present.
3. Moving Toward Them
Engaging your audience with eye contact and movement can help create a connection. Moving closer to the audience during key moments can make them feel included and involved in your speech. This can be especially effective when you’re making an emotional appeal or emphasizing an important point.
4. Keep It Natural
Movement should always feel natural, not forced. Too much movement can be distracting, while too little can make your speech feel static. Practice making your movements purposeful, helping to emphasize your points rather than detract from them.
The goal is to have your movements complement your words, creating a seamless connection between your message and your body language.
5. Anchor Yourself to Deliver a Strong Message
Sometimes, standing still in one location for a while can create a powerful emphasis. This technique allows you to “anchor” yourself in a place when delivering an important message or making a key point. It draws the audience’s attention solely to you, enhancing the weight of the moment.
Conclusion
Incorporating movement into your Toastmasters speeches can help you emphasize key points, make your ideas more dynamic, and enhance your connection with the audience. By moving to represent different ideas or locations, using opposite movement along a timeline, and creating contrasts in your speech, you can create a more engaging and memorable presentation. Practice using movement intentionally, and watch how it helps bring your speech to life.