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How To Use Body Language To Enhance Your Presentation Skills

How you physically hold and carry yourself makes a huge difference in how your audience receives your words.

Improve Your Presentation Body Language

As a manager, you know that mastering presentation skills is critical for effectively communicating ideas , motivating your team, and projecting leadership presence. But even if your message is compelling, poor body language can undermine your talk’s impact .

How you physically hold and carry yourself makes a huge difference in how your audience receives your words. Simple tweaks like standing with open posture, using natural hand gestures, maintaining eye contact, and having expressive facial reactions can dramatically boost your ability to captivate and connect with any crowd.

But how can you use all the tips to improve your next presentation ?

In this guide, we’ll help you understand all the small tweaks you can do to improve your presentation style . From building a strong stage presence to making sure that your audience doesn’t doze off , you’ll be able to become a speaker who naturally commands attention and gains trust.

So, let’s see how you can become a speaker that not only informs but also inspires.

Key Components of Effective Body Language in Presentations

Posture – conveying confidence and authority.

Proper posture is crucial for projecting confidence and professionalism while presenting. Stand tall with your shoulders comfortably back and down to achieve an open, grounded stance. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet, positioned shoulder-width apart in a power pose. This occupies space and subconsciously signals assurance and leadership capability. Avoid closed-off postures like crossed arms and legs, which telegraph discomfort or aloofness. Train yourself to stand upright often outside of presentations, as posture habits inform body language cues .

Keep your chin parallel to the floor and your head upright. This levels your gaze naturally to readily meet the audience’s eyes and establish an engaging connection . Periodically roll your shoulders back to keep your chest open if needed. Use torso twists to limber up before taking the stage. Stand with authority by clasping hands behind your lower back. Small posture adjustments like these will instantly lend you greater gravitas.

Hand Gestures – Adding Emphasis and Clarity

Hand motions are a powerful tool to punctuate words and underscore meaning, so use them with deliberate purpose. Open palm gestures fluidly direct the audience’s gaze, highlighting key points without unnecessary flourish. Sweeping hand motions also reinforce ideas spatially and describe size and shape. Avoid overuse of gestures which distract. Keep hand motions above the sternum where the audience can readily see them.

Prevent anxious habits like wringing hands or touching your face. Instead, drill smooth motions originating from the core that emphasise ideas. Calibrate hand gestures to your message’s tone using palm orientation, speed, size and range appropriate to each point. Well-executed hand motions timed to accent important content, clarify the presentation and amplify impact . But use sparingly, only when meaning is enhanced.

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Practical Application in Presentations

Integrating body language into presentation preparation.

When preparing your presentation , consciously plan how physical presence will complement the narrative. Script instances to stand tall to convey confidence at key points. Note when expansive gestures could underscore important ideas. Plan for natural eye contact with participants throughout the room. Identify areas where facial expressions might heighten engagement.

Practice fluid transitions between postures and gestures. Appropriately time movements and gestures to sync with speech patterns. Review the video to confirm body language aligns with your intentions. Refine through repetition to eliminate distracting motions and polish physical delivery.

Dynamic Body Language During Live Presentations

While presenting, let body language emerge naturally from the content while adhering to openness, purpose and confidence principles. Avoid remaining static, or you may disengage the audience. Move with an intention to occupy the stage using diagonal crossing patterns. Pivot your torso and stance when transitioning.

Continually scan the room, making eye contact . Use sustained gestures more dynamically when speaking passionately to boost energy and enthusiasm. Allow facial expressions to reflect the speech’s emotion. Respond physically to audience reactions. Adjust pacing, gestures, and proximity as needed to recapture wandering attention. An authentic , dynamic physical presence will keep your audience engaged .

Simple Exercises to Enhance Body Language Skills

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, too – 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. Mark words for emphasis gestures on your script or teleprompter.

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.

If you are looking for In-House Presentation Skills Training for a group or teams, please see our

Advanced Body Language Strategies for Presentations

Adapting body language for diverse audiences.

Tailor your body language approach based on audience demographics to increase engagement:

• Research cultural norms on gestures and personal space to avoid miscommunicating with international attendees.
• Adjust formality appropriately for executives versus new hires.
• Adjust gestures to be visible and expressions to be exaggerated if presenting to an audience with visual or hearing impairments. Use simplicity, repetition, and descriptive language.
• Make body language inclusive by scanning the full room with eye contact, not just focusing on leadership.
• Naturally pace stance and gestures to resonate across generations.

Responsive, adaptive physical presence fosters audience connection.

Context-Specific Body Language Techniques

Adjust techniques based on the presentation context. Subtle, confined gestures suit lecterns, while expansive motions engage stage audiences. Convey passion facially and physically for motivational speeches. A CEO may feature formal postures, while an engineer can relax formality for tech demos. Conversational gestures engage small groups.

For video conferences, look into the camera when speaking, then pan side-to-side to show attentiveness. Lean slightly forward on intensifying words. Exaggerate nods, smiles and frowns for clarity onscreen. Contextual mastery makes every talk more effective.

Body Language in Digital Presentation Platforms

Challenges and strategies for virtual presentations.

Presenting through video conferencing poses body language challenges:

• Limited mobility due to being seated and on camera can make presentations feel static and disengaged.
• Distance from the camera may mean facial expressions and subtle gestures get lost.
• Lack of audience visual feedback is difficult.

However, some strategic tweaks can help amplify your virtual presence:

• Stand and gesture when possible to emulate live delivery . Incorporate periodic movement.
• Position the camera at eye level and look directly into it to simulate eye contact.
• Use visual aids like slides or images behind you for audience focus.
• Request audience webcams be on for virtual nods, smiles and eye contact.

Effective Use of Body Language in Video Conferencing

When presenting via video chat platforms:

• Properly position the camera at eye level to emulate eye contact.
• Look into the camera when speaking, then pan to side screens to view participants’ faces.
• Project confidence through purposeful posture and avoid distracting fidgets off-screen.
• Convey energy by varying pace, emphasis gestures, and vocal delivery.
• Use exaggerated facial expressions for clarity onscreen.
• Occasionally lean forward subtly on key points for intensified engagement.
• Send “looking to audience” visual cues before asking questions.

Proper use of virtual body language techniques makes online presentations more dynamic and impactful.

Elevate Your Presentation Skills With Impact Factory

Now armed with evidence-based techniques to amplify your body language impact, it’s time to put these tips into practice. Reflect on your upcoming presentations and identify areas needing improvement. Set goals to integrate one new technique per talk until a powerful physical presence comes naturally. Also, continue observing seasoned speakers to expand your skills repertoire .

For professionals seeking to master presentation skills beyond just body language, our Impact Factory Presentation Skills Training Course offers an intensive learning experience. The program elevates verbal delivery, content structure , audience engagement, and physical presence through hands-on sessions with expert coaches.

The course features modules dedicated to body language mastery, including stance, movement and eye contact for gravitas. However, you’ll also be able to identify your strengths, learn how to become less nervous and make your presentations more engaging.

So, whether you need to pitch ideas within the company, win over new customers, enchant stakeholders in a boardroom or talk to the public and media, you’ll become more confident and learn how to craft a presentation that allows you to reach your goals .

To learn more about our transformative presentation training, browse through our offer of courses or email [email protected]. Our knowledgeable coaches provide personalised guidance to dramatically boost your public speaking capabilities .

Contact us today to amplify your presence and confidence as a presenter.

What are soft skills for body language?

Key soft skills for mastering body language include:

• Self-awareness – recognising your natural gestures
• Empathy – reading others’ nonverbal cues
• Adaptability – adjusting body language by context
• Active listening – paying attention to others’ signals
• Authenticity – using gestures that feel natural

What are the 5 P’s of presentation skills?

The 5 P’s are a framework for excellent presentations:

• Planning – research and outline content
• Preparation – create slides, handouts, notes
• Practice – rehearse delivery out loud
• Presentation – deliver material confidently
• Post-Evaluation – review feedback afterwards

What is the 5/5/5 rule for better presentation?

The 5/5/5 rule suggests:

• 5 key points maximum per slide
• 5 words maximum per bullet point
• 5 text-heavy slides maximum in a row before visuals

This technique improves engagement by simplifying slides and varying content types.

Related Articles:

Here are more resources to help you plan your next steps:

• Presentation Skills Training – Browse through our offer to see what you can gain from the training.
• Presentation With Impact – In this course, you can find your unique presentation style and sharpen your skills to perfection. Explore what our course has to offer.
• Tips To Improve Your Presentation Skills From Industry Insiders [link to our piece] – Learn more about small yet impactful tweaks to your next presentation so you can captivate the audience and reach your goals.
• How To Create Impactful Presentation Slides [link to our piece] – The days with slides full of barely readable text are long gone. Explore our tips to make your slides more engaging.

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Seven Top Body Language Tips for Better Presentations [2023]

November 29, 2023

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 gravitas and deliver a more impactful presentation., developing good body language for presentations is a real skill.  and it’s a skill you can improve.  over the last 15 years we’ve coached thousands of people to be comfortable and successful.   if you need help, do please get in touch. we run in-house and online coaching sessions for business executives. it’s fast and good value., our presentation experts have put together a list of great body language tips you can use to improve your next presentation. and we’ve gathered some videos so you can see these body language tips in action., here is a quick guide to good body language and how to use it when presenting:.

Improve your presentation body language – top tips Use your body language to show confidence Use your hands to emphasize points Make eye contact Use your facial expressions to show emotion Use your body movement to add energy Beyond body language: use props effectively Practise good body language and stage presence

1. Use your body language to show confidence

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, and make sure your body is facing the audience. This will help you project confidence and command attention. Avoid crossing your arms, as this can make you seem closed off or defensive. Keep the bottom half of your body relatively still and put all your movement in the top half of your body.

2. Use your hands to emphasize points

Our clients frequently ask “What should I do with my hands?”.

Hand gestures are best used to emphasise key points. They also add energy to your presentation, particularly when you use them above shoulder-height. Jill Bolte’s TED talk demonstrates this well. Too much movement can be distracting, however. Lots of tiny movements or flapping your arms around makes you look smaller and unconfident. Go for big, bold, purposeful gestures that you hold for a few seconds. These convey presence, leadership and authority.

When you aren’t using your hands to emphasise what you’re saying, hold your hands slightly in front of you, with bent elbows. That’s what good body language looks like. You may find this feels odd at first – but watch Ken Robinson to see how effective it can be. If you are using a lectern, then above-shoulder gestures will be the only ones your audience can see. If you choose to rest your hands on the lectern, keep them hands loose and relaxed. Avoid looking as though you are hanging on for dear life!

3. Make eye contact

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.

What would you think if  I didn’t look you in the eye?

Or if I avoided your gaze? Or if I looked down every time I said something? What impression do you get?

You need good eye contact to be a good presenter..

We like people who can make eye contact (remember the last time you were flirting with someone?). We trust people who can   “look you in the eye” . We want to see people “ eye-to-eye “.

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.  From extensive work with our clients, here are some easy tips you can apply for powerful eye contact:

• Only talk when you are looking at someone. No more looking into your notes or staring into the middle distance.
• Spend one or two sentences talking to each person. Get some ‘quality time’ with each person.
• Hold your eye contact until the end of the sentence.
• If you are nervous, if you don’t like looking into someone’s eyes, then look at their forehead or nose.
• Practice improving your eye contact. Start with friends. Make them point out each time your eye contact drops.

Just these simple tips for powerful eye contact will make you a more convincing and persuasive public speaker.

This is such a simple body language trick. Many people underestimated how powerful it is.

4. use your facial expressions to show emotion.

Your facial expressions can convey a lot of emotion and help engage your audience. Good body language means using facial expressions to show enthusiasm, concern, or surprise, depending on the content of your presentation.

5. Use your body movement to add energy

Adding some movement to your presentation can help keep the audience engaged and add energy to your delivery. Good body language can be as simple as taking a step forward or backward when making a point, or using your hands to gesture.

As with hand gestures, deliberate movements that emphasise your content work well. But too much movement is distracting. Getting the balance right takes practice.

Aim to stand still for the majority of your talk. This will convey confidence and authority. Plan in advance when you will move, combing those movements with breaks in your content. Express a full thought or point in your new position before moving again. Avoid pacing, which makes a speaker look distressed. Make a point, move to another part of the space and make your next point. Aim to emulate a pleasant countryside walk from viewpoint to viewpoint, rather than a nervous wait outside a labour ward!

Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs

6. Beyond positive body language: use props effectively

Props can be a great way to add interest to your presentation and help illustrate your points. However, be sure to use props sparingly, as too many can be distracting.

7. Practise good body language and stage presence

Your stage presence, or the way you move and present yourself on stage, can greatly impact the effectiveness of your presentation. Practise your stage presence by rehearsing in front of a mirror, or by recording yourself and watching the footage. This will help you avoid any negative body language.

By using body language effectively during your presentations, you can engage your audience and deliver a more impactful message. Remember to pay attention to your posture, hand gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, body movement, and stage presence, and practice using these techniques to enhance your presentations.

As soon as we become conscious of our bodies, they get in our way. When we’re faced with an audience, we become like learner drivers, frozen and unnatural. Advice to ‘act naturally’ isn’t useful, as being watched isn’t natural. Besides, communicating to an audience requires different body language than everyday, one-to-one communication.

Your body language matters when presenting.

