Stand with confidence and passion; the audience is not going to believe the emotions presented in your poetry if your posture and facial expressions don't back them up. If your poem is somber or melancholy, let your facial expressions express that. Do not smile unless the topic is happy or positive. Facial expressions should express the poem's emotions. Be conscious of your gestures as well. Standing in one place and never moving shows no emotion. Use the stage and move your hands, arms or feet to emphasize and illustrate the way the poem makes you feel.
When we make eye contact, we speak directly to that person. You want your audience to feel like you are speaking right to them, so make sure to maintain eye contact. You also want your audience to believe what you are saying and feeling. Looking down or reading from your poem is not an effective performance technique. Consider yourself a speaker rather than a reader. Memorize the poem and practice before presenting, so there is no need to read from a paper or book.
Spoken word poetry is all about emotion. When we become emotional, we change the inflection, tone and cadence of our voice. When presenting spoken word poetry, know what words should have emphasis, and speak loudly and confidently to show your audience you feel the emotion of the poem, and to make the audience feel that emotion just as strongly. The cadence should reflect the tone of the poem, but make sure you speak slowly enough so the audience can understand what you are saying.
Remember, the audience is there to hear you. Performance techniques allow you to not only illustrate the emotions presented in your poem, but to make your audience feel those emotions too. Your audience wants to see that you enjoy spoken word poetry, and actually feel the emotions you present. It really is a performance, and practice makes perfect.