Body Language Matters: Proper Posture, Movement & Gestures
Why It Matters
Poor delivery and bad posture shift the audience’s focus and impede communication. Some presenters become overly nervous, and attempt to anchor themselves by shifting or leaning sideways. This distracts listeners from what you are saying. Do not lean on walls, tables or the podium. This appears overly casual. Your stance should also be natural and not stiff. If you appear too rigid, it will convey discomfort to your audience. When an audience senses discomfort, it takes their attention away from the message at hand. Keep a good posture, stand straight with shoulders back, relaxed and feet shoulder width apart.
Movement
The way you move during an oral presentation is an extension of your posture. Too much movement can make you seem nervous, while standing rigidly without movement is off-putting. Limit your motion, moving only to emphasize a point or mark a transition in your presentation. Your hands and arms are also an extension of your posture during a speech. Your hands and arms are used to emphasize points. Keep your hands out of your pockets, as this can appear too casual. Do not fold your arms in front of you, to avoid creating a barrier that makes you seem closed off from your audience. Actions such as wringing your hands can make you seem nervous and out of control.
Avoid Doing These - Here Are The Messages You Will Convey If You Do!
1) Fold hands/arms: It indicates that you are unenthusiastic about the speech or the presentation. You are not open to others and their ideas. Folding arms could imply that you may have gone into your shell and you are uncomfortable in the presence of others.
2) Look down or off into space: If you look down or off into the space, it shows that you are not interested in the audience, or in the whole idea of being there.
3) Jiggle legs: Reason why people shake their legs is restlessness. Either you are unprepared or you just got bored of the situation.
4) Fidget with objects: Clicking pens, playing with paper clips may show you as impatient, bored, nervous, and restless. Not just this, audience will end up seeing you fidgeting and will not pay attention to what is being said.
5) Turn your back to the audience: When you do it, you bore them. As a result, you lose them. You portray as if you do not care about them.
Always Do These:
1) Make eye contact: Always make an eye contact with your audience. Eye contact represents that you are interested in the conversation. It shows that you are speaking information, showing attention and interest.
2) Open arms: Keep your arms open. Open arms display that you are confident about your content. You have a confidence in your message.
3) Face expressions: Face expressions are an integral part of any speech. Face expressions alone can make your audience understand the meaning of the message. Let your emotions come out while saying each word. It shows that you mean them. Your audience will immediately connect with you.
4) Open palms: Talk with the palms open. It is a sign of honesty. Closed palms indicate that you are hiding something and come across as a threat to your audience. Avoid keeping hands in your pockets or by the side. Rather use hands gestures to emphasize your words.
5) Smile: There is nothing better than smiling. It shows that a person is credible, confident, and trustworthy. It exudes positivity and charm about the person who is delivering a speech.
2) Look down or off into space: If you look down or off into the space, it shows that you are not interested in the audience, or in the whole idea of being there.
3) Jiggle legs: Reason why people shake their legs is restlessness. Either you are unprepared or you just got bored of the situation.
4) Fidget with objects: Clicking pens, playing with paper clips may show you as impatient, bored, nervous, and restless. Not just this, audience will end up seeing you fidgeting and will not pay attention to what is being said.
5) Turn your back to the audience: When you do it, you bore them. As a result, you lose them. You portray as if you do not care about them.
1) Make eye contact: Always make an eye contact with your audience. Eye contact represents that you are interested in the conversation. It shows that you are speaking information, showing attention and interest.
2) Open arms: Keep your arms open. Open arms display that you are confident about your content. You have a confidence in your message.
3) Face expressions: Face expressions are an integral part of any speech. Face expressions alone can make your audience understand the meaning of the message. Let your emotions come out while saying each word. It shows that you mean them. Your audience will immediately connect with you.
4) Open palms: Talk with the palms open. It is a sign of honesty. Closed palms indicate that you are hiding something and come across as a threat to your audience. Avoid keeping hands in your pockets or by the side. Rather use hands gestures to emphasize your words.
5) Smile: There is nothing better than smiling. It shows that a person is credible, confident, and trustworthy. It exudes positivity and charm about the person who is delivering a speech.
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