How to move in stand up presentations to project certainty

When you begin to speak, at a stand-up sales presentation for a large audience, ‘plant’ your feet while you deliver your opening words. After standing in that spot for a time, for your body movement for the rest of your spoken message delivery, think: ‘Move, Stop, Talk’.

Let me explain. ‘Move, Stop, Talk’ means that you ‘Move’ to new spot without talking (on the stage or at the front of the group) ‘Stop’ (and plant your feet) and then begin to ‘Talk’ again.

After a block of time talking from that spot, you’d move to a new spot.

The idea here is that you don’t talk while you’re moving – only when you stop. Here’s the reason to do this. From the audience’s perspective, it’s easier to listen to you when you’re stationary (and more difficult to listen to you while you’re moving).

Now, ‘Move, Stop, Talk’ doesn’t mean you must have totally stopped moving before you start talking again. It means, in general, that you aim to talk when you are stationary.

‘Move, Stop, Talk’ will help you quickly translate your ideas to speech and it will also help the audience perceive you as confident and certain of your message.

The ‘how to apply’ for this post: In the next seven days practice ‘Move, Stop, Talk’ in any interaction when you’re standing. For example, in a one on one interaction the ‘Move’ might just be a slight change of body posture or shift of your feet. However, while you change to the new posture, with intention, don’t talk until you have ‘stopped’ movement to that posture.