Body Language: When Your Body Sends a Message

• Much the same thing happens in a presentation. Posture, facial expression, gestures, eye
contact—all affect the way listeners respond to a speaker. The message conveyed by these
parts of the body is called the body language.
• Ray Birdwhistell, one of the founders of a fascinating area of study called kinesics estimated
that more than 700,000 physical signals can be sent through bodily movement.
• Studies have shown that these signals have a significant impact on the meaning communicated
by speakers.
• Research has also lent support to what the Greek historian Herodotus observed more than
2,400 years ago: “People trust their ears less than their eyes.”
• When a speaker’s body language is inconsistent with his or her words, listeners may well
believe the body language rather than the words.
• Better Body Language is a Key Presentation Skill. You can use positive body language to
enhance your presentations.
• Body language can be a powerful tool to engage your audience, demonstrate authority and
deliver a more impactful presentation.
 Eye contact
• It is the Direct visual contact with the eyes of another person.
• The eyes have been called “the windows of the soul.” We look to them to help gauge a speaker’s
truthfulness, intelligence, attitudes, and feelings.
• Although patterns of eye contact in everyday conversation vary from culture to culture, there is
wide agreement across cultures on the importance of eye contact in presentations.
• In most circumstances, one of the quickest ways to establish a communicative bond with your
listeners is to look at them personally and pleasantly.
• Avoiding their gaze is one of the surest ways to lose them.
• Making eye contact with your audience helps establish a connection and shows that you are
confident and engaged.
• To use your body language most effectively try to make eye contact with different people
throughout the room, rather than just focusing on one person.
 Eye contact
• When presenting or speaking in public you will get a better reaction if you improve your eye
contact.
• Eye contact is a learned skill that takes practice.
• Here are some easy tips you can apply for powerful eye contact:
Ø Only talk when you are looking at someone. No more looking into your notes or staring into
the middle distance.
Ø Spend one or two sentences talking to each person. Get some ‘quality time’ with each
person.
Ø Hold your eye contact until the end of the sentence.
Ø If you are nervous, if you don’t like looking into someone’s eyes, then look at their
forehead or nose.
Ø Practice improving your eye contact. Start with friends. Make them point out each time
your eye contact drops.
ØNo matter what the size of your audience, you want your eyes to convey confidence, sincerity,
and conviction.
 Eye contact
• It isn’t enough just to look at your listeners; how you look at them also counts.
• Beware of the tendency to gaze intently at one part of the audience while ignoring the
rest.
• In the presentation class, some students look only at the section of the room where the teacher
is sitting.
• Others avoid looking anywhere near the teacher and focus on one or two sympathetic friends.
• You should try to establish eye contact with your whole audience.
• When addressing a small audience such as your class, you can usually look briefly from one
person to another.
• For a larger group, you can scan the audience rather than try to engage the eyes of each person
individually.
• No matter what the size of your audience, you want your eyes to convey confidence, sincerity,
and conviction.
 Use gestures to emphasize points
• A gesture is a form of nonverbal communication in which visible bodily actions are
used to communicate important messages, either in place of speech or together and in
parallel with spoken words.
• Gesture refers to specific physical movements made with the body using hands, face, or other
parts of the body. .
• Gestures allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt
and hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition to words
when they speak.
• Gesturing helps you access memories. Using hand gestures while you speak not only helps
others remember what you say, it also helps you speak more quickly and effectively!
• Gesture and speech work independently of each other, but join to provide emphasis and
meaning.
• Actions speak louder than words. That’s why gestures are powerful tools for conveying
information and understanding the people around you.
 Use your hands to emphasize points
• The primary rule is this: Whatever gestures you make should not distract from your message.
• They should appear natural and spontaneous, help clarify or reinforce your ideas, and be suited
to the audience and occasion.
• Too much movement can be distracting. Lots of tiny movements or flapping your arms around
makes you look smaller and unconfident.
• Appropriate hand-speaking space is from the top of your chest to the bottom of your
waist.
• If you go outside this box, it’s seen as distracting and out of control.
• People love fluid hand gestures. Jerky and robotic prepared moves are
distracting.
• Practice speaking with your hands until it feels and looks natural.
• Be careful cross-culturally. Not all hand gestures are created
equal!
 Posture matters
• Posture refers to the overall position of the body when sitting or standing.
• Presentation posture is all about standing tall, chin up and open arms – never crossed.
• This can be tricky if you're a nervous presenter. But, if your audience can tell that you're afraid of
them, it'll be hard to win over their trust and full attention.
• Stand with your feet apart, shoulders open and naturally relaxed.
• A poor posture such as slouching will give your audience the impression that you’re not confident
nor interested in your topic or yourself.
• If you're tense, they'll sense your nervousness.
• Remind yourself to relax throughout your presentation and to straighten up if you start to slouch.
• Not only will this give you the chance to improve your posture, but it'll also allow your audience to
take in the points you’ve just covered.
 Posture matters

Power pose
• Stand straight with your shoulders back and feet
shoulder-width apart.
• Imagine your shoulders opening up from one another
so that they rest centrally.
• Place your hands either side of your body so that you
can easily make hand gestures when you need to.
• Face the audience as much as possible. If you’re in a
large room, tilt your whole body towards different parts
of the audience so everyone feels included.
 Movement

