How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentations, revised and expanded new edition, with a foreword by Richard St. John

CHAPTER 13

Moving Around the Stage

TIP 80: Move within the virtual set you create on stage.

You can transform yourself into a true professional through the use of effective movement. The goal is to make movement fluid and natural while being deliberate. Move with purpose, not simply for variety to free yourself from the tyranny of the lectern and the screen.

To do this, I recommend you visualize the space you will be using as a theatrical stage with defined and consistent locations for the different parts of your speech. If you are telling a story, then each of your characters should occupy a different fixed physical location. If you are explaining a timeline, then start at your audience’s left (not your left) and move toward its right as you ...