Caroline Goyder

This question is coming up so much.

In fact, I did a session today for a big group.

And it came up.

The first rule I learned from business schools really early on in lockdown, which is stand up.

And, you know, I work a lot with a laptop stand or a standing desk, because if I have, you know, you'll know this, if you have a big audience on Zoom or Teams, whatever platform.

If you're sitting at the desk, you sit to write emails.

It doesn't have the same feeling of excitement that it would if you walked out on the conference stage.

And standing up can start to replicate that.

And it makes it feel more like a performance.

And I think that's

That's the game changer note for most people is stand and gesture because that brings your voice into it.

So there are some good rules, which are like broadcast rules, which are, you know, don't wave your arms around as if you're on, you know, a huge Royal Albert Hall stage.

But the gestures that you would naturally do if you were chatting to a friend or a group of friends are probably going to work on screen.

The reason that's true is that because of the hands being connected to the shoulders and the shoulders being connected to the ribs...

Everything I do with my hands affects my breathing and my voice is breath.

So gesture affects my voice.

And the more I use my hands, the more engaged my voice is, the more resonance it has.

And usually the more power it does.

If I'm sitting at a desk and I've got my hands clamped and my ribs tight and I'm not moving, my voice is going to be much flatter.

So it's just a really simple way to liven up delivery.