Last Updated on March 5, 2024 by Connor Prendergast
Want to elevate your client convos to TED talk level
Learning this key certainly surprised me …
Ever wonder why some TED Talks go viral and others don’t? 🤔
Neither did I.
But I do want to get better on video,
And when I speak live.
So I did the research.
What I learned surprised me.
All TED speakers are:
a. Charismatic
b. Polished
c. Smart
But the most popular have a curious feature in common.
Vanessa Van Edwards’ team studied thousands of hours of TED Talks
They looked at everything
– Body language
– Vocal variety
– Outfit choices
The result?
The most popular TED Talkers used an average of
465 hand gestures in 18 minutes,
2x the least popular ones. 🙌
Hand Gestures 🖐️ punctuate concepts
Our brain gives them 12.5 times more weight than our WORDS
Surprised?
The most engaging speakers you know,
Likely use their hands a lot while talking,
Underlining their points with physical, & visual cues.
This dual communication makes their message more captivating and memorable.
How can this help your client communication?
Hand gestures will make you
↳More effective
↳More engaging
↳More memorable
How do you do it?
1. Think about gestures as part of your presentations – plan them in.
2. Plan gestures for key moments in client conversations
3. Reframe your webcam to include hands in the shot
So, next time you’re giving a presentation or even having a conversation, remember to “talk” with your hands too.
How is your setup for video calls, hands or no hands?
