Top 5 Tips for Using Hand Gestures in the Virtual World.
A trait of highly effective speakers is their use of hand gestures. Research shows that people who use their hands when speaking connect more closely with their listeners. They come across as more invested, energetic, and likable.
For the speaker, gesturing aids memory, keeps you on point, and helps you form clearer thoughts. In addition, intentional hand gestures emphasize important words and clarify the meaning, thereby adding another level to your communication. Purposeful gestures help to convey your meaning with more power and keep listeners engaged.
Tips:
- To continue to incorporate hand gestures, virtual speakers need to move back from their laptop, phone, or camera. Ideally, viewers should see the upper torso.
- Keep gestures sharp and clear. Hand flapping, wind-milling, etc are distracting.
- Keep hands close to the body and not close to the camera.
- Do not exceed an imagined space wider than the shoulders or above neck height.
- Use sparingly.