• Non-stop pacing makes the audience feel nervous and is distracting. Movement should
always be purposeful and to help to engage the audience, not to take away from the
presentation.
• If you have a nervous habit such as shifting weight from side to side, tapping a leg or a foot,
moving to different parts of the room throughout the speech will actually help you.
• The most confident speakers use the space they are in and aren’t afraid to be near their
audience.
• Do the following for an effective use of space:
Ø Stand firm and move with intentionality and purpose.
Ø Never sway back and forth.
Ø Use movement during the presentation to make a point or stress something important.
Ø Stand in a position where the entire audience can be seen.
Ø Don’t get in front of visuals if they are used.
 Facial Expressions
• Our face is like a projector – It shows the world what’s going on inside.
• We use facial expressions to project our emotions for others and add “flavor” to the words we say.
• Giving a presentation with a blank face, without any particular facial expression is like speaking in a monotone –
no matter how great your content is, your audience will not be engaged.
• Even some simple steps from the outset, such as opening your eyes wider, raising your eyebrows a little, and
smiling, can make a huge difference in setting the tone for your presentation.
• Thus, facial expressions create dynamism. They give the impression that you stand behind your ideas and
believe in them.
• Your facial expressions Must Match Your Content. If your facial expressions are in line with the tone of your
words, then the information you are presenting will come across more clearly, and you will seem more sincere.
• If you say, “I’m so excited about these new initiatives!” your face better tell the same story.
• Also pay Attention to Your Audience’s Facial Expressions.
• Your audience’s facial expressions are just as important to pay attention to as your own. When you read them
and you get a sense of the emotional response to your presentation
 Facial Expressions to Avoid
The following facial expressions may quickly turn the experience of the audience into a negative
one:
• Scowling – A furrowed brow, downturned mouth, and avoidance of eye contact shows dissatisfaction or
disagreement with what is being communicated.
• Pursed lips – Keep your mouth relaxed with your lips slightly upturned or in a neutral position. Pursing
the lips could give the impression you disapprove, or don’t trust the person who is talking.
• Rapid blinking – Keep your blinking under control – blinking more rapidly gives the impression you are
distressed or uncomfortable.
• Prolonged eye contact – Although we do recommend eye contact with people in your audience,
prolonged eye contact, or staring, can be seen as threatening. If, however, you are presenting virtually,
then holding prolonged eye contact directly into the camera when addressing your listeners is considered
good practice.
• Nose – Try to refrain from touching your nose, mouth or chin when presenting. This could be seen as a
sign of insecurity and is perceived as negative by your audience.
 Negative body language/Mannerism
• Negative body language or closed body language is a set of nonverbal behaviors that inspire a
negative reaction during interpersonal communication.
• These are the negative body languages a presenter must avoid:
1. Poor stance or posture:
Crossing arms, slouching, or turning away from others can convey disinterest, defensiveness, or
lack of engagement. Such closed postures can discourage open communication and make others
perceive us as unapproachable or uninterested, leading to negative feedback or limited interaction.
2. Avoiding eye contact:
Avoiding eye contact can signal discomfort, disengagement, or dishonesty. It may give the
impression that we are not attentive or trustworthy, which can result in negative feedback and
hinder effective communication.
3. Facial Expressions: Negative facial expressions such as frowning, scowling, or eye-rolling can
create a negative perception of our attitude or mood. Others may interpret these expressions as
hostility, annoyance, or disrespect, leading to negative feedback or strained relationships.
 Negative body language/Mannerism

4. Lack of Active Listening: Displaying signs of impatience, interrupting others, or appearing

distracted while someone is speaking indicates a lack of active listening. It can make others feel
undervalued, disrespected, or unheard, leading to negative feedback regarding our communication
skills and interpersonal interactions.
5. Inappropriate Gestures: Using aggressive or dismissive gestures, such as pointing fingers, crossed
arms, or excessive hand movements, can convey hostility or a lack of respect. These gestures can
evoke negative reactions and result in unfavorable feedback from others.
6. Inconsistent Nonverbal Cues: When our verbal and nonverbal cues do not align, it can create
confusion or distrust. Mixed signals can generate negative feedback as others struggle to understand
our intentions or interpret our messages accurately.
7. Clumsy use of objects: The whiteboard or flip chart marker held but never used; the piece of
chalk tossed into the air during a lecture; or the microphone held in a gesturing hand. There's even a
dangerous version: laser pointers whose beams dance across audience members' faces! Like actors
with props, speakers need to use objects rather than being used by them.
 Practicing and refining body language
Daily Routines for Better Posture
Building better posture requires daily practice. Set reminders so you periodically stand tall and roll your
shoulders back to open your chest. Stretches like overhead reaches target tight muscles that pull shoulders
forward. Yoga poses that extend the spine help counteract slouching. Perform exercises like planks to build
core strength for a balanced stance.

Use visualisation techniques daily – imagine balancing a book atop your head as you walk. Adopt
grounded public speaking stances like hands clasped behind your back. The more upright postures become
an ingrained habit, the more poised and confident you’ll appear when presenting.
Practice Drills for Effective Hand Gestures

Avoid small, jittery hand motions – instead, drill broad, purposeful gestures that fluidly originate from
your core. Rehearse synchronised motions in front of a mirror, timed to match speech patterns.
Vary gesture size and speed to fit the tone of your message. Watch TED talks and replicate speakers’
effective motions to expand your repertoire. With consistent practice, gestures will become a seamless way
to emphasise key points and amplify your presentations.
Body
Language
for an
Effective
Presentation