Tips for Presenting Well While Seated

TRANSCRIPT:

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, "What do I do with my body when I'm seated in presenting?"

Clearly, when you stand, you want to be big and you want to be balanced. The same thing applies when you're seated. You want to make sure your feet are rooted to the ground to avoid any shaking feet, and you want to make sure that you've cleared the deck in front of you so there's nothing to fuss or fiddle with.

Move anything you have to the side, including a laptop. Put the laptop to the side so you're open to the people that you're presenting to with your hands. Just place them lightly in front of you in any position that's comfortable. We're trying to avoid touching the face or making the body look small. Make sure that you lean forward as you present. You want to avoid being far back. It makes you look distant.

As you present, you gesture. Again, the hands go beyond the shoulders. The whole idea is to connect with your audience, be present and forward while being big. You want to be balanced: That is, shoulder, square and head straight, and you want to be still. This will help you come across as confident and connected when you're presented in a seated position.