We’ve all seen powerful speakers, whether in person or on platforms such as TED.com. We use words like ‘charisma’ and ‘presence’ to describe impressive speakers. But some speakers are uncomfortable to watch. Others use such distracting body language that we cannot focus on what they are saying.

Good body language with strong, positive non-verbal communication can be more powerful. Here, we share our top tips for best use of your hands, eye contact and on-stage movement.

These top tips will help you improve your body language when presenting.

• Take control of your body language
• Ignore ‘Just act natural’ advice
• Get feedback and increase your body language self-awareness
• Establish good eye contact
• Use your hands when presenting
• Command the space where you are speaking
• Start with good content in your presentation

Remember, for Effective Body Language, Take control

Non-verbal communication has three uses , according to David Lambert.

replace speech (e.g. a wink)

Reinforce speech (e.g. nodding while saying ‘yes’) a, give clues about our true feelings (e.g. fidgeting when nervous)..

Successful speakers use open, controlled and strong gestures that reinforce their message . Less successful speakers contradict what they say with their non-verbal behaviour.

For instance, if your body language suggests nervousness when you speak, the audience will interpret this as a lack of confidence in your own message. Equally, if you fold your arms while you speak, you create an implied barrier between you and your audience. That’s why successful leaders learn how to control their posture and gestures to avoid negative or distracting body language.

Better Body Language: Just acting ‘naturally’ doesn’t work

Speaking to large groups of people isn’t a natural situation, so aiming to behave ‘naturally’ is an unhelpful goal. In fact, to transfer energy and enthusiasm to your audience, you need to be ‘more’ than you would normally be in smaller-scale interactions.

For example, to be impressive when presenting you need to be more expressive and more powerful in your command of space.

Positive Body Language: Increase your self awareness

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we film our clients during our coaching sessions. When they watch the footage, they are often surprised to see their body language contradicting their message.

For example, one speaker subtly shook his head in a ‘no’ gesture’ when he was answering ‘yes’ to a question. For a low-tech alternative, try delivering your talk in front of a mirror or recording yourself on a phone.  Learning how to watch yourself and improve from self-analysis is key.

A better presentation is the first step to better delivery

If your presentation is weak, even the best body language will leave audiences unmoved. Conversely, the better your presentation, the more confident you’ll feel about delivering it. You’ll find that your body language naturally improves once you feel confident and comfortable about your presentation.

That’s why we focus on getting that right first. In our presentation coaching We:

• Ensure you have a clear message
• Create a subtle structure that gently guides your audience
• Strengthen the language you use, so it is more powerful.
• Refine the start of your talk and end of your presentation until they produce maximum impact.

Then you’ll find polishing your body language much easier.

Start Improving My Body Language Today

Start your journey to world-class public speaking skills now

First, download our free ebook  to start your journey towards becoming a Powerful Presenter.

You’ll learn our 5-step process for transforming dull, forgettable and un-engaging presentations into your most Powerful Presentations yet: inspirational, memorable and persuasive.

It’s full of practical tips and insightful quotes that will help you make immediate improvements to your leadership talks and presentations, including:

• Increased confidence when you talk and present.
• Improved ability to persuade your audience.
• Greater engagement with your audience.
• Practical ways to plan and structure your talks.
• The inspiration and motivation to change.

Download your free copy of our  Five Steps to Transform your Leadership Talks ebook now.

Get expert support

We can support you with all aspects of your talk. Not just body language, but also the content of your presentation, your voice and everything else that will make you a successful presenter.

Over 15+ years our award-winning team has helped hundreds of CEOs and senior executives deliver impressive and persuasive talks, speeches and presentations.

We can transform your presenting skills and your body language in as little as a few hours.

Call Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to find out more.

Transform your presentation skills with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice of leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve presentation skills and presentations through coaching, training and expert advice.

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to find out more and discuss transforming your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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How to pay attention to your posture for powerful communications in the boardroom, webinar or conference

Table of contents, introduction.

If we could give you one tip to help protect yourself against problems in your aura and vocal presence, it would be this.

Your posture affects your voice.

So you need to be very mindful of it.

What is posture?

Precision is important, so let’s first define what we’re talking about.

The word “posture” means different things in different settings.

As a verb, “to posture” means:

to assume an artificial or pretended attitude

In many ways, “to posture” has negative connotations. It is often a recurring criticism of inauthentic people: that they are posturing, instead of being true and genuine and present.

For the purposes of this guide, we’re not talking about “posturing” as a verb. We’re talking here about your posture, and how that affects so much of everything about what you’re trying to achieve in life, career or business.

The Cambridge English defines posture as:

“a position of the body, or the way in which someone holds the body when standing, sitting, or walking.”

According to Merriam-Webster, it is:

“a conscious mental or outward behavioral attitude … the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose.”

How posture affects your performance

How many people really pay attention to their posture when they stand up to deliver a message in a boardroom or at a conference, or even in the virtual meetings that have become so common to almost all work environments in recent years?

Without careful intention, posture will often be well short of ideal.

We often see what’s called “a collapsed posture”.

According to Harvard Medical School, collapsed posture is often influenced by our modern habits of both work and leisure, such as working in front of a computer, slouching on a couch while watching TV, or looking down at a smartphone.

These habits can cause our core muscles around your midsection to grow weak from inactivity. Your lower back and your abdomen are vital, and when neglected by unconscious habits and lack of intention, in extreme cases this can cause some bone and vertebrae to stack up, leading to further rounding of the spine, which can continue in a vicious cycle until it’s properly addressed.

From both a professional and personal standpoint, the downside is significant.

Collapsed posture, especially in the head, neck and shoulder area, will result in a range of problems that negatively affect your performance and success, including:

• Putting undue pressure on the vocal tract, affecting the vocal mechanism (your vocal cords)
• Hindering your breathing
• Creating lots of tension in your body, which in turn affects your voice
• “Trapping” your voice, hindering your volume and resonance
• Straining your voice, resulting from your inability to properly project it

And that’s just for starters.

But there’s good news.

To start addressing this, in many cases all you need to do is to pay attention and set intention for how you hold yourself.

Let’s get started.

Six mindful tips for great posture

We’ve already established how posture affects your voice.

This is true whether you’re sitting at a computer screen delivering a virtual demo or presentation, or you’re standing before a room of 500 conference delegates.

So here are six quick ways to improve your posture for any type of speaking.

• If you’re sitting, sit squarely on your set feet planted slightly apart and hands resting comfortably
• If you’re standing, plant your feet parallel, hip width apart, and think “Tall and Open”
• Keep your spine straight, neither slumped nor rigid
• Work tension out of the shoulders and the neck area (sometimes all this takes is conscious thought)
• Swing your arms. This is an important area, because we want your limbs relaxed
• Smile and open your jaw, then allow your jaw to soften

Straighten up

Most of us will have been told to “straighten up” at some point in our lives, yet it’s something many of us fail to do when we present.

A straight back and a tall posture helps you to project your voice and confidence.

Hunching your shoulders, in contrast, can make you look withdrawn and lacking in confidence.

When we feel low, we often hunch our shoulders. When we feel vulnerable, we retreat into ourselves. Whenever we feel small, we unconsciously make ourselves small.

On the other hand, when we feel jubilant, we leap in the air with outstretched arms. When we feel tall, we make ourselves tall.

We need to find a way to take this feeling into our presentations.

So consciously stand up tall with a straight back. Without doing anything else, you’ll immediately look more confident, positive and approachable.

Here’s an interesting Stanford Graduate School of Business talk on how to Make Body Language Your Super Power.

Why do we sometimes cross our legs when standing up to give a presentation?

Perhaps we feel it’s a more comfortable way of standing.

Maybe it’s just that we’re nervous.

Maybe we’re completely unaware of the fact we’re doing it.

I suspect in a lot of cases it’s a combination of all three.

The problem with the cross-legged stance is that it’s giving a clear signal to the audience that we’re feeling uncomfortable.

Body language and good posture are vital to a good presentation.

Take a close look at the picture above.

Although she’s , her arms are as close to her body as possible and her legs are crossed.

Do you think she looks confident and open?

The audience wants to feel that it’s in capable hands.

They will only feel that if you uncross your legs and stand up straight, with great posture and body language.

When you hold yourself confidently, the audience will feel that confidence – and naturally believe in you.

Using your head, Part 1: The head-neck relationship

If you’re stooped over a desk or a computer and you’re speaking regularly throughout the day, it’s almost inevitable that you will strain your voice.

To address this, it’s essential to make sure your head/neck relationship is correct.

The easiest way to describe the head/neck relationship is this.

First, bring your attention to the back of your neck.

Next, picture it lengthening up to the ceiling above you, as if a string was pulling you gently upwards from the top of your head.

Now, bring your attention to your crown, that part of your head located at the back of your skull, top of your head, the soft part where your hair joins. Your crown is the tallest part of your body.

Finally, think of your crown growing up to the ceiling. This will lengthen your spine and neck and really help with developing great posture.

So come on, straighten up, stand tall, as I said posture affects your voice.

Using your head, Part 2: How to be open

Face your audience, eyes front.

What we are looking for here is openness, to be on the same level as your audience and to be approachable.

Often used when listening to somebody, is the 45 degree angle. (think of your posture when taking questions from your audience)

This unintentionally comes across as superiority with an unapproachable air.

This is a perfect example of this, does she have an air of engagement, is she ready to listen?

Is she open and approachable?

We think not!

Body language, and learning to trust your body

We’ve all felt that surge of panic or anxiety.

The one that comes when standing up in front of a group of people, just before you speak.

There are basic biological drivers for this.

Your body is smart. It reacts to stress, panic, or fear. It tells you that something is outside your normal, daily realm of existence.

Just because there’s a scientific explanation for what’s happening doesn’t mean we should allow it to hold us back.

So how do we turn this around so that what our audience sees is a composed presenter, one who just oozes credibility and presence.

The first thing to say is this.

Speaking, like any activity, benefits greatly from training and practice. From the monthly all-hands team meeting, to a presentation over Zoom, or maybe even a keynote address at an event, opportunities to speak are everywhere in business and work-life now.

If you want to take advantage of those opportunities when they come up, if you want to really knock it out of the park so you get the result you want, you need to put in a little time and set some strong intentions.

We have to start with this.

Our physical presence is one major piece of the communication and presentation skills puzzle.

Consciously paying attention to our bodies, especially when we combine this with vocal presence techniques we bring to you elsewhere on this site, helps to establish an emotional connection with the audience.

What we say is just one part of the equation.

How we say it is vital, and your body plays a big part in that.

Watch Amy Cuddy talking about the impact our body language has on our chances for success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch/Ks-_Mh1QhMc

The language of your gut

At some point in our lives all of us have been guided by our “gut instinct”, and with good reason.

Our bodies are intricately and acutely sensitive to how we react to the outside world.

The brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a busy highway of chemicals and hormones that constantly send two-way feedback coursing around your body.

Most of the time we make decisions from our brain—our intellect—and often we forget about what the other brain, our gut , is telling us.

Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach, the sort of thing you might feel when you’re in the first stages of love or attraction?

We feel the same butterflies when we’re nervous of a message we want to deliver or a talk we’re about to give.

So the next time you’re stuck when you’re preparing a presentation, ask yourself this:

“What do I really want to talk about? What is my gut saying?”

Your essential 11-Point full-body checklist for perfect posture for compelling speaking

• Standing. Think “tall and open”
• Below your feet. Have a sense of you feet firmly planted on the group – with the idea of roots growing from the soles of you feet!
• Feet. Make sure your feet are parallel and hipbone width apart.
• Knees. Knees should be unlocked.
• Hips. Ensure t he weight of the hips is directly over the feet not pushed forward or pulled back
• Back. Spine up and not slumped nor rigid.
• Chest. Pay attention to the upper chest so that it sits comfortably and naturally.
• Neck and shoulders. Work tension out of this area, even just by paying attention to it.
• Arms. Swing the arms to make them relaxed.
• Face and mouth. Massage facial muscles . Smile and open your mouth. Soften your jaw and unclench the teeth
• Head. Picture that string at the crown of your head, pulling your head and the rest of your body gently towards the sky.

We’ve gone through quite a bit here.

It can take professional actors years to acquire these skills.

With Confident Speak by your side, you’re certain to learn these skills a little quicker!

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Body Language During Presentation? Best 14 Tips To Use In 2024

Mattie Drucker • 21 Mar 2024 • 10 min read

What your body language during presentation says about you? Do’s and Don’ts! Let’s learn the best tips with AhaSlides!

So, what is the best presentation posture? Got awkward hands syndrome? You probably don’t because I just made that up. But – we all have moments when we don’t know what to do with our hands, legs, or any part of our body.

You may have a fantastic icebreaker , impeccable introduction , and excellent presentation, but the delivery is where it matters most. You don’t know what to do with yourself, and it’s perfectly normal .

• Tips for Better Engagement
• Personality in a Presentation
• How do you Express Yourself?

Start in seconds.

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To what extent do you know about a successful presentation? Aside from well-designed PowerPoint templates, it is important to utilize other performance skills, especially Body language. 

Now that you know that body language is an irreplaceable part of presentation skills, it is still far from mastering these skills to deliver effective presentations. 

This article will give you a holistic view of body language and how to take advantage of these skills for your perfect presentations.

