how to use hand gestures in a presentation or when giving a speech. You've probably heard

different ways you should use your hands when presenting or speaking and you've probably

been confused by what you've heard. Well, I'm here to shed some light on this important,

but somewhat confusing topic. In this week's video, I'm going to talk about

what the heck to do with your hands when you're giving a presentation or speech. I'm going

to explain why using your hands is important and give you some tips for how to use your

hands while standing and waiting to speak and while speaking, so you can look all cool

and confident when you're up there giving your presentation.

I know that this particular topic causes people a lot of grief because many people don't feel

comfortable expressing themselves with their hands even though that's what they've been

taught to do in most presentation or public speaking courses.

Why are hand gestures important? The main reason why you should understand

how to use hand gestures in a presentation is because of how you'll appear to your audience.

You've probably heard about how it's so bad to cross your arms in front of you while speaking

and that's true. But the other thing is this: If your hand gestures are good, you'll make

your audience feel more comfortable because they can see that you're confident and in

control. And that's a good thing if you're selling them something, or presenting at a

conference, or you're speaking at school, or you're talking to potential employers during

a job interview. You know what?

For you single guys… This will even help you when you're trying to land a date with

that pretty girl you see everyday that you're too scared to talk to.

Ok, so let me explain how you use your hands when giving a presentation or speech. But

remember this… Nothing will help your presentation if you

didn't prepare and practice. Nothing.

Nothing I can teach you about using your hands is gonna be worth anything if you didn't take

the time to prepare your actual presentation and practice.

Got it? Good. Anyway… First, I'm going to talk about when

you're waiting to speak. You know, that uncomfortable time when you're

not sure what you should do, especially if you're waiting for other people to finish

speaking first. The solution for this is elegantly simple and it's something easy to remember

and do. Just stand up nice and tall and clasp your

hands behind your back. Really easy. But don't bounce around or sway or fidget

with your hands while you're waiting. Just stand still and relaxed, not military stiff,

and you'll give off a sense of calm and confidence. You can look at the speaker and listen to

them, which is a polite thing to do in this situation.

Ok, so now it's your turn to speak. This is actually a lot easier than you think

and you won't have to learn anything new. And I'm really excited about teaching you

this because it's just such brilliantly simple thing to do.

You see, I realized that when we sit and talk to people, whether it be with your friends,

your boss, or whoever… we naturally use our hands when we speak. Think about it…

When you're having a conversation with someone while sitting down, what do you do with your

hands? Yes, I know, sometimes your hands are on your

lap, or whatever, but I'm gonna guess that most of the time you're speaking and using

your hands. So you've probably figured out by now that

my big revelation with hand gestures is to just pretend you are sitting down and talking

to someone. There's absolutely no need to plan or choreograph

your hand gestures. That's so unnatural and really bad advice. You'll look like a robot.

So here's how you practice… Prepare your presentation and then practice

giving your presentation while sitting down, just as if you were having a conversation

with a friend and your presentation is the topic of your conversation. You might find

that you'll have to edit your presentation so it sounds more conversational. It that's

the case, do it, because you'll sound much more natural and look way more comfortable

and confident. And don't worry if you don't naturally use

your hands that much. It's totally fine, but I think if you really think about it, you'll

find that you do use your hands more than you think.

So that's it. All you gotta do to get good at hand gestures during your presentation

are two things: Number one… When you're waiting to speak,

just hold your hands behind your back and stand tall and relaxed.

Number two… When you're giving your presentation, use your hands like you would when having

a normal conversation. Practice this by sitting down and giving your

presentation like you were speaking to a friend. Now go and try it and let me know how it goes.

If you have a better way, or other suggestions, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Thanks and see you again next time.