Hand gestures are a form of non-verbal communication, and they make up a good percentage of our communication. Good speakers know how to use the correct hand gestures to get their messages and speeches across. When used right, hand gestures can increase your spoken word’s value by up to 60%.

Why are hand gestures important in public speaking?

The importance of hand gestures in public speaking cannot be overlooked. Hand gestures come to you naturally when speaking, and they automatically draw people’s attention to you. Studies have shown that people who use more hand gestures in public speaking tend to be more successful speakers than those who don’t. Read more about it here: https://orai.com/practice-public-speaking/#How_to_Practice_Public_Speaking_Like_a_Pro. 

However, hand gestures have different meanings in different cultures. Some French hand gestures may be offensive to other people, same as Japanese hand gestures or Korean hand gestures. So, your audience will determine the hand gestures you employ.