Table of Contents

• Importance of body language during a presentation

Consider Your Appearance

Smile, and smile again, open your palms, make eye contact, hand clasping, touching ear.

• Don’t Point Your Finger

Control your Voice

Walking around, frequently asked questions, importance of body language for presentation.

With body language presentations, when it comes to communication, we mention verbal and non-verbal terms. It is crucial to remember that these terms have a relative relationship. Hence, what it is?

Verbal communication is using words to share information with other people, including both spoken and written language. For example, the word “how’s it going” that you choose to let others understand what you are trying to greet them. 

Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through body language, facial expressions, gestures, created space, and more. For example, smiling when you meet someone conveys friendliness, acceptance, and openness.

Whether or not you’re aware of it, when you interact with others, you’re constantly giving and receiving wordless signals besides talking. All of your nonverbal behaviours—your posture, your intonation, the gestures you make, and how much eye contact you make—deliver vital messages. 

In particular, they can put people at ease, build trust, and draw attention, or they may offend and bewilder what you are attempting to express. These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking, either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally.

Similarly, a presentation is also a way of communicating with your audience; while speaking up about your idea, show body language to emphasize it. Thus, understanding the importance of non-verbal and verbal communication skills simultaneously will help you avoid dull presentations.

To make it much more straightforward, we explore elements of body language, a part of non-verbal communication skills. Body language comprises gestures, stances, and facial expressions. When you are presenting, robust and positive body language becomes a powerful instrument for building credibility, expressing your emotions, and connecting with your listeners. It also helps your listeners to concentrate more intently on you and your speech. Here, we give you 10+ language body examples and tips to leverage your 

10 Tips to master Body Language in Presentations

First, it is essential to have a neat look during presentations. Depending on which occasion, you may have to prepare the appropriate outfit and well-groomed hair to show your professionalism and respect to your listeners.

Think about the type and style of the event; they may have a strict dress code. Choose an outfit you’re much more likely to feel poised and confident in front of an audience. Avoid colours, accessories, or jewellery that might distract the audience, make noise, or cause glare under stage lights.

Don’t forget to “smile with your eyes” instead of just your mouth when smiling. It would help to make others feel your warmth and sincerity. Remember to maintain the smile even after an encounter—in fake happiness encounters; you may often see an “on-off” smile that flashes and then vanishes quickly after two people go their separate directions. 

When gesturing with your hands, make sure your hands are open most of the time and people can see your open palms. It is also a good idea to keep the palms facing most of the time upward rather than downward.

It is usually a bad idea to make eye contact with individual members of your audience! Finding a sweet spot for “long enough” to look at your listeners without being offensive or creepy is necessary. Give it a try to look at others for about 2 seconds to lessen awkwardness and nervousness. Don’t look at your notes to make more connections with your listeners.

Check out tips on Eye Contact in Communication

You may find these gestures helpful when you want to conclude a meeting or end an interaction with someone.  If you want to appear confident, you can use this cue with your thumbs stuck out—this signals confidence instead of stress.

Around close friends and trusted others, it’s lovely to relax your hands in your pockets once in a while. But if you want to make the other feel insecure, sticking your hands deep in your pockets is a surefire way to do it! 

Touching the ear or a self-soothing gesture subconsciously takes place when a person is anxious. But do you know it is a good help when encountering difficult questions from audiences? Touching your ear when thinking of solutions may make your overall posture more natural. 

Don’t Point Your Finger

Whatever you do, don’t point. Just make sure you never do it. Pointing a finger while talking is taboo in many cultures, not only in presentations. People always find it aggressive and uncomfortable, offensive somehow. 

In any presentation, speak slowly and clearly. When you want to underline the main points, you may speak even more slowly and repeat them. Intonation is necessary; let your voice rise up and down to make you sound natural. Sometimes say nothing for a while to have better communication.

Moving around or staying in one spot when you are presenting is fine. Yet, don’t overuse it; avoid walking back and forth all the time. Walk when you intend to engage the audience or while you are telling a funny story, or while the audience is laughing

4 Body Gestures Tips

In this article, we’ll spell out some quick tips on body language and how to develop your presentation skills regarding:

• Eye contact
• Hands & Shoulders
• Back & Head

Your body language is crucial because it not only makes you look more confident, assertive, and collected, but you will also end up feeling these things. You also should avoid looking down while talking.

Eyes – Body Language During Presentation

Don’t avoid eye contact like it’s the plague. Many people don’t know how to make eye contact and are taught to stare at the back wall or someone’s forehead. People can tell when you’re not looking at them and will perceive you to be nervous and distant. I was one of those presenters because I thought public speaking was the same as acting. When I did theatre productions in high school, they encouraged us to look at the back wall and not engage with the audience because it would take them out of the fantasy world we were creating. I learned the hard way that acting is not the same as public speaking. There are similar aspects, but you don’t want to block the audience from your presentation – you want to include them, so why would you pretend they aren’t there?

On the other hand, some people are taught to look at just one person who is also a bad habit. Staring at one individual the entire time will make them very uncomfortable and that atmosphere will distract the other audience members as well.

DO connect with people like you would a normal conversation. How do you expect people to want to engage with you if they don’t feel seen? One of the most helpful presentation skills I’ve learned from Nicole Dieker is that people love attention! Take time to connect with your audience. When people feel that a presenter cares about them, they feel important and encouraged to share their emotions. Shift your focus to different audience members to foster an inclusive environment. Especially engage with those already looking at you. Nothing is worse than staring down at someone looking at their phone or program.

Use as much eye contact as you would when talking to a friend. Public speaking is the same, just on a larger scale and with more people. 

Hands – Body Language During Presentation

Don’t restrict yourself or overthink it. There are so many ways to hold your hands incorrectly, like behind your back (which comes off as aggressive and formal), below your belt (limiting movement), or stiffly by your sides (which feels awkward). Don’t cross your arms; this comes off as defensive and aloof. Most importantly, don’t over-gesture! This will not only become exhausting, but the audience will begin to fixate on how tired you must be rather than the content of your presentation. Make your presentation easy to watch, and, therefore, easy to understand.

DO rest your hands at a neutral position. This will be a bit above your belly button. The most successful looking neutral position is either holding one hand in another or simply just touching them together in whatever way your hands would naturally.  Hands, arms, and shoulders are the most important visual cue for the audience. You should gesture like your typical body language in a regular conversation. Don’t be a robot!

Below is a quick video by Steve Bavister , and I recommend you watch it to visualize what I just described.

Legs – Body Language During Presentation

Don’t lock your legs and stand still. Not only is it dangerous, but it also makes you look uncomfortable (making the audience uncomfortable). And no one likes to feel uncomfortable! The blood will start to pool in your legs, and without movement, the blood will have difficulty recirculating to the heart. This makes you susceptible to passing out, which would definitely be … you guessed it … uncomfortable . On the contrary, don’t move your legs too much. I’ve been to a few presentations where the speaker is rocking back and forth, back and forth, and I paid so much attention to this distracting behaviour that I forgot what he was talking about!

DO use your legs as an extension of your hand gestures. Take a step forward if you want to make a statement that connects with your audience. Take a step back if you want to give space for thought after an astounding idea. There is a balance to it all. Think of the stage as a single plane – you shouldn’t turn your back on the audience. Walk in a way inclusive of all people in the space and move around so you can be visible from every seat. 

Back – Body Language During Presentation

Don’t fold into yourself with slumped shoulders, drooping head, and curved neck. People have subconscious biases against this form of body language and will begin to question your capability as a presenter if you project as a defensive, self-conscious, and insecure speaker. Even if you don’t identify with these descriptors, your body will show it. 

DO convince them of your confidence with your posture. Stand straight like your head is connected to a taught string attached to the ceiling. If your body language portrays confidence, you will become confident. You will be surprised by how little adjustments will improve or worsen your speech delivery. Try using these presentation skills in the mirror and see for yourself!

Lastly, if you have confidence in your presentation, your body language will improve drastically. Your body will reflect how proud you are of your visuals and preparedness. AhaSlides is a great tool to use if you want to become a more confident presenter and WOW your audience with real-time interactive tools they can access while you’re presenting. Best part? It’s free!

Conclusion 

So, what does body language during the presentation say about you? Let’s take advantage of our tips and consider how to incorporate them into your presentation. Don’t hesitate to practice in front of the mirror at home or with a familiar audience and ask for feedback. Practice makes perfect. You’ll be able to master your body language and get favourable outcomes from your presentation . 

Extra tip : For a virtual online presentation or wearing a mask, you may encounter difficulties in showing body language; you can think of leveraging your presentation template to capture the audience’s attention with 100+ AhaSlides types of presentation templates . 

What to do with your hands when presenting

When presenting, it’s important to use your hands purposefully to make a positive impression and enhance your message. Therefore, you should keep your hands relaxed with open palms, use gestures to benefit your presentation and maintain eye contact with your audience.

When presenting to a neutral audience, why should I present both sides of the issue?

Presenting both sides of an issue to a neutral audience is essential, as it helps lots to engage with the audience, enables your critical thinking skills, makes your presentation better and also helps to increase credibility.

Which type of gestures should be avoided in a speech?

You should avoid distraction gestures, like: speaking dramatically but not relevant to your contents; fidgeting like tapping your fingers or playing with objects; pointing fingers (which show disrespect); crossing arms and surprisingly and overly formal gestures!

Mattie Drucker

Public speaking trainer at AhaSlides

More from AhaSlides

Body Language in Presentations

The words you use during your talk certainly matter, but the body language presentation cues that you project are as important – if not more so – in getting your message to land as you intended.

The gestures you use, the eye contact you make, the expressions you convey, and your very movement through a room offer a multitude of nonverbal signals to your audience.

It’s through these body language presentation cues that an audience will make assessments about your credibility, your expertise, and your passion for the subject, as well as whether you are qualified to seek followers for the cause you are advocating, to suggest the changes you are recommending, or to pitch the product you are selling.

Even something as seemingly small as the number of seconds you maintain eye contact with your audience or the decisions you make about what to do with your hands when presenting can make a difference. It boils down to the impression your words and your actions are making. And as researchers have discovered, first impressions are formed in mere seconds and are often quite accurate and long-lasting. In a well-known study led by the late Nalina Ambady, a professor of psychology at Boston’s Tufts University, students who watched two-second video clips (with the sound muted!) of a group of professors formed similar impressions to the ones drawn by students during a full semester.

So how do you exhibit the right body language for presentation success?

Effectively using body language in presentations takes skill and practice. But before we get into the tips and strategies for how to achieve the right look and tone, let’s look at the basics of body language in professional presentations, as well as why it is important to be aware of your body language while giving a presentation.

What is the Importance of Body Language in a Presentation?

The proper body language in a presentation helps to convey that you have confidence in yourself and your message. A speaker who knows the importance of body language in an oral presentation can instill trust in the audience, which, among other things, helps to forge a connection. Further, a presenter who knows how to effectively employ body language presentation skills can help to emphasize the ideas that matter most.

If you are genuinely passionate about your subject, show it. A lackluster delivery not only belies your enthusiasm, but also does nothing to enhance the meaning and effectiveness of your words. What should your audience believe? The words you use to share how excited you are to be there, or the flat tone with which you delivered them? Typically, they’ll assume your monotone delivery is more indicative of your true feelings than your words.

Great physical communicators learn how to successfully align their facial expressions, gestures, movements, posture, and other nonverbal elements with their message.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Presentation Body Language Basics

If you were delivering sad news, would you do it with a smile, a bright voice, and a bounce in your step? Or would you deliver it with a serious expression, a somber tone, and less pep? Any incongruity between your actions and your message is going to make it difficult for your audience to process, understand, and retain your message. You want your audience to be concentrated on your message and not the misalignment between your nonverbal movements and verbal delivery.

Your physical presence reveals your mental and emotional state to your audience – and everything about that presence should project that you feel comfortable, are in control of the room, and know your stuff. When it comes down to how to use body language to improve your presentation, it’s a matter of focusing on several key areas of your physical movements, including your eye contact, your gestures during presentation , and your presentation posture. (You can learn more about vocal cues here .)

When we work with our clients during our public speaking training sessions , we focus on how even small adjustments can make a difference in their delivery – such as a subtle shift of the shoulders, a more open stance, increased eye contact with their audience, and more natural and authentic gestures.

All these adjustments in your body language in a presentation can help to encourage audience participation, provide greater emphasis to your words, help you to appear and feel more natural, and increase your connection with the audience.

Eye Contact in Presentations: Why It’s Important

Given there is a large body of research  that reveals just how influential eye contact is when it comes to the assumptions, judgments, and perceptions people make about one another, it’s important to give more than, shall we say, a passing glance to how you plan to move your eyes about the room.

Authors, researchers, seasoned speakers, consultants, and trainers vary slightly on the exact amount of time to maintain eye contact with someone in your audience. It appears that a few seconds is the going rate. Or, to translate that into words – a sentence or two. We tend to approach it differently. We’ve found most speakers naturally strike a reasonable balance of how long to maintain eye contact with one person before moving on. If they focus too much brainpower on counting the seconds or tracking their sentences, it can trip them up.

So, instead, here’s a simple rule:

When looking at your notes, your slides, or any other place than your audience, you should not be talking. Any time you are communicating information, you should be looking at an audience member.

