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Proxemics—the use of space and distance between yourself and your audience—is related to physical movement. Through proxemics, you control how close you stand to your audience while delivering your speech.

The size and setup of the speech setting can help you determine how best to use proxemics. For example, in a large forum, you may want to come out from behind the podium and move closer to your audience, so that listeners can see and hear you more easily. Moving toward your audience can also help you communicate intimacy;⁷ it suggests you’re about to convey something personal, which many audience members will find compelling. Research has also shown that audiences perceive a strong association not only between closeness and intimacy but also between closeness and attraction,⁸ and see closeness as an indication of the immediacy/nonimmediacy of the speech message.⁹

Of course, people have different feelings about physical proximity. Whereas some welcome a speaker’s nearness, others consider it a violation of their personal space or even a threat. Culture can also influence a person’s response to a speaker’s proximity. In some cultures, physical closeness is considered offensive or invasive.¹⁰ In others, it is considered essential to positive relationships.

To determine how much space to put between you and your listeners, consider your audience’s background, the size and setup of your forum, and your ability to move around the forum. When speaking, move close enough to your audience to interact with them and allow them to see and hear you, but not so close as to violate anyone’s sense of private space.