Avoid Distracting Mannerisms
For a man by nothing is so well betrayed as by his manners.
—Edmund Spenser
A speaker’s mannerisms are his or her adherence to a particular style or way of acting. Try to avoid any distinctive mannerisms that distract from what you are saying. Your goal is to get your listeners to focus on your message rather than you as the messenger. A distraction is anything that interferes with the listener’s ability to concentrate on what you are saying.
There are all kinds of speaker mannerisms that interfere with a listener’s ability to give full attention to what you are saying. These may be classified as: (1) attitude, (2) voice, (3) style of delivery, (4) body movement, and (5) use of ...
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