And you don’t want to be looking at just one person all the time. It’s important to have effective eye contact in your presentation skills toolbox. In this post , we dive more deeply into effective ways to lock eyes with multiple members of your audience, depending on the type of presentation and venue.

How to Use Facial Expressions in a Presentation

Animated and dynamic speakers know they have a fuller palette of expression to help tell their story when they enlist the more than 40 muscles in their face to move their eyes, nose, brows, and mouth. It is through facial expression that we convey emotions, including seven universal emotions identified by psychologist Paul Ekman through his decades of work. Researchers have found that your audience is likely to make assumptions about you, such as how intelligent, trustworthy, or confident you are, based on your expressions.

Here are some tips on how to better communicate through facial expressions:

Smile. Unless the material requires a more serious expression, smiling while presenting tends to convey warmth and competence, which can help you to connect with your audience. Be expressive. This is not a license to be a mime, but rather, to use your expressions to relay your enthusiasm, your excitement, and to reinforce and support your key points and ideas. Just as presenters are encouraged to expand their vocal range to avoid a monotone presentation, so too is it important to avoid a static expression throughout your entire talk. Observe your audience. Do they look confused? Disinterested? Just as your audience picks up cues through your facial expressions, you too may be able to make perceptions about your audience. (Just be mindful that not every neutral expression indicates boredom or disinterest.) Hone your talent. As with any language, using and practicing it leads to mastery. Nonverbal language is no different. As you practice and rehearse your talk, think about what your facial expressions are conveying and if they are effective. Do they align with your words? Do you appear natural and authentic? Do they support and reinforce your key ideas?

Correct Body Posture During a Presentation

It’s hard to think of a single situation where slouching would be advised – and a presentation is no exception. The correct presentation posture if you are standing is to …

• Square your shoulders with the audience
• Relax your stance. You are not standing at attention!
• Face them directly instead of tilting your body away from them. (The exception to this rule is when you are soliciting feedback from your audience. In that case, turning your body at a slight angle can encourage engagement.)

The correct presentation posture if you are sitting is to …

• Lean forward slightly
• Plant your feet firmly on the floor (avoid crossing your legs)
• Avoid slouching into the chair

Beyond the confidence this posture projects to your audience, researchers have found when you throw those shoulders back or sit upright in your chair, that feeds into your self-confidence , too.

How to Improve Body Language for Presentations

The best way to project body language in a presentation is to be natural. And while it may sound counterintuitive, one of the ways you can appear and feel more natural in your movements is to practice them. This is why it’s important to save some time for rehearsals or practice runs.

Some of the best ways to test your material and your delivery are to record yourself, offer a practice run to an audience of colleagues or friends, and recreate the run-through so that it is as close to the live event as possible.

And, please, this is not the time for harsh criticism. Use this opportunity to see where you did well, such as projecting a confident smile, standing tall, and maintaining meaningful eye contact. Also, look for the areas where you can improve. Did you employ effective body language with your PowerPoint presentation slides? (Here’s are some specific ways to improve your PowerPoint presentation through body language and gestures.)

If you were on a panel, did it appear as if you were slouching? Did you appear nervous or ill at ease? (Here are some ways to counter your fear of public speaking . ) Use this time to hone your skills. Every presentation – whether practice or “live” – is a chance to improve.

Success occurs with preparation, and growth occurs with practice, whether you are a novice or seasoned pro. Here are some specific ways to make the most out of that preparation.

Practice in Front of a Mirror

Record Yourself

There are several reasons that video recording a practice run-through – either with a camera or smartphone – will help your presentation run a whole lot smoother. In addition to tracking such things as your timing, your pace, and the overall flow of your presentation (For example, do you vary the time for each main point? Do you have a mix of message supports, including statistics, stories, and slides?), you also can analyze your body language. Here are some of the things you want to look and listen for:

• The pace, pitch, and tone of your voice and how effective those elements were in conveying your main points.
• How well you maintained eye contact with your “audience.”
• Your gestures and whether they add emphasis to your talk and reinforce key ideas.
• Any mannerisms that are creating distractions, such as pacing in a predictable pattern, fidgeting with your tie or jewelry, or constantly brushing your hair back.

Watch the tape, identify the two or three things you want to improve upon, and do another practice run. If you improve, add another element, and then do another practice run if you have the time.

Learn how to control your body language during a presentation!

Work with our experienced Throughline Group trainers to identify and use effective body language, including energy, gestures, and posture. Sign up today!

Rehearse in Front of Team Members

While a video recording can be an effective way to assess your presentation skills, rehearsing in front of an audience of colleagues is key to getting a feel for the “real” thing. It gives you a chance to assess the nonverbal communication of your audience in real-time, and make the body language presentation fixes that will help you to increase your chances that you are connecting with your audience and helping your messages stick. You can make these sessions more effective in several ways. They include:

Treating your practice like the real thing. Avoid caveats or skimming through sections ( “When I really give my talk, I’ll tell a funny story here.” ) Asking for honest reactions. Your team may be rooting for you, but they need to react honestly if your words are falling flat, your energy is low, or you are spending too much time looking and reading from your notes. Embracing slip-ups, technical difficulties, and distractions. You may be tempted to start over, but plow through any hiccups so you gain the confidence and experience in dealing with difficulties before your talk goes “live.”

  ( Here are 20 questions you can ask your practice audience. )

Additional Presentation Body Language Tips

Your facial expressions, your posture, and your eye contact are all important elements in your nonverbal delivery. But you have other body language presentation cues that you also can use to make your presentation more effective. Remember, your hands can do some “talking” and your feet can do some walking in the service of your speech.

Hand gestures during a presentation can be used to do many things, including:

• Adding emphasis to a word or point
• Pointing something out on a slide or other visual support
• Reinforcing a concept

In practice, this means you might hold your fingers up for each point you want to make ( “No. 1 is this …” ). Or, with an outstretched hand – palm open – you direct your audience’s attention to a point of data on your chart. Finally, if you are comparing two recommendations perhaps you pantomime a scale with your hands, indicating that one side should win out over the other.

As for movement, unless you must stay tethered to the lectern, make the most of your space. Movement is one way to keep your audience alert and its attention on you. This leads to a more dynamic presentation and better connection with the audience.

When done with intention and confidence, your gestures and your movement – really,  your overall body language in  a presentation – will help to solidify your credibility, reveal your control of your material and the room, and help you to emphasize your key points.

Here are some specific tips on how to incorporate these additional body language presentation techniques into your talk.

What To Do With Your Hands During a Presentation

You may have been told it’s best not to gesture when speaking, but in our work with clients we have found that speakers become less anxious, appear more natural, and remember and retrieve their words far more effectively when they gesture during their presentations.

And the research   backs that up. Gesturing not only adds emphasis and verve to your words but also can help you to better remember what you want to say.

However, there is a difference between gesturing and fidgeting. For instance, when you hold out your hand with the palm facing up when calling on someone during your Q&A, it is an effective and open gesture. It encourages engagement and connection. But, if you are hands are in constant motion, such as clasping and unclasping your fingers, twirling the ring on your finger, picking at your nails, or touching your face or hair, then your gestures can become a distraction.

When gesturing, remember to:

Be authentic.  Start with what comes naturally and work from there. Forced movement will be seen for what it is – forced. Be purposeful. Trade fast, undisciplined hand movements during the presentation for gestures with intent. Be open.  Avoid gestures such as pointing at your audience, gesturing toward them with your palm down, or crossing your arms – all of which can have a negative connotation or make you appear “closed” off and inaccessible. Be aware of cultural differences. Although certain presentation hand gestures and expressions fall under a universal language, gestures do not necessarily mean the same thing in every culture. For instance, your OK sign may mean just that, but to a person from another country, it might just be highly offensive. (Here’s a look at some of the more common nonverbal faux pas.)

What if My Hands Won’t Stop Shaking?

Anxiety has a way of hijacking whatever veneer of calm you, as a speaker, may have managed to induce before your talk. One of the ways your nervousness manifests itself is through your trembling hands. You may notice the shakiness as you organize your notes or take a sip of water. Most of the time, what you see as full-on earthquakes more typically come across as small-time tremors – if they are noticed at all by your audience. For most people, once the initial jitters ease, those tiny tremors fade. However, if that trembling never eases and you are wondering how to stop shaking hands during a presentation, it’s best to think beyond the symptoms and get to the core of the issue – anxiety. To do that, you must identify the cause of your fear – here are eight causes of public speaking fear – before you can find the techniques that will help you to reduce and manage it .

Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash

Moving Around During a Presentation: Is That OK?

Movement is one way to keep your audience alert and its attention on you. Make the most of your space and your body language presentation skills so that you can create a more dynamic presentation and a better connection with your audience. What you don’t want to do is pace or create a predictable pattern in how you move around the room. That said, there are several ways you can utilize your space more effectively while walking during your presentation.

Here are several:

Use your movement to emphasize your points . You can begin on one side of the room and share your first, before moving to the other side for Point No. 2. Make your way to the center for your last point. Approach your audience. When answering questions or seeking participation, walk toward your audience. Avoid swaying. If you are standing still, try to avoid rocking from side to side. You can counter this by placing one foot about two to three inches in front of the other.

How You Dress is Important, Too

Here are a few tips:

Choose the outfit that best supports your message, which means knowing the tone you want to set about your topic and who you are. Purchase an iron or get your clothes pressed. You can certainly present in casual clothes, but wrinkles are a no-go in nearly any situation. Consider your accessories carefully. Ostentatious jewelry or lapel pins will probably attract more attention than you want them to. They also could interfere with your microphone. Be wary of fabrics that rustle or shoes that make noises when you move. Not only will that distract you, but your audience will notice it, too.

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Ace the Presentation

11 Best Body Language Tips For Engaging Presentations (#11 is Underrated)

Growing up, we were always taught how we should have manners while talking to others and that there were some things we could not do in front of people like sprawling or even putting our elbows on the table while eating because it was rude.

In the examples above, the rudeness comes from gestures, not from verbal speech. When it comes to public speaking, our body language can also speak and reveal many things that you didn’t know you were saying, or you didn’t want to.

For example, your shaking and trembling or always looking at your notes transmit loud and clear that you are not confident, and therefore it reduces your credibility.

I want you to come off as a credible, confident, assertive, inspiring, and commanding speaker, who exudes confidence, build rapport, and WOWs the audience. 

• Maintain eye contact
• Walk around a little bit
• Widen your stance
• Vary your gestures
• Stand confidently
• Control your face expressions
• Do not lean on the podium or table
• Using your hands effectively
• Use body and space
• Use the power of Pause and breathe slowly

Related Articles that I strongly advise you to Check after this one:

12 Body Language Mistakes to AVOID During a Presentation

2000-Word FREE Ebook with 6 Proven Ways to Engage Your Audience

6 Solid Tips on How to Make Eye Contact While Speaking

11 Best Body Language Tips For Engaging Presentations

This tip helps you connect visually with the audience; by looking them in the eye, you will seem more like a person who is confident and knows his stuff.

“Look for a friendly face.” Says many people, I would like to advise you against it.

Staring at one person can be uncomfortable for the person you are looking at because she will feel pressured, and it is also awkward for the rest of the audience because they can understand what is going on.

You can look at different ‘kind’ faces in the audience but don’t stare.

Walking around can take off a little bit of the tension if you get anxious when giving presentations. 

It also allows you to better manage the stage space and get the audience to focus on you rather than any props or visual aids.

How you stand in front of your audience is vital because of how people will perceive you. 

Standing or sitting with a posture that looks like you are lazy or tired does not help build trust, credibility, or engage your audience.

It does not matter if you are sitting or standing; you should lift your shoulders slightly, so you look focused and confident.

We see some people who, while delivering presentations, always talk with their hands, which can get the audience absent-minded and focused only on the movements you do.

To avoid that, you should change your gestures from time to time. For example, you can use your hands and arms to explain something very expressively, nod your head when you are talking about something you agree with.

When sitting, avoid flapping your legs because it can be understood as nervousness or an unconfident sign.

Don’t point to the audience too because that can be very intrusive and you might lose your public.

It’s easy to stand confidently when you are using adequate clothing for the event you are attending. Avoid wearing too tight clothes or even too short.

Don’t wear clothes that are too colorful and have many designs that could distract the audience from the main focus: your presentation and the message you are there to deliver.

Some people don’t like to smile, it is simply not natural to them, but smiling can be quite a remarkable tool to keep the audience engaged when delivering a speech.

Remembering that maybe you are briefing to people you never saw, you need to have a friendly face. Don’t force yourself to smile if you don’t usually do it first in a mirror, so it doesn’t get creepy.

It is essential to have a friendly face because that way, the audience can be much more open and receptive to what you will talk about.

• Control your facial expression

Sometimes you may get lost while delivering a presentation or even making a mistake and saying a word you shouldn’t have.

Anyone can make a mistake, and you are not going to be the first nor the last, so have fun while delivering your message, so your facial expressions are as spontaneous as possible.

The picture above is an example of what not to do in a presentation.

Leaning on that one place will make it hard for you to make your gestures and get to know all the friendly faces you can find in the room.

You can start small; on the first 5-7 minutes, you stay at the podium, and then you start walking a little bit and connect with people.

Look at it as if it was an intense conversation. When you have it, you want to express your passion, so your body simply flows with you. 

• When using your hands keep them open

Keeping your hands reversed and opened while delivering your message can mean that you are receptive to hearing their point of view, so it helps make it conversational.

