For anyone who lived in the New York metropolitan area in the 1970’s and 80’s the name, “Crazy Eddie” brings back memories of some of the most effective commercials ever to air on television. Crazy Eddie was New York’s dominant discount electronics retailer during that era of eight-track tape players and video cassette recorders. Starting from one location in Brooklyn, the electronics retailer grew rapidly thanks to its dramatic TV ads featuring an over-the-top pitchman brimming with enthusiasm—arms flailing, eyes bulging—who promoted the store’s unbelievable deals, and always closed with the tagline, “Crazy Eddie. His prices are INSANE!”
That pitchman (a high-energy New York disc jockey known as Dr. Jerry Carroll who many falsely believed was Crazy Eddie himself) provides us with an important tip that can help many people become more dynamic speakers and improve their media appearances.
Now I’m not asking that you become a raving lunatic to make your presentations as memorable as Crazy Eddie’s commercials. But, by utilizing just a little bit of Dr. Jerry’s technique, you can improve your presentations. The key is to use your hands.
Far too many presenters take their hands entirely out of their vocal toolkit by holding them together, hiding them behind the back, or, worst of all, folding the arms. Hands are meant to be used. They naturally help solve one of the most common problems in public speaking—flat, emotionless, boring presentations. Audiences want to watch speakers who are passionate about their subject matter. We convey our passion by putting energy and emphasis into our presentations. And hand movement is a natural way to inject that critical element into one’s speaking style.
When we want to emphasize a key point, a quick hand gesture helps add dynamism to our voice, taking our pitch higher or lower and modulating our volume. This is an easy way for monotone-prone speakers improve their vocal variety.
Using the hands also makes our body language more natural. When we recite a list, we can count with our fingers, to help differentiate each item. When we are referring to a PowerPoint slide we can point to a key fact to provide emphasis. This is helps our bodies loosen up, rather than appearing rigid. Making use of our hands helps us to convey our messages and to become more believable and trustworthy presenters (rather than stiff speakers that are not to be trusted).
So, when preparing a public presentation remember to act a little like Crazy Eddie’s alter ego. Use your hands and body language to bring energy and emphasis to your speaking. No one will think you’re insane if you use your hands more; you’ll simply be more memorable.