CPPS Stage Presence & Body Language Flashcards

What is the primary risk of 'swaying' or 'rocking' on stage during a presentation?

Answer: It distracts the audience and signals nervousness or discomfort

Repetitive swaying or rocking is a self-soothing nervous habit that draws negative attention and signals a lack of confidence.

When a speaker faces the projection screen instead of the audience while pointing to slide content, they are committing which error?

Answer: Turning their back, losing voice projection and audience connection

Facing the screen breaks eye contact, muffles the voice, and severs the speaker–audience connection — always face the audience.

In a large auditorium, a speaker should adjust gestures by:

Answer: Enlarging and slowing gestures so they are visible to the entire room

In large venues, gestures must be scaled up and slowed down to be legible from far distances, matching the space's scale.

Which facial expression habit most damages trust and warmth with an audience?

Answer: Maintaining a flat, expressionless 'presentation face' throughout

A blank, expressionless presentation face comes across as robotic or disengaged, making it difficult for audiences to emotionally connect.

When a CPPS candidate is evaluated on 'commanding the space,' assessors are looking for:

Answer: Intentional, confident movement that owns the performance area without pacing nervously

Commanding the space means deliberate, confident use of the performance area — moving with purpose rather than pacing anxiously.

Maintaining a confident posture (shoulders back, spine straight, weight balanced) primarily signals to the audience:

Answer: Authority, confidence, and readiness to lead the room

Upright, open posture nonverbally communicates authority and self-assurance before the speaker even utters a word.