Another tip is keeping your hands like the speaker in the image above; it means that you are a wise and easy-going person.

As I told you before, you need to command the space you are giving your presentation because it shows that you are confident and comfortable in your own skin and with the topic.

When sitting down, cross your legs as four to make yourself look cordial and a really serious person.

• Use the Power of PAUSE and Breath Slowly

With the last ten tips, you might forget the most underrated body language tip of all – using pause effectively and breathing.

A member of the audience can ask a challenging and intriguing question for you to answer. A deep breath helps you have time to think about it.

Still, if you don’t answer them, remember to make it conversational and ask her and all the members what they think about it. That way, you engage all the audience.

You can also use PAUSE when delivering a speech to cause suspense or call your audience’s attention when they are distracted.

Communicating through effective body language or gestures is as important as verbal communication, and vice versa. 

It is a powerful tool to connect with your audience, relax and calm your nerves, appear more confident, and build credibility.

If you have fun while doing it, your public will feel it, and your message will hit home most engagingly and interestingly, as it should.

References and Further Reading

Barnard, D (2017). Consulted in “ The Importance of Eye Contact during a Presentation ” , October 18th, 2020

Amadebai, E.   13 Ways to Effectively Deliver an Awesome Pitch Presentation .

LowenBraun, N. Consulted in : Duarte Website  “ Remember These 6 Facial Expression Tips When Presenting ” , October 16th, 2020.

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Mastering Power of Body Language in Public Speaking

Body language is key in public speaking. Posture, gestures, and movements can show confidence and engage an audience. This article explores the power of nonverbal communication and how to use it.

When we take the stage, our body language sets the tone. A strong stance and open posture show confidence. Eye contact, hand gestures, and purposeful movements help build rapport with the audience.

Nonverbal cues can also emphasize key points. A pause and lean forward can underscore an idea. Changing speed and rhythm with facial expressions can add emotion to speech.

It’s not just what we say, but how we say it. Enthusiasm, passion, or conviction can be shown even without words. By combining verbal and nonverbal elements, we can leave a lasting impression.

Pro Tip: Mirror the audience’s body language to build trust and create familiarity. This subtle technique connects us to the listeners on a deeper level.

The importance of body language in public speaking

Public speaking is an art. It goes beyond verbal communication. Body language in public speaking is very important. Facial expressions, hand gestures, and posture are all key. They convey confidence, enthusiasm, and authenticity. This makes the audience more engaged.

Body language can help speakers establish credibility and make a deeper connection. Good posture shows confidence. Avoid fidgeting and crossing arms . Eye contact is essential for building trust. Make eye contact with each individual listener . This keeps the audience focused.

Hand gestures can also be used. Purposeful movements emphasize points. This helps to express emotions that words cannot. Facial expressions offer another way to communicate. Smiling creates warmth. Frowning or looking bored can be off-putting.

To use body language well, practice good posture . Rehearse hand gestures. Use visual aids like props or slides. This reinforces the message. Visual cues keep the audience’s attention .

To master body language, practice and be aware. Understand how nonverbal cues work. Use verbal and nonverbal skills to connect with listeners. Communicate in a compelling way that resonates emotionally and intellectually.

Also Read: Find Your Passion: A Path to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment

Key elements of body language in public speaking

Body language plays a huge part in powerful public speaking . Let’s investigate the fundamental elements of body language that contribute to successful speeches!

• Gestures : Movements can make or break a message. Natural and purposeful gestures keep people engaged and help them understand.
• Facial expressions : The face is an amazing tool for communication. Expressing emotions on the face helps create a bond, and builds trust with the audience.
• Posture and stance : How you hold yourself on stage affects how people see you. Good posture and confidence build authority and trust.

Also, making eye contact with the crowd builds a connection and grabs their attention. Varying your voice adds flavor to your speech, keeping people interested. Lastly, props and visuals can boost nonverbal communication, by strengthening key points.

Pro Tip: Copy the body language of influential speakers to master your own stage presence!

Also Read: Techniques for Innovative Thinking: Boost Creative Thinking

The role of nonverbal cues in conveying confidence and credibility

Nonverbal cues are crucial for public speaking. These cues, like body language, facial expressions and gestures , influence the audience’s opinion of the speaker. Good posture and eye contact show confidence and trust. Hand gestures make the message more engaging. Dressing professionally reflects respect and creates a good impression. Speaking with the right tone and volume adds depth to the message. These unique details set the speaker apart from others.

Strategies for improving body language in public speaking

It’s vital to develop body language when public speaking. Here are some tips to better your nonverbal communication:

• Posture : Stand tall, shoulders relaxed and show an open stance to look confident.
• Gestures : Use hand movements to emphasize points, but don’t go overboard.
• Eye contact : Keep eye contact with your audience to make them feel involved.
• Facial expressions : Show enthusiasm, empathy or seriousness through facial expressions.

Moreover, put focus on small details like nodding or mirroring the energy of your listeners. This creates a connection.

Many famous public speakers have used body language well. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s commanding gestures during his renowned “I Have a Dream” speech, caught the attention of millions. His use of nonverbal cues enhanced his message.

To conclude, it’s important to understand body language in public speaking. With practice and knowledge, you can engage your audience and deliver an effective speech.

Also Read: Impact of Physical Fitness: Boost Self-Improvement

Case studies and examples of effective body language in public speaking

Studies have shown that open, confident body language such as good posture and eye contact can make one appear more persuasive. A well-known speaker used hand gestures and facial expressions to draw in their audience. Dynamic body movements can help maintain an audience’s attention and emphasize key points.

Subtle details like proper posture and facial expressions can help create credibility, build rapport, show sincerity, and reinforce the message . For instance, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 . His confidence, gestures, and passionate tone conveyed a deep commitment to equality and justice.

Overcoming challenges and common mistakes in nonverbal communication

Maintaining eye contact is a common challenge for speakers . They may feel nervous or find it hard to connect with their audience. To master this, practice eye contact and focus on individual members of the crowd.

Poor posture and body language is another mistake. Slouching or fidgeting can reduce credibility and lessen the effect of the message. To fix this, practice proper posture, stand tall, and use gestures to highlight key points.

To combat nervousness, use techniques like deep breathing or visualization. Nervous behaviors such as pacing or avoiding movement completely can stop a speaker from communicating effectively.

Cultures have different interpretations of body language. To prevent misunderstandings, research cultural norms or ask cultural experts.

To improve nonverbal communication:

• Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself for areas needing improvement.
• Seek feedback from trusted people for constructive criticism and tips on body language and delivery.
• Join public speaking clubs or workshops to learn from experienced speakers and get advice on nonverbal communication.

These suggestions work because practice helps individuals become more relaxed and confident. Feedback offers useful information and allows for necessary changes. Interacting with public speaking communities provides chances for growth and gaining from others’ experiences. By working on nonverbal communication skills, people can become better public speakers and make an impact.

Also Read: Top 100 Commonly Used A to Z Phrasal Verbs for English Fluency

Nonverbal communication is a powerful tool in public speaking. It allows speakers to convey messages and connect with their audience deeply. Body language can show confidence and credibility. It can also engage listeners.

We have explored various aspects of nonverbal communication in public speaking. Gestures, facial expressions, and posture can express emotions and enhance the message delivery. By understanding and using these cues, speakers can build rapport and create an impact.

Eye contact is also important. It communicates sincerity and builds trust. It creates a connection between the speaker and listeners, which encourages active participation.

Vocal tone and pace can also be used effectively. By modulating the voice, speakers can emphasize points and keep the audience interested. A well-paced speech helps listeners absorb information and stay engaged. Know More – The Fluent Life

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does body language affect public speaking? A. Body language plays a crucial role in public speaking as it can significantly influence how your message is received by the audience. Positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact, using open gestures, and standing tall, can enhance your credibility and make you appear more confident. On the other hand, negative body language, like slouching, crossing your arms, or avoiding eye contact, can create barriers between you and the audience, detracting from your message.

2. What are some effective body language techniques for public speaking? A. There are several body language techniques you can employ to improve your public speaking skills. These include:

• Maintaining good posture and standing tall
• Using appropriate hand gestures to emphasize key points
• Making eye contact with the audience to establish connection and engagement
• Smiling and displaying genuine enthusiasm for your topic
• Using mirroring techniques to establish rapport with your audience
• Moving purposefully and confidently across the stage

3. How can I use facial expressions effectively in public speaking? A. Facial expressions are a powerful tool for conveying emotions and engaging the audience. To use facial expressions effectively in public speaking, make sure to:

• Smile genuinely to appear friendly and approachable
• Match your facial expressions with the tone and content of your speech
• Use your eyebrows, eyes, and mouth to express emotions or emphasize certain points
• Avoid excessive or unnatural facial movements that may distract the audience

4. What are some common body language mistakes to avoid during a speech? A. To deliver a compelling speech, it’s important to be aware of and avoid common body language mistakes. These include:

• Slouching or standing with poor posture
• Fidgeting with your hands or other objects
• Using closed-off gestures like crossed arms or hands in pockets
• Overusing hand gestures, which can become distracting
• Shifting weight excessively or pacing back and forth

5. Can body language help in conveying confidence during public speaking? A. Definitely! Body language is one of the key factors that contribute to conveying confidence during public speaking. By adopting confident body language techniques such as maintaining steady eye contact, using open gestures, and standing tall, you can project an image of confidence and authority. Additionally, being mindful of your posture, smiling, and speaking with a clear and steady voice also contribute to appearing confident in front of an audience.

6. How can I improve my body language in public speaking? A. Improving your body language in public speaking can be achieved through practice and awareness. Consider the following steps:

• Record yourself while practicing a speech and analyze your body language
• Take note of any negative body language habits you may have and consciously work on eliminating them
• Observe and learn from skilled public speakers who have excellent body language
• Attend public speaking workshops or classes that focus on nonverbal communication
• Seek feedback from trusted friends, family, or mentors on your body language and continuously strive for improvement.

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10 Ways to Unleash the Power of Effective Body Language in Public Speaking

To deliver a terrific presentation, professional speakers must possess confidence in their public speaking abilities and subject matter, as well as control over their body language. Effective use of body language in public speaking is crucial for speakers to engage their audience and leave a lasting impact. This article explores the significance of body language as a vital component of public speaking and highlights ten practical ways to enhance your skills in this area.

What is Body Language?

Body language refers to the nonverbal means of communication that public speakers employ to convey their thoughts, emotions, and intentions. Public speaking requires verbal prowess and the ability to communicate messages effectively through nonverbal cues.

Through gestures, postures, facial expressions, and other physical movements, speakers can communicate information about themselves to their audience. These actions can either be conscious or subconscious, influencing the audience’s opinion about the speaker and his presentation.

Effective use of body language involves being mindful of one’s gestures, postures, and facial expressions and using them purposefully to convey confidence, enthusiasm, and authenticity. In short, a speaker who can skillfully use body language as a tool can significantly enhance their delivery and ensure that their message resonates with their audience.

The following article will help you to improve your body language during public speaking.

10 Rules for Improving Your Body Language in Public Speaking

The use of body language can make or break a presentation, as it can convey both positive and negative signals to the audience. Therefore, speakers must hone their body language skills to engage and captivate their audience. By implementing the below-mentioned tips, speakers can improve their body language and enhance their public speaking abilities.

1. Have a Correct Posture

Good posture makes you look confident and in control. When you stand up straight with your shoulders back, you appear more self-assured and authoritative, which can help you convey your message effectively. It enables you to look and sound confident, reduces physical strain, and enhances your ability to communicate your message clearly and emphatically.

So, to make a lasting impression on your audience, maintain a calm but attentive posture while performing. Powerful poses convey confidence and authority. It also enhances your overall appearance. 

Here are a few public speaking tips to have an upright body posture while speaking:

• Try to place your feet shoulder-width apart. While speaking, tilt your body towards the audience so they feel included. 
• Your hands should remain by your sides. So that you can make hand gestures freely wherever required.
• Keep your posture open and straight.

Pro Tip: Power posing is essential for projecting confidence, maintaining good health, and making a good impression on your audience.

2. Keep Eye Contact

You can build a connection with your audience by maintaining eye contact with them. In this way, you make them feel more appreciated. It will nudge them to respect and listen to you because you make them feel important. 

Eye contact is a powerful tool to help you deliver a more impressive and effective presentation. Eye contact with your audience is essential for creating a connection, projecting confidence, keeping them engaged, and allowing them to give feedback. 

While looking at everyone in the audience may be challenging, you can scan the seated people as part of audience engagement. 

Pro Tip: Using a zigzag pattern is one effective technique for maintaining eye contact while addressing a large audience. It involves starting from the left side of the back row and gradually moving your gaze to the right while including the center and front rows in your sequence. By repeating this pattern, you can make eye contact with a more significant portion of the audience and ensure that everyone feels engaged and included in your presentation.

Remember to hold eye contact for a few seconds before moving on to the next person, and vary your pace and tone of voice to keep your audience’s attention throughout your presentation.

3. Use Hand Gestures

Utilizing hand gestures is an effective way to enhance your presentation skills. It will make your message more engaging and memorable. 

