Some say that using a lectern when speaking is a crutch. It is, only if you make it so. A lectern should be an anchor, a place for notes, and a stable point of command. A lectern is not something to lean upon, nor is it a place to grip and expel your terror.
Your stance, your movements, and your dependence upon the lectern will be obvious to the audience. Your minimal indicators, or non-verbal communications, are as meaningful to the audience as what you say and very telling of your skill and comfort. They visually convey your message, which is significant because 50% of the people in your audience are visual learners.
What they see, they believe! If there is inconsistency in a presentation, the non-verbal messages take precedence over what the audience hears. If your actions and movements do not match your words and intent the message you deliver may not be anything close to what you intended.
A Presentation has Two Components:
- Content – The message, what the speaker wants the audience to understand and take away.
- Delivery – Presenting the message. The Parts of Delivery are:
- Verbal Communication, speaking the words
- Non-verbal Communication, almost everything else you do.
Non-verbal Communication falls into Two Categories:
- Voluntary, those we do consciously.
- Involuntary, those we do unconsciously.
The lectern as a crutch or a tool, the verbal message you intended, or the non-verbal message you delivered, the choice is yours!