Unsure about this? Then stay in one place and concentrate on delivering the message with your voice and body language from a position of comfort.
“A blur of blinks, taps, jiggles, pivots and shifts...the body language of a man wishing urgently to be elsewhere.” Edward R. Murrow (broadcast journalist)
2.7 Emphasise your message by using your hands in a conscious way
Your hands are perhaps the most important part of your body to pay attention to, because they can either be very useful or very distracting.
A first simple rule: don’t put your hands in your pocket. The worst-case scenario is a pocket full of change, which you jingle unconsciously throughout. I know this seems obvious, but so many people do it that it has to be said. Take out everything you don’t need from your pockets; keys, tissues, money, receipts. They act like hand-magnets.
Be relaxed and you’ll know what to do. When you come to a key point, use your hands to emphasise it. On a few occasions, point to the screen to make clear that this is something to remember. Do it sparingly and it has impact. Do it too much, with every slide and every message and the focus is lost.
There is one moment where you can consider putting a hand in the pocket; during a Q&A. It gives a signal that the formal part is over, and the audience is at liberty to put their questions forward. Do it with just one hand for parts of questions session, and only if it feels comfortable (and if there’s not a single stray penny in there.)
One no-go is the politician’s hand position – think Tony Blair. It’s a symmetrical shape of the arms, elbows out, with the tips of the fingers touching together or partly entwined. We are trained now to know that this position is that of the smooth talker trying to cover stuff up. Avoid this position at all costs.