When you present, people listen to your words and watch your hands. Used well, gestures help your audience follow your points and remember them. Used badly, they distract from what you are saying.
There is good reason to get them right. Research suggests that gestures help people remember information better. This guide covers the hand gestures worth using in a presentation, grouped by what they do for you: build trust, make your message easier to remember and keep the audience with you.
Where to keep your hands
Start from a neutral position. Rest your hands loosely in front of you, around waist height. From there, every gesture has a place to start and a place to return to.
Avoid clasping your hands behind your back, keeping them in your pockets or gripping the lectern. Each of these looks closed and stiff, and it leaves you with nothing to gesture with.
Gestures that build trust
Some gestures make you look guarded. Others make you look open and approachable. The open ones help the audience trust you, and people listen more closely to someone they trust.
1. Open palms
Showing your palms is one of the clearest signs of openness. It tells the audience you have nothing to hide. When they believe that, they are more willing to take in your message.
2. Hand on heart
Placing a hand on your chest says "I mean this". Save it for the moments that matter, such as sharing a belief, a personal story or a commitment. Used too often, it starts to look rehearsed.
3. Steepled fingertips
Steepling means touching your fingertips together while your palms stay apart. It signals calm confidence, and many leaders and investors use it when they answer questions. Use it while you pause, listen or take a question. Held for too long, it can look smug.
Gestures that help people remember
These gestures give the audience a picture to go with your words. When people can see an idea as well as hear it, it is easier to follow and harder to forget.
4. Counting your points
Show the number of each point with your fingers as you introduce it. Say "My second point is..." while holding up two fingers. It tells the audience where you are in your talk and helps them keep track.
5. This and that
When you compare two ideas, give each one a side. Hold one hand out for the first idea and the other hand for the second. The audience can then see the contrast, not just hear it. Use the same sides every time you return to those ideas.
6. Bringing your hands together
Start with your arms apart and bring your hands together in front of you. It shows two things becoming one: two teams, two companies, or a problem and its solution. It works well when you announce a partnership or a launch. If you are holding a microphone, use one arm.
7. Showing size, growth and change
Use your hands to draw what you are describing. Raise your hand step by step to show growth. Hold your hands apart to show a gap, then close them to show it narrowing. Show a small amount with your thumb and finger and a large amount with your arms. Abstract ideas become much easier to picture.
Gestures that keep the audience with you
8. Guiding attention to your slides
When you want people to look at a chart or a number, point to it with an open hand rather than a single finger. An open hand is clear without looking sharp or impatient. Then turn back to the audience before you speak again.
9. Inviting the audience in
When you ask a question or share something personal, turn your palms up and towards the audience. It invites them into the conversation and makes your talk feel less like a lecture.
How to use hand gestures well
- Match the size to the room and the moment. A boardroom needs smaller gestures than a ballroom. Big moments in your talk can take bigger gestures.
- Match the pace to your tone. Slow, deliberate movements look calm and in control. Quick, jerky movements look nervous.
- Gesture with purpose. If a movement does not add meaning, let your hands rest. Constant movement is as distracting as none at all.
- Keep your gestures above the waist and in front of you, where the audience can see them.
- Practise on video. Record yourself and watch it on mute. You will see quickly which gestures help and which ones distract.
Gestures to avoid
Some gestures work against you, such as pointing at the audience, fidgeting or crossing your arms. Read our guide to negative body language to avoid in a presentation.
Related guides
- Public speaking posture to project confidence
- How to improve your speaking voice
- How to use the right tone of voice
- Speech exercises to improve articulation
About Speak Sell Succeed
Speak Sell Succeed teaches public speaking, presentation and communication skills to working adults in Singapore. Every course is taught in person by our founder, Iwan Yang, at our centre in Tanjong Pagar. Iwan has more than ten years of speaking and training experience and has personally trained more than 3,000 people.
Gestures are much easier to get right when someone is watching. In our Presentation Skills & Public Speaking course, you practise in front of the class and Iwan gives you feedback on your body, face and voice, so you know which gestures help your message and which get in the way.
Eligible Singapore Citizens can use SkillsFuture Credit for our courses, and NTUC members can claim UTAP. See upcoming course dates or message us on WhatsApp if you would like help choosing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do with my hands when presenting?
Rest your hands loosely in front of you at waist height. Gesture from there to support your points, then return to that position. Avoid putting them in your pockets, crossing your arms or gripping the lectern.
Is it bad to use a lot of hand gestures?
Only if they add nothing. Constant movement distracts the audience. Use gestures to count your points, show a contrast or describe size and change, and let your hands rest in between.
Which hand gestures make you look confident?
Open palms, steady gestures in front of your body and moments of stillness look confident. Quick, jerky or repetitive movements tend to look nervous.
Should I point at my slides?
Use an open hand rather than one finger to guide attention to a chart or number. Then turn back to the audience before you carry on speaking.
How can I practise hand gestures?
Record yourself presenting and watch it on mute. You will see quickly which gestures support your message and which distract. Feedback from someone watching live helps even more.
