Optics: Speaker Performance & Audience Perceptions

Now that we have examined outline considerations, we’ll discuss how to enhance optics and fluidity as a speaker. We want to focus on optics for the audience, including style and attire. Then, it is important to rehearse physical movements and nonverbal communication which includes establishing your public speaking workspace, use of physical objects, stance and posture, body movements, hand gestures, facial channels, eye contact, and voice.

• Style: When speakers are poised, they command control of the room, displaying leadership qualities. Poise is distinct from fidgeting. Start off strong, and work to maintain consistent cadence in your rate of speech throughout unless you are emphasizing a point, a quote, or specific word you want the audience to remember. Inconsistent cadence would be changing the rate or pace of the speech. Likewise, end the speech with a sense of rhythm.

• Attire: Attire is a nonverbal component of speech delivery. The style of attire should be appropriate for the occasion. You may not want to wear a suit if speaking to a group of ranchers out in the field. On the other hand, we would dress formally for a black-tie event. However, a tuxedo would not be appropriate for a business meeting. Women should never wear “club attire” for a business meeting. Audience members will make judgments before you begin to speak solely based on attire. For public speaking, red or black are highly effective for commanding stage presence. Another option is to pick a color congruent with the organization, audience, and occasion. So, a presentation to an alma mater wearing the school’s color would be an excellent choice to build a speaker-audience connection.

• When approaching the public speaking workspace, be sure to command control of the physical objects when the presentation begins. Confidently make microphone adjustments for your height, arrange hard copy notes, and set up your visual aids.

• Stance and posture impact the audience's perception of the speaker's credibility, so it is best to avoid nervous swaying or leaning on the podium. Proper stance and posture eliminate nervous energy while allowing enhanced breath control because there is more efficient airflow.

• Body movement allows the speaker to connect with the audience while eliminating nervous energy.

  • The speech begins when we walk in the door to the public speaking engagement or the moment we log onto the video conference call.

  • Maintaining poise and focus until you begin the attention getter to ensure you are concentrated and "in character" for your public speaking appearance.

• One effective way to make the physical location our own with body movement is to create a triangle in the public speaking workspace (Figure 12.1). To create the speaking triangle begin at the front and center. Physically transition to the left or right of the room during the first main point while verbally stating the first main point. Then, move to another portion of the public speaking workspace while stating the second main point. Finally, while moving to the final main point, state the third main point. Many speakers will mentally map a triangle, with each main point being a side of that triangle. The conclusion should end where we started the introduction.

• Hand gestures also allow speakers to adapt to nervous energy and add nonverbal emphasis to verbal elements of delivery. Hand gestures should be natural. In more intimate public speaking settings use less bold gestures; but in larger public speaking contexts, one can use larger movements. Try to avoid pointing at the audience. Moreover, when using a visual aid, be sure to point to relevant images. Avoid fidgeting movements like taping an ink pen, crumpling paper, placing hands in your pockets, clenching the podium, and standing in one spot with no arm movements.

• Facial Channels: Professional actors have used a mirror to rehearse facial expressions for many years. With today's technology, we can record with our phone or Webcam.. Before a video conference call, it is helpful to log in prior to adjust the lighting and camera angle so that the audience can see our face most favorably. Facial channels convey emotion and poise. Smiles are contagious and create a powerful speaker-audience connection. Be sure facial channels are congruent with the tone of the presentation. If the speech is somber, do not smile too much or the audience may perceive you as disrespecting the content matter.

• Eye Contact: Eye contact is an effective way to gather audience feedback in real-time during a presentation. Be sure to scan the entire audience, attempting to connect with each individual by the end of the presentation. Speakers often hone in on audience members who provide affirming feedback. This can help maintain focus and increase the speaker's energy level. Eye contact conveys sincerity and credibility (McGuire, 2009). If you are uncomfortable making direct eye contact with audience members, try looking at a person’s left shoulder which gives the impression that you are looking directly at them (McGuire, 2009).

Using the Voice

• Public speakers maintain breath control by speaking from the diaphragm of the stomach versus the throat. Singers, stage actors, radio personalities, and athletes understand the importance of breathing for focus and physical performance.

• Pauses create emphasis on words or phrases for the audience. Think of them as a verbal underline or bold.

• Articulation is enunciation and clarity of pronunciation. The speaker avoids mumbling when using proper diction.

• Pitch is how low or high we utilize our voice. A speaker can avoid a monotone voice by effectively practicing pitch. Variations in pitch engage the audience and allow the speaker to create a verbal form of a bold or exclamation point in critical sections of the speech. While rehearsing, a speaker can say the same sentence in several different ways by adjusting the pitch of certain words or phrases.

• Volume: Speakers often have to make adjustments for adequate volume based on the speech setting.

  • If using a microphone, test the microphone volume before the performance. Higher volume on the microphone may require you to speak slightly softer to avoid overwhelming the audience. Lower volume on the microphone may require you to speak slightly louder so that the audience can hear you. Always assume the microphone is hot and refrain from sidebar comments.

  • For more intimate audience settings, a speaker should be heard clearly by those in the last row. However, for larger audiences where a microphone is not available, we may have to raise the volume of our voice so that all audience members in the setting can hear us.

  • Also, for virtual meetings, be sure the microphone is functioning correctly. Furthermore, mute the microphone when not speaking, so the sound does not bleed into the main session.

• Vocal variety is the best way to avoid vocal fillers, also called fluency breaks. Vocal fillers and fluency breaks are nonverbal adaptors to speech anxiety or vocal patterns that people have established out of habit. For example, “uhm” or “like” or “smacking teeth” are natural human responses to anxiety. Vocal fillers and fluency breaks are easily correctable by focusing on vocal variety. Focus on vocal variety while rehearsing. Underling, bolding, or color-coding your speaking notes can help signal to use vocal variety.

• Rate of speech or cadence is a powerful way to communicate charisma. Through practice, speakers learn to make adjustments by quickening or slowing down the pace of speech. Some people naturally speak quicker than others. However, we should be able to adjust our rate of speed throughout the presentation. Be sure to slow down to create emphasis on certain words and phrases.