Get off the stage · Speaker Mastery Community

Get off the stage

no – really

Step off the stage.

Too many speakers stay stuck on the stage - rigid, frozen, unmoving.

Or some will wander aimlessly without destination or reason, leaving us wondering "where are you going" not only with their body, but with their words.

Everything in your presentation should be both

On Purpose
Supportive of your message

There are different positions in stage geography, and the audience is part of that.

For example, did you know that different areas of the stage send a different message?

Here are just a few

The back of the stage - Your No Fly Zone. Avoid this area unless you are trying to appear small or minimize your message
The Left of the stage - The Past. Your audience reads from left to right, so if you want to emphasize some historical part of your speech or the parts of your keynote before you learned the moral you'r keynote teaches.
The Right of the stage - The Future. This is where you help the audience see their future. What life will be like if they implement the framework your keynote teaches.
Rear Right - The Instruction zone. This is where your whiteboard is if you have one. This is where you engage the left brain to lay out your framework and instructions so your audience can take action.
Front and Center - The Authority Zone. This is where you stand when you have your mic drop moments. The one-liners that become bumper stickers and t-shirts. Use sparingly
And Finally In the audience - The Connection Zone. Too few speakers get off stage and mingle with the audience, and that's why you'll stick out (in a good way) when you do. Remember, you never speak to an audience, just to one person while everyone else listens.