When Presenting, Let Your Hands Do More Talking

The best speakers know how to use hand gestures to make their words more persuasive and memorable.

Public speaking coach and veteran Public Relations executive Rosemary Ravinal offers five examples that demonstrate the science to back up this perspective.

By Rosemary Ravinal

It’s a fact that body language and non-verbal messages convey more meaning than words alone. The non-verbal component encompasses the quality of your voice, for example, volume, pitch, tone, and rate of speech. Body language covers everything from head tilting to facial expressions to posture and proximity to other people, and more.

Hand gestures are in a class by themselves. There are dozens of ways to use them to accent the meaning of your words and drive your points home. Think of hand gestures as a second language that expresses and emphasizes your message. Most people talk with their hands in casual conversation. But when you apply scientific principles and intentional use of your hands, you enter a different realm of effectiveness and potential success.

The best speakers know how to use hand gestures to make their words more persuasive and memorable. Here is some of the science to back it up:

1. Gesturing aids your working memory
Have you noticed that you remember information better when you write it down or act it out? That’s the beauty of using your motor skills to boost your RAM or working memory. You can help your brain remember and recall by pairing facts and ideas with specific movements. So the next time you’re trying to memorize an opening, rehearse a speech or practice answers to interview questions, try incorporating some relevant gestures.

2. Hand gestures help people understand and remember
Research shows that the effectiveness of your message increases by 60% when you use your hands to accentuate and illustrate your words. Hand gestures provide a visual representation of the speech content, making it easier for the listener to understand. For example, mimicking the action of turning a key when talking about starting a car. Also, when gestures are synchronized with speech, they create a rhythm that aids in the listener’s comprehension. This rhythmic synchronization makes the message easier to follow.

3. Using your hands makes you more charismatic
According to international keynote speaker and executive coach Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., people who communicate through active gesturing tend to be evaluated as warm, agreeable, and energetic, while those who remain still are seen as “logical, cold, and analytical.” Otherwise, you risk being perceived as mechanical or wooden. Few or awkward hand movements may lead your audience to label you as cold and aloof, while proper hand gestures will make you more engaging and charismatic.

4. Hand movements make you more trustworthy
Hiding your hands in professional environments can create questions about your confidence and sincerity. Visible hands are a fundamental aspect of building trust in communication. It harkens back centuries to a time when strangers showed open palms and hands empty of weapons as a sign of peaceful intentions. The value of showing your hands comes into play when you speak at a lectern. Avoid it if you can. But if you must, make sure your hands can be seen and given full expression. Resist clutching the sides of the lectern for comfort.

5. Top TED Talkers use their hands effectively
A recent study by best-selling author Vanessa Van Edwards found that the most popular and viral TED speakers used an average of 465 hand gestures during their 18-minute talks. The least popular ones used about 272 hand movements in talks of the same length. The pattern is clear: the top TED Talkers used nearly double the number of hand gestures.

6. Hand gestures help you be clear and concise
Using your hands empowers you to express yourself more clearly and intelligibly. The region of the brain connected to speech is also responsible for regulating gestures. Gesturing while you talk powers up your thinking and can help you form clearer thoughts, speak in tighter sentences, and use more declarative language.