Distracting Mannerisms

v"The speaker who stands and talks at ease is the one who can be heard without
weariness. If his posture and gestures are so graceful and unobtrusive, that no
one notices them, he may be counted as truly successful." When your actions are
wedded to your words, the impact of your speech will be strengthened. If your
platform behavior includes mannerisms unrelated to your spoken message
, those actions will call attention to themselves and away from your speech. Below
I have provided 5 ways you can rid yourself of your distracting mannerisms
.

1. Rid Yourself of Distracting Mannerisms

Eliminate vocal and visual impediments.

Some common faults of inexperienced or in-effective speakers are:

gripping or leaning on the lectern

Finger tapping

Lip biting or licking

Toying with coins or jewelry

Frowning

Adjusting hair or clothing

Head wagging

These have two things in common:

They are physical manifestations of simple nervousness.

They are performed unconsciously.

When you make a verbal mistake, you can easily correct it, because you can hear your own words, but you can't see yourself, so most distracting mannerisms go uncorrected. You can't eliminate them unless you know they exist.

Videotape yourself.

The first step in eliminating any superfluous behavior is to obtain an accurate perception of your body's image. This should include:

Posture

Gestures

Body movement

Facial expressions

Eye contact

The next step is to free yourself of physical behaviors that do not add to your speech. This can be accomplished by simply becoming aware of your problem areas. After you have videotaped yourself speaking, review the tape several times and make a list of all the distracting mannerisms you notice.

First review. Review your tape the first time without looking for mannerisms. Just listen to the presentation as if you were hearing it for the first time and evaluate the overall impact you experience from watching the tape.

Second review. Review your tape a second time (with the volume turned down) and look for visual distractions. Take notes on what you observe.

Third review. During this review, have the picture turned off and listen only to your voice. Many people have never even heard a taping of their own voice before. Become accustomed to listening to your voice. Get to know it as others hear it. Note what you like and what you don't like. Pay attention to the speed, the volume, and the tone of your voice.

Fourth review. Once you have made lists both of your distracting mannerisms and your more positive points, you are ready to have one or two family members watch the tape with you. Get their initial impression. Ask them to be honest.

Once you have completed these reviews, go over the list of all the distracting mannerisms you saw and heard. The next time you are having a conversation with someone you know well, try to notice whether you use any of these distracting mannerisms even in casual circumstances. Tackle each of your negative points one at a time.


ANKITA

PGDM-1ST SEM