Check out some of the tips on how to use hand gestures effectively:

• Keep your hands visible and above your waist to ensure your audience can see your gestures.
• Coordinate your hand gestures with your speech to emphasize key points. For example, when you say miniature or dwarf, you can use your fingers to denote it. 
• While conveying different emotions, use your hand movements to emphasize your points . 
• Your hand gestures should be natural and flow with your speech . Avoid deliberate use of them in a way that feels uncomfortable.

Pro Tip : Excessive use of hand gestures can be counterproductive, as it may distract the audience or come across as unnecessary. Instead of adding to the impact of your message, using too many hand gestures can have the opposite effect and undermine the effectiveness of your delivery. 

Therefore, it is important to use hand gestures strategically, focusing on those that enhance the meaning and importance of your words. You can make a more effective and engaging presentation that holds your audience’s attention and effectively conveys your message by using hand gestures.

4. Have a Clear Speech

Clear speech is crucial because it allows the speaker to communicate his message to the audience effectively. Stammering and mumbling are signs of nervousness and lack of confidence. 

Let’s check out the importance of clear speech:

• When the speaker enunciates each word clearly and articulately, the audience can easily follow along and grasp the content of the public speech.
• By speaking clearly and with conviction, the speaker can hold the audience’s attention and keep them engaged throughout the speech.
• The clear speech demonstrates that they know the subject and have taken the time to prepare for the address.
• A clear speech can build the speaker’s credibility. The audience will be likely to view the speaker as credible and trustworthy.

Pro Tip: Confident and professional delivery of your message is critical to attracting an audience and establishing a positive reputation. By projecting confidence and professionalism while speaking, you can capture your listeners’ attention and leave a lasting impression. 

It helps you gain credibility and respect as a speaker and makes your message more likely to be well-received and remembered. Therefore, developing strong communication skills and practicing effective delivery techniques is essential to ensure you can convey your message with confidence and professionalism.

5. Voice Modulation, Pausing, and Pacing

Mastery of voice modulation is a valuable skill that can help highlight important points and make your speech more engaging. Along with modulation, the strategic use of pauses can also be a powerful tool in public speaking. By incorporating breaks at strategic points, you can create a sense of anticipation and allow your audience to absorb your message.

Additionally, varying the pace of your speech can also be an effective technique for creating a dynamic and exciting speech.

 By slowing down to emphasize a point or speeding up to convey urgency or excitement, you can keep your audience engaged and create a sense of momentum that drives your message forward. In summary, incorporating these techniques into your public speaking can help you become a more effective and engaging communicator.

Few speakers also enroll themselves in speaking classes or public speaking courses. Executive speech coaching online class is also one of the options for upgrading your skills to perform in your next presentation. 

Pro Tip: Listen to popular speakers on Ted Talks. Please note their voice modulation, pacing, and pausing techniques. By varying your tone and using these techniques, you can create a more engaging and dynamic speech that effectively conveys your message and captures the audience’s attention.

6. Steady Your Nerves

One of the most effective body language tips for public speaking is to steady your nerves by maintaining relaxed breathing. Doing so lets you keep your nerves in check and project a powerful, confident voice throughout your presentation. 

Proper breathing techniques also allow you to pause or stop speaking when necessary and help you modulate your voice and pitch to convey your message effectively. It can be helpful to take a few deep breaths before speaking and focus on the present moment to calm your nerves and stay centered. 

Pro Tip: Slow breathing and tactical pauses in the speech will help calm your nerves.

7. Physical Delivery

While speaking in public, your voice and whole body convey your emotions, thought process, and message. Physical delivery is like expressing an inner situation that can be felt and seen from the outside through your body language. 

Here are some tips for practical physical delivery in public speaking:

• Have control over unnecessary body movements.
• Use facial expressions to convey your emotions and enthusiasm. Avoid looking bored or disinterested.
• Be relaxed, but at the same time, be alert. The upright posture on stage will convey the right impression to your audience.
• Hold your head up and keep your shoulders stretched. It will help you look confident and authoritative.

Pro Tip: Practice before a mirror or in the presence of a friend to become more comfortable and confident. The vibe of the speaker’s body language should be natural and authentic.

8. Be Empathetic

Being empathetic can profoundly impact your body language during public speaking. Empathy is a sure-shot tip to improve your body language during public speaking. It allows you to bond with your audience meaningfully, adjust your body language to reflect your message better, and ultimately deliver a more impactful and effective presentation.

When you’re empathetic, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and understand their needs, concerns, and perspectives. It allows you to tailor your body language to reflect their needs and interests better and convey your message more compellingly and engagingly.

Adopting an empathetic mindset can also develop greater self-awareness and a more nuanced understanding of your body language. It can help you identify any unconscious behaviors or habits that may detract from your message and enable you to adjust your body language to reflect your intentions better and connect with your audience.

Pro Tip: Empathy is about understanding and connecting with your audience, not necessarily agreeing with them. Incorporating empathy into your public speaking can create a more engaging and impactful presentation.

9. Use Facial Expressions

Your facial expression can be considered a screen that displays your emotions and helps you connect with your audience. When you speak in public, your face is one of the most essential tools for communicating your message and engaging your listeners. Using your facial expressions effectively conveys a wide range of emotions and creates a powerful connection with your audience.

For example, a smile can convey warmth and friendliness, while a furrowed brow can indicate concern or seriousness. Eye contact can also be a powerful tool for connecting with your audience and expressing emotions such as sincerity, confidence, or enthusiasm.

Avoid using your facial expressions deliberately and strategically. It may break the connection with your audience. By remembering these tiny tips, you can enhance your public speaking skills and help you become a more effective communicator.

Check out some valuable tips for facial expressions in public speaking:

• Use Eyebrows : Use your eyebrows to express surprise, concern, or skepticism. 
• A Big No for Blank Faces: A blank expression will make you appear dull, detached, and dispassionate. 
• Nod Your Head : Nod your head to show agreement with your audience. 
• Raise Your Eyebrows : To express shock or confusion.
• Frown : To depict concern, anger, or displeasure
• Smile : While sharing a happy story or communicating with the audience. 

Pro Tip: Sync your expressive face with the tone and content of your speech. Your facial expressions should be natural and authentic. Do not wear a poker face for your excellent presentation. 

10. Dress Appropriately

Establishing a positive first impression is crucial when delivering a public speech, and one way to achieve this is by dressing appropriately for your audience and the occasion. Your clothing can help you create a sense of credibility and professionalism while also allowing your audience to connect with the purpose and tone of your speech.

It’s important to select clothing appropriate for the setting and audience. For example, if you deliver a speech to a corporate audience, wearing business attire such as a suit or dress may be relevant. Alternatively, if you are providing a speech to a more casual audience, you may opt for more relaxed attire that reflects the tone of the event.

Ultimately, the key is to select clothing that aligns with the purpose and goals of your speech while also allowing you to establish credibility and connect with your audience. By dressing appropriately, you can create a positive first impression and set the tone for a successful and engaging presentation.

Have a look at a few tips to remember while dressing appropriately for public speaking:

• For a corporate event, wear a formal dress or suit. 
• Dress in a comfortable way that allows you to move freely. 
• Do not pick too tight, too loose, or restrict movement. Go with which fits you best. 
• Do not go for flashy, revealing, or distracting clothes, as your purpose is to convey a message and not to become an object. 
• Ensure to iron your clothes, polish your shoes, and groom your hair and nails. 

Pro Tip: Click here for a Comprehensive Guide On What To Wear To A Conference For Men & Women .

Why are Verbal Cues and Nonverbal Signals Important?

Verbal cues are the spoken words and vocal elements, including tone, pitch, and speed, used to communicate a message. 

On the other hand, nonverbal signals include body language, use of objects, posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact. 

The combination of both expresses our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. It also expresses emotions, enhances understanding, builds rapport with the audience, avoids misunderstanding, and navigates social situations. 

Check out the importance of verbal cues and nonverbal cues:

• It can help resolve conflicts and de-escalate tense situations. 
• It can help establish trust and build relationships with the audience.
• It can also emphasize specific points and make them more memorable.
• It can provide clues about a speaker’s feelings and help us interpret their message more accurately.

The human face is an essential tool for communication skills to understand the subtle clues for the underlying motives of great presenters. 

Avoid Common Body Language Mistakes

Our words and body language must synergize with one another. Body language broadly varies from person to person. A few negative body language is specific and needs special supervision or training to work on them. However, speakers tend to commit some of the common body language mistakes. Let’s have a look and discuss it elaborately:

• Rubbing your palms together : This motion may indicate that you are feeling too cold or may display your nervousness. While delivering a speech, it may create distance between you and your audience. Instead, keep an open stance. 
• Crossing your arms : Crossed arms posture reflects that you are rushing to end a meeting immediately. It also shows that you are aloof, unenthusiastic, or hostile towards the audience. Concurrently, if you find some of your audience leaning back and crossing their arms, it’s time to wrap up your speech soon. 
• Shrinking your body : Presenters who are submissive and demure are more likely to shrink their bodies. The cocoon stance with lowered heads and hunched shoulders tells your audience you are submissive or lack confidence. It also conveys ineptitude and insecurity, gradually pushing your audience to lose trust in your abilities. You can avoid this by keeping your head and chin up and standing erect. 
• Fidgeting : You may become nervous about performing in front of higher authorities if they are in the audience. If your limbs are shaky, then it undermines your message and reputation. You can overcome this habit by practicing in the presence of close loved ones or in front of a mirror.
• Exaggerated gestures : Avoid unnecessarily smiling, touching your face, leaning wrongfully, or itching anywhere while speaking. These gestures will give wrong signals and may decrease your credibility.

Key takeaway

One of the key takeaways for public speaking is to upgrade your body language. Positive body language is nonverbal behavior conveying much information about the speaker’s confidence, sincerity, and authority. Body language can help a speaker connect with the audience, communicate their message more effectively, and make a lasting impression.

Since most of our movements and body language are done unconsciously, it can be challenging to eliminate long-standing habits. However, it would help if you also learned how to comprehend body language to master the art of public speaking. Thus, consistent practice is the key to success and the quickest path to having confident body language, just as with any other skill.

To adopt the correct body language, you can start by maintaining a good posture, direct eye contact, and using hand gestures appropriately. It’s also important to be aware of your facial expressions, as they can convey a range of emotions that either enhance or detract from your message. In addition, you can work on your tone of voice and overall delivery to create a more engaging and professional presentation.

Overall, upgrading your body language can help you become a more effective public speaker and increase your ability to connect with your audience.

Meanwhile, if you’re a speaker, we hope you found this helpful article. You can also register yourself on Eventible’s Gazebo Speaker Directory as a speaker. You can fill out this Google form to get started. If you are an organizer, this platform will help you find passionate and experienced people to speak at your next event. 

In conversation with Raf De Kimpe, CEO at Fintech Week London

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Senior director of global events, cloudinary, proudest of.

In both cases, we had to figure out how to take what are historically in-person events and translate them into engaging virtual experiences with a team of just two in-house event marketers, counting myself.

ImageCon is our flagship customer summit. In 2021, more than 1,700 people across 107 countries registered for the two-day event, which included 20 virtual sessions designed to help retailers unleash the full potential of their visual media.

Our hosted event series included about 8 virtual events across North America and EMEA markets. To drive up attendance and engagement, we hosted unique virtual cooking and mixology classes, wine tastings, tequila pairings, and more, with celebrity chefs and bartenders such as Marcus Samuelsson, Julio Cabrero, and Amanda Freitag.

Rockstar Mode

ImageCon was a success, in part, because we secured high-quality speakers and focused on providing true value to attendees by creating sessions to optimize their usage of the Cloudinary platform to improve their business. We featured customers in the content by doing customer spotlights. We also improved the production level of the summit by partnering with an agency.

I am proud we were able to pull off a high-quality event of this scale while managing 30 other events for the year.

Prior to the pandemic, our hosted event series consisted of in-person dinners and intimate happy hours. We wanted to recreate these virtually, without making them feel like webinars. We succeeded, in part, because we invested in high-quality talent to attract participants and create fun, memorable moments we probably could not have pulled off in-person.

We also took pains to make the events as easy as possible to attend, for example, by mailing guests meal kits or drink kits with everything they needed to participate. Of course, everything was branded, right down to the salt and pepper. We know our attendees’ time is precious, so we encouraged them to involve their family and were sure to include enough food and/or drink to share.

After the experience, we broke out into small groups, allowing people to network with peers and Cloudinary team members, who led discussions on relevant industry topics. Thus, attendees topped off a great culinary or cocktail experience with valuable learnings that could help their business. In fact, I see us continuing with some of these virtual events even after we have resumed in-person ones.

Our on-demand event content is now a powerful sales enablement tool for our sales team, who share session recordings with prospective customers, as well as existing ones who are considering adding on a new capability. We will continue to measure the performance of this content.

For the hosted events, we evaluate success by measuring pipeline acceleration. So, we consider where event guests are in their consideration process before attending the event. We use the event, and event follow-up, to help move the prospect or customer to the finish line. We usually see prospects who engaged in marketing campaigns were more likely to close, and close faster, than those who did not attend an event.

While this is harder to measure, we know our event series keeps the Cloudinary brand top of mind and deepens our relationship with customers. We document the positive feedback we receive from attendees and sales reps for internal use and marketing purposes.

Survivor Mode

Another challenge was creating an event strategy against a backdrop of so much uncertainty. I have seen industry colleagues invest resources in planning in-person events, only to have to rejigger in the final hour. I made the decision from the onset of the year to plan for virtual events, given our small team and resources. This allowed us to create more effective and engaging virtual events from the start and maximize our budget.

