I have the honor of being the volunteer “lead feedback coach” for TEDx Wilmington. The tribe there, led by Organizer Ajit George, does a first-rate job of preparing (curating) their selected speakers in advance of their TEDx talk on stage. Not every TEDx organizer provides a day-before rehearsal, but TEDx Wilmington does, and I think it’s a vital component to help the speakers succeed.
As you probably know, you do a TEDx talk on the signature red carpet. You’re expected to stay on this carpet, which is typically 6’ round, and to move on the carpet as appropriate.
One thing I notice is how often speakers move aimlessly on stage…I call this “floating.” This is a huge distraction for the audience. Remember, you want your audience to hang on your words and so you want to have your body (voice, gesture, movement) to support your content, not distract from it.
What is my advice to you?
Two options: either plant yourself and don’t move at all from the waist down – use your upper body, gestures and facial expressions to support your talk.
Or, do what I call “move intentionally.” Take a look at the script of your talk and map out where something shifts, the transitions between components. Then, move in those transitions in a logical and thought-out manner. If it’s a TEDx talk you’re doing, use the round red carpet as a compass, choreographing when and where you move.
Oh, one last thing: even though you plan out your intentional movements, do it in a way that comes across naturally and not “staged.”
When in doubt, let your words move your audience!