Nothing beats in-person events, and I am excited to be moving forward with these in 2022. But I plan to continue with digital and hybrid events, as well, for a number of reasons. When done right, they can be more memorable than in-person ones, and certainly more convenient. They also allow me to engage people across a wider geographic region (all of Europe for example or across the US), which leads to cost-savings and unique and widened interactions for our attendees.

Annie Yuzzi VP

Global corporate events and experiences, sumo logic, bethany roskin murphy, director of global events, drift, charlene kate ditch, founder, charlene kate events, gabrielle d., global events director, automation anywhere, gerilynn marburger, director, global events, hewlett packard enterprise, hollie ashby, senior manager, cxo and third party events, palo alto networks, lindsey cohen, director- event marketing, snyk, ceo & chief event strategist, liz king events, nicola kastner, vice president, global head of event strategy, sap, rachel russell, field marketing manager, even, samantha calle, associate director, xandr, margaret shaeffer, head of field marketing & events, linearb, traci depuy, head of global events, salesforce, dale rickert, global conference head of greentech festival, matthew lin, head of marketing, beetc, emilie watrob, head of event marketing, zs, katherine leong, director, corporate events, gainsight, sr. director, marketing technology (brand and events), salesforce, karim youssef, creative director, dpw, elizabeth thomas, head of global events, elastic, gerry schneider, vp events at wearedevelopers, director, global events at hewlett packard enterprise, mike kalyan, event and seminar marketing manager, shrm.

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8 Body Language Tips for Presentations

• June 21, 2018

Believe it or not, your clients naturally pick up on microexpressions and other non-verbal cues whenever you communicate with them face to face. Things like your posture and hand gestures can spell the difference between success and failure in your interviews and presentations. Today, I will help improve your communication skills by sharing with you my 8 body language tips for presentations.

8 Body Language Tips to Improve Communication Skills

These eight points explain the right ways to use body language signals. You can apply them whether you’re talking to a standing-room-only crowd or to a smaller audience. Through these, you’ll learn how to command presence and authority. You can match your words with your actions, and be persuasive and believable. Best of all, you’ll give your confidence a boost!

1. Keep Your Back Straight

One of the best ways to improve business presentation skills is to stand straight. A presenter who slouches during an in-house training session silently discourages his audience even if his PowerPoint slides are great. So push your shoulders back and bring them up, lift your head, and keep your back aligned. This is a powerful body language that brings the attention of your audience to you.

Keeping your back straight will also enhance the amount of oxygen you breathe. In turn, this boosts your alertness and focus. A good posture also makes you appear younger and leaner, and it reduces the feeling of tiredness and stress.

2. Gesture with Your Arms and Hands

Some of the body language tips often ignored during presentations are hand gestures and facial expressions. Granted, too much of these are distracting and they weaken the entire speech. But, you can convey your message better when you supplement your words with actions and don’t forget to motion with your arms now and then. Remember, we’re visual people. When we engage our senses at the same time, we learn ideas fast.

For hand gestures, keeping them as natural as possible is important. When you practice your presentation —and you should—try looking at yourself in the mirror. Check your non-verbal communication through your facial expressions and gestures. Do they match what you’re saying? Are they exaggerated?

3. Look Them in the Eye

https://twitter.com/ted_mcgrath/status/946500103434637312 Communication is a two-way process: somebody listens while the other speaks. While everyone has the tendency to talk, few seem to care to listen. So, how do you ensure your audience will listen? Look them in the eye. Establish a relationship while you’re in front of them or on the stage. Use eye contact to bring their attention towards you and what you’re saying.

It’s also a subtle way of asking your audience if they understand your message. By looking them in the eye, you can gauge the audience’s level of interest, too.

Looking a person in the eye also signals trust and honesty. Who goes on to a job interview and never looks their possible employers in the eye? It’s always a good idea to maintain a level of eye contact.

But remember — you’re making eye contact, not ogling or staring at them. Avoid looking at someone for more than three seconds. Shift your gaze from one person to another. Try looking at the people in the back as well.

4. Make Use of Space

If you watch tech conferences, you’ll notice that tech speakers tend to walk around the stage. For one, doing this can actually help you relax. As you move, you can pause, take deep breaths, and collect your thoughts.

Also, by walking around, you ensure you’re covering every corner of your platform. This way, you won’t miss any part of the audience. But again, too much walking can disrupt your speech! So practice your pace before your event. Learn to stand still in certain areas.

5. Point at the Screen

https://twitter.com/ted_mcgrath/status/966034479155425282 Another one of the eight body language tips on the list is to point at the screen. Do this to emphasize a reference or some bullet points to your audience. This is also a non-verbal way of drawing their attention back to you.

Most people use their finger to point. But during your PowerPoint presentations, make use of a laser pointer or a stick. These objects are far more visible so that even people at the back can see where you’re pointing at.

Read Also:  How To Master A Stage Presentation And Become An Effective Speaker

6. Pause and Breathe

When you speak fast, you reduce the impact of your message. Plus, it makes you sound anxious or stressed. Your audience won’t be able to understand what you’re saying. And when this happens, they either refer to their notes or ignore you. The bottom line is, they won’t listen!

But when you pause and breathe, you can communicate with your audience better . It’ll also prevent you from stammering so you can have a confident conversation. Taking a moment from speaking will help you remember your notes. Then you can navigate the complex parts of your message and answer hard questions.

But, there’s a huge difference between a pause and dead air. The latter is a telltale sign your speech is getting boring. A pause must not last longer than a breath. Learn to break breaths using open gestures and moving on to your next point.

And here’s a pro tip: avoid taking deep breaths that raise your shoulders once you’re in front of the audience. This can give off the impression that you’re exhausted. So if you feel the need to take deep breaths, be as subtle as possible.

7. Demonstrate Authority

https://twitter.com/ted_mcgrath/status/973654092538105857

A fluent way of talking can only get you so far. If you want to share your message and inspire action , you need to be more than persuasive. You must look, feel, and sound authoritative.

To do this, you need to apply my previous body language tips, such as correct posture, some hand gestures, and efficient use of the platform. But, let’s add some more: subtle body movements. These include the following actions:

• Nod to your audience
• Put your hands down at your sides when not in use
• Control the swinging of your arms while walking

Speeches, talks, and business presentations must be a pleasant experience for both the listener and the speaker. If you’re the latter, it’s your responsibility to make your audience feel relaxed and comfortable. When you do this, they are more likely to be receptive to your message.

There are many things you can do to ease the tension. You can have ice-breakers, tell a few anecdotes, or add humor to your speech. But, the easiest thing to do is to have a genuine smile on your face as you conduct your talk. It not only lightens the mood, but it also encourages the audience to connect with you.

So, are you ready to wow your clients? I can’t stress enough the importance of a presentation done right . You can achieve it with positive body language and the right amount of practice. Perfect your skills by applying these body language tips the next time you hit the stage!

Do you have your own body language tips based on experience? Share them with the rest of the community!

Up Next: My Ultimate Public Speaking Guide

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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Body Language For Presentations

Read time: 11 minutes

Body Language for Presentations

Mastering body language can enhance your presentations. Follow these key points:

• Presentation Posture: Stand or sit tall with your feet hip-width apart and your head up. Maintain a “neutral” stance that conveys confidence.
• Hands: Keep unnecessary hand movements to a minimum. Use purposeful gestures that are correct, conscious, and clear.
• Breathing: Control your breathing to regulate your speaking speed and avoid breathlessness. Practice diaphragmatic breathing to project your voice effectively.
• General Awareness: Consider the impact of your posture, stance, and hand movements on your message. Ensure they align with your intended message and avoid conveying negative signals.
• Presentation posture/position (for giving presentations whilst seated and standing)
• Stance exercise
• What to do with your hands (when presenting face to face and virtually)
• Hands exercise 1
• Hands exercise 2
• Breathing and voice projection in presentations
• Breathing exercise

Video call body language and in-person presentations

Rightly or wrongly, human nature drives us to follow (and trust) high-impact

or “high-status” individuals, so if you want to influence and persuade, having a good

presentation posture

and avoiding unconscious low-status body language is a good idea. When you stand (or sit) with a strong presentation posture you feel calm and confident inside, and once this happens, the audience can’t help but sense that from you and see it in you. (The opposite is also true that if you look scared and nervous the audience will see that and feel that too).

In my book “

High-Performance Presentations

” I use an example of a king posture and a jester (joker) posture. Look at the king’s body language in the illustration and notice how it conveys high status – he’s standing up straight and either not moving or moving slowly, and his hands would remain mostly still.

Now compare that to the jester – he’s always moving around, hopping from one foot to another and waving his hands and arms in the air. He may be funny, and the audience may well laugh, but is he conveying high status? Are people really listening to his message?

Are you a professional struggling with public speaking? We’ve helped hundreds of professionals become confident speakers. Contact us today to discuss 1-to-1 training and taster sessions.

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Body language for video calls

The king and jester principles can be applied to a seated position too for example if you are presenting virtually on a Zoom call. When seated sit tall, don’t use the back of the chair to hold you up and ensure your face is filling most of the screen.

Good body language is critical to a confident calm and clear presentation. If you want to improve your presentation skills, here are a few basic exercises which will help.

Presentation posture/position

During our presentation skills one to one training, we show our participants a good neutral standing posture which makes you feel confident inside and look and sound confident outside. We’ve created the

“ How to stand when giving a presentation ”

video to give you a feel for what we teach our clients and there is an exercise below so you can practise it right now. These principles hold true for the Seated Presenter Stance too. And if you want to learn these techniques for in person presentations or virtual meetings check out our Presentation Training , ( Present with Confidence ) programme available as individual or team training.

Get into position

Before we look at breathing and voice projection and tips on confident facial expressions when giving a presentation let’s look at presentation posture/position and where to put your hands during a presentation.

During our presentation skills one-to-one training, we teach a good neutral standing or seated posture which makes you feel confident inside, and look and sound confident outside. Have a look at our “How to…presentation posture/position” video to give you a feel for it, then practise this exercise below. This is just one of the techniques covered in our One to One Presentation Skills Training Course .

Exercise – How to how to stand (or sit) while giving a speech

• Place your feet hip-width apart with equal pressure on each foot. Imagine your feet have tree roots which reach down into the floor to hold you firmly and securely floor.
• Do not cross your legs even if you are seated as this makes you feel less stable and begin to look less symmetrical.
• Hold your body straight and imagine a string in the centre of your head gently pulling you upright. In yoga, this is similar to the Neutral Spine.

If you hunch over the PC for far too long each day you may want to practise this every day anyway!

What to do with your hands

Before we show you how you can use your hands when presenting, first I want to show you how to NOT use your hands when presenting! It may seem unusual but I’m always telling clients to keep their hands still whilst they learn the body language basics. Why? Untrained people are very likely to use their hands incorrectly meaning they send the opposite message with their body language than that intended. If the words you are saying don’t match up to the message you are giving with your hands, at best, you look inconsistent and, at worst, untrustworthy.

*Exercise – Minimise unnecessary, inconsequential hands *

I suggest you practise using very minimal hand movements by recording yourself either when presenting standing up or sitting down. Try this:

• Aim to speak easily for a minute or two without moving your hands at all.
• If you notice yourself using your hands, ask yourself is that a helpful movement for the audience or a hindrance? If so, see the next exercise.
• If your hand movement is not useful to the audience, then stop it and keep your hands still, either by your side when standing or relaxed on the table when seated..
• Repeat this exercise until you’re self-aware enough to subtly correct yourself as you’re speaking, without the use of the video.

Exercise – Using hand movements that are correct, conscious and clear

• If you think your hand movement is useful, then study it and ensure you do it correctly, consciously and clearly.
• When delivering virtually you only have a certain amount of room on the screen so you’ll need to decrease the size of your gestures to fit within the screen space.
• Once you’ve decided on a unique hand movement to represent a key message, practise the gestures until it is second nature.
• Next practise using it at the right place in the presentation.
• Once you’ve finished your hand movement, put your arms back down until it is time for the next correct, conscious and clear hand movement.

How you can use your hands during a presentation

In the book

High-Performance Presentations , I talk further about ensuring you keep your hands still and then when you do use hand movements you do make are correct, conscious and clear. And for now, watch this video “

[*where to put hands during a presentation

*]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_4a7VjSkig )” where I show you how hands are great for counting your 3 key points on (and how to do it in a manner that avoids random flying round of offensive fingers!) You’ll also see how to represent two parties coming together using your hands and more tips.

Don’t forget to breathe!

Breathing and voice projection is vital to your presentation. Experiencing breathlessness and speaking too quickly is a common problem for anxious presenters . I want to share some useful techniques when giving a presentation that aid calm and confident performances .

The main reasons for getting out of breath when giving a presentation are:

• Nerves or “ Public Speaking Monkeys ” causing extra adrenaline, resulting in shallow upper chest breathing and tension in the body
• Poor presentation posture/position with the airway crunched up not free flowing
• Poor breathing techniques meaning we’ve “forgotten” how to breathe properly

We all know how to breathe, but the chances are unless we are musicians, singers, athletes or completed some presentation skills training, we’ve ‘forgotten’ how to control our breath – and that’s something that makes a huge difference to our presentations.

Your breathing plays a huge role in the success of your presentation. Slow and measured breathing is characteristic of control and that’s you want. Prepared, ready and in control.

Once you’ve got it right, your breathing will be even and you’ll be able to project more effectively. You’ll also find that your breath will last longer, so no embarrassing gasping or breathlessness .

*Exercise – Breathing! *

• Stand (or sit) with your back straight, shoulders back, and feet hip-width apart.
• Place a hand on your stomach.
• As you breathe in through your nose, feel your hand being pushed away as your abdomen rises.
• If your chest rises not your tummy you aren’t breathing correctly! Try again!
• Exhale slowly through your mouth and allow your stomach to return to its normal position.

Prior to beginning your presentation I always recommend you centre yourself with your breathing; a great little exercise to do this takes 3 deep breaths followed by one normal breath.

During your presentation, regulating your breathing is a great way to regulate your talking speed. If you start speaking too quickly, take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, then a normal breath, and continue. (If you’re using a microphone, do it quietly – as you don’t want to sound like Darth Vader)! You can disguise this action if you want to, by taking a moment to check your notes.

Finally, good posture and body language are critical to ensuring you stand (or sit) up straight, open your windpipe and can breathe easily. You won’t suffer from shortness of breath and you’ll add to your calm composure. A good presentation posture also leads to better voice production and projection so you don’t have to shout to be heard.

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Author: Dee Clayton

Posted by Dee Clayton on 21 Sep 2018

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to use body language effectively during your presentation

How to use body language effectively during your presentation

Understanding grammar basics will make you a better writer, and mastering prepositional phrases is key. To improve your writing and communicate clearly to your audience, know what prepositional phrases are and how to use them correctly.

Your body has something to say

Body language is a powerful form of nonverbal communication. Whether you’re talking with a friend or waiting for a bus, your body is always sending signals out to those around you. During a presentation, when all eyes are on you, the importance of body language is heightened. Here’s some key areas to be aware of:

• Your facial expressions. You can heighten or emphasize your message as you speak or pause with subtle movements such as raised eyebrows or larger expressions such as a smile.
• Your hands. Your hands might be at your sides, in your pockets or gesturing to illustrate a point or your material. Each position conveys something different to observers.
• Your feet. Are you staying in one place, shifting your weight from foot to foot, or walking around? How fast are you walking? Those are potential clues to your feelings in the moment.
• Your position. How close are you standing to others? Are you standing straight or slouched slightly. Are you in front of, next to, or behind your materials and visual aids? During a presentation, position is key—try standing in front of a projector and see if your message gets across.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

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Making body language work effectively for you

If you think about the areas above, you can probably think of strengths and challenges you have with each. Maybe you tend to “talk with your hands” or shrink away from your audience because of presentation anxiety . These tips can help you remember what to focus on and help you overcome some of your natural tendencies that might be distracting your audience. You’re the area of focus, so whatever you do will have a disproportionate impact on those watching.

• Smile. Smiling can help you feel more confident in the moment and eventually raise your level of happiness. Plus, you’ll look more approachable and even glad to see your audience, no matter if you’re still a bit nervous. Of course, if your content is more serious or has a moment where the tone changes, make sure your expression is appropriate for what you’re saying. But a slight smile that says, “I know what I’m talking about, and I want to share it with you” is generally a good default face to have.
• Shift your gaze. It’s totally ok if you’re still at the “look above the audience’s head” stage of presenting, and eye contact is less important in virtual presentations , since you need to be focused on the camera. But if you’re in person and you’re able to direct where you look, doing a slow pan glance over the crowd, or finding a few friendly faces to periodically zoom in on, can help provide that important illusion of confidence and strengthen your connection to the audience overall.
• Think about when you want to gesture. Don’t be afraid to gesture but try to choose gestures that will emphasize your language or your topic in any given moment, rather than wildly waving your hands about. Controlled gestures are a very effective tool, as your audience’s eyes will follow your hands—but not if they realize your hands are going nowhere most of the time.
• Be open and try to stand up straight. Have your shoulders tilted toward the audience rather than away to convey your desire to connect with them. Also, avoid slouching, which can also project a lack of confidence in your words or material, and instead try to subtly point your chest toward the crowd, as if you’re leading with your message. And try to be rooted but ready, not shifting from side to side as you speak.
• Control your pace. While you can stand in one spot while you present, it’s sometimes more impactful to be able to move around slightly when illustrating a point or perhaps telling a story. Try to move slowly and with purpose so as not to look too nervous, like you’re pacing, and so you can avoid being a distraction to those who already have trouble focusing. And, it goes without saying that you want to make sure you’re not talking too fast, particularly if you’re committed to moving around.

You can practice your presentation with an eye toward rethinking your body language, or if you’re working on a new one, look for moments to incorporate strategic body language, as if you’re an actor working through a scene. Have a friend or trusted colleague watch you and take notes so they can share feedback later, and if someone else isn’t handy, the mirror is a tried-and-true way to reflect on how you might be coming across as you speak.

Using body language effectively can take your presentations up a notch. So, start thinking about how you can train your body to be just as convincing and as confident as your words, and soon, the audience will be hanging on your every sentence.

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8 Elements of Confident Body Language

August 10, 2017 - Sophie Thompson

If you want to find the truth, do not listen to the words coming to you. Rather see the body language of the speaker. It speaks the facts not audible. – Bhavesh Chhatbar

When you speak, you don’t just speak with what you actually say, you also speak with your body language. From your facial expressions, to your posture and eye contact, they all add up to the ‘truth’ behind what you are saying. If you’re feeling nervous, your body could be giving a different message to your audience than the one you’re saying.

Body language is an essential part of  public speaking success . Your non-verbal cues will impact on the way your message is received, how engaged your audience is, and what they think of you as an individual. Even if you’ve prepared the best speech in the world, if you aren’t animated, open or active then your audience won’t know what you’ve said.

Working on your body language can make a big difference to how you come across to your audience, and how you feel about public speaking in general. We’ve put together 8 of the most important elements of your body language that will shape how successful your speech is, explaining why they’re important and how you can use them to your advantage.

• Body Language: Online Course with Examples and Practice

1. Power pose

Why?  In 2011, US social psychologists Amy Cuddy, Dana Carney and Andy Yap proposed that holding a ‘ power pose ‘ resulted in people actually feeling more powerful.

Their theory suggests that an open pose can raise testosterone levels and lower your cortisol levels – ie. increase your dominance and lower your stress. If you have confident body language and pretend you feel powerful, you’re more likely to actually feel it! And, who doesn’t want to feel powerful on stage?

• 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.

Amy Cuddy demonstrates a power pose — spreading your arms wide to appear more powerful. Image from  TED .

Note: Issues with replicating this theory

There has been some debate recently as to whether power posing is actually effective. Read more here:  Power posing replication failure

2. Eye contact

Why?  Making eye contact with your audience builds a connection between you and them and they feel more valued by you. This makes the audience more likely to respect and listen to you because they feel important. It also makes the  audience trust  you more because people tend to avoid eye contact when they’re lying.

Confident body language can also be used as a feedback loop. Making eye contact is the easiest to way to receive feedback from the audience about your speech.

You can see if your audience are listening and read their facial expressions to see if they are interested, bored, angry, happy, and so on. You can then alter your speech accordingly based on the feedback you see. Without making eye contact, you could go through your whole speech irritating the audience!

• When talking to a large number of people, maintain eye contact with one audience member for 4 or more seconds before moving to another member of the audience for 4 seconds, and so on.
• Make eye contact in a ‘Z’ formation – look at one person at the back left corner of the room, then the back right, then to the front left, and finally to someone at the front right. Be careful not to just repeat the Z formation with the same audience members each time you do it – you want to connect with as many members of the audience as possible.
• In one-on-one settings, maintain eye contact for 9-10 seconds and then break away to save yourself from coming across as intense or like you’re starting. (The same applies when answering a question from an audience of any size.)

Practice your eye contact in the virtual world with  VirtualSpeech . A heatmap shows you where you were looking.

3. Hand gestures

Why?  When used correctly, hand and arm gestures can help enhance your message and make you seem more confident and relaxed.  Gestures amplify your stories  and will help you come across as more genuine and believable. They’re an essential element of our non-verbal communication in showing others how we feel, and in turn how we make them feel.

Hand gestures are one of the most clear non-verbal ways we communicate confident body language or nervous body language – and your audience will react more positively to the former.

• Think of your hand gestures as a storytelling tool; put verbs into action by acting them out with your hands.
• Don’t overdo it – gesture sparingly, and focus on action words. Make your gestures strong and defined.
• Begin in a neutral position with your hands either side of your body so that your hand gestures flow smoothly.
• Use symbolic gestures to communicate numbers and position, eg. 2 fingers for the number 2 and a raised hand for stop.
• Use descriptive gestures to communicate movement, eg. shapes, size, length, etc.
• Use emotional gestures to communicate feelings, eg. hands clasped together to show pleading, hands raise either side of your head to show despair.
• When  using visual aids , point and turn slightly to look at the relevant data, and the audience will automatically follow your hands and eyes.
• Vary your gestures with different parts of your body. You don’t have to just use your arms- you could use your legs, facial expressions and full body movement as gestures too.

Learn how to use body language to improve your professional relationships. Practice what you learn in virtual reality exercises. Learn more about the  body language course .

4. Movement

Why?  Moving around the stage is a great way of showing your audience you are confident in what you’re saying and including everyone in the conversation.  Commanding the space  around you shows strong leadership and, after all, when you’re presenting you are the leader.

When you have confident body language, you’ll be more dynamic and interesting to listen to and your audience will not only be more engaged but they will have more trust in your message too.

• Don’t pace around the stage every 30 seconds – this is distracting to your audience. Wait at least 3 minutes before moving to another area of the stage.
• Time your movement on stage with a change in topic – this is a way of physically marking the transition.
• Move towards the audience when asking questions or making an important point.
• When you’re walking to another side of the stage, try to avoid turning your back to any areas of the audience as this disconnects them and can come across as rude.
• Avoid swaying or rocking on the spot – either walk to another area of the stage or don’t move your entire body at all.

Watch 3 examples of positive and negative body language while giving a speech

5. expressions.

Why?  People depend on facial expressions to interpret motives and emotions so an audience will respond better to you if you are expressive. This is a bit like acting – you want to emphasize your expressions so that everyone in the audience can interpret meaning from them.

You could  film yourself speaking  and identify artificial or unfriendly facial expressions you make when telling a story and replace them with more genuine, believable expressions. Try to practice speaking with your face to show happiness, sadness, anger, and surprise. Your face should reflect the emotions within your stories.

• When trying to show shock or confusion, raise your eyebrows.
• If you’re conveying anger or concern, frown.
• When you’re happy in your story, simply smile.
• For sad moments, frown a little and slightly tilt the sides of your lips downwards.

6. Mannerisms

Why?  Mannerisms are the nervous habits most people have that detract from your message and can make the audience feel uncomfortable. They are key to confident body language.  Common habits  you have that you might not be aware of are fiddling with your hair or suit, putting your hands in your pockets, and excessively using filler words such as ‘um,’ ‘so’ and ‘like’.

• To break these habits, film yourself speaking and become aware of them.
• You could ask a trusted friend to tell you if you have any.
• Once you’ve acknowledged your nervous habits, work in your everyday conversation to break them. If you can break them on a small scale, you’ll likely find they disappear in front of larger audiences too.

7. Breathing

Why?  Even though your audience can’t see your breath, it is a significant factor in portraying confident body language. Maintaining a slow, steady breath can reduce your stress levels and make you less likely to revert to nervous habits, bad posture and excessive movement.  Relaxed and deep breaths  also ensure that you’re speaking at the right pace and your voice can project across the room, which in itself will make you feel and sound more confident.

• Before you present or speak in public, do some breathing exercises to warm up your voice and fill your lungs. Slowly inhale for 3 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat this as often as you need to, in order to feel calm.
• Always make sure you’re standing up straight so that your lungs can expand fully.

To maximise your breath, and thus your voice and consequently your influence, you should aim to fill your lungs all the way down.  Image from RADA Effective Communication .

Why?  Your vocal expression is physical and so your body language has an effect on your voice and can enhance or detract from the message of your speech.

Albert Mehrabian wrote extensively on the relative importance of verbal and non-verbal messages and his findings have been quoted for years as the ‘ 7-38-55 Rule ‘.

Importance of verbal and non-verbal communication:

• 7% – words
• 38% – tone
• 55% – body language

When you combine these 3 elements, your audience will be more engaged and connected with you. So don’t forget that your body language should always enhance your voice and emphasize your message.

• Imagine you have a string on the crown of your head that is being gently pulled. This will help elongate your spine, maximise your rib cage and allow more air to inflate your lungs and support your vocal expression.
• Watch videos of good and bad speeches to see how their words are in tune with their body language, or how they are not.
• Practice varying your pitch. You can do this with the VirtualSpeech app that you gain access to when purchasing the Essential Public Speaking course.

Most of our body language and movement is subconscious so it can be difficult to retrain ourselves away from habits we’ve had for years. However, to master the art of public speaking you must also master your body’s language too.

Of course, you don’t want to distract yourself from your speech by consciously thinking how you are standing, where you are looking, and if you’re breathing correctly.

So, as with any other skill,  regular practice  is the secret to success and the quickest route to confident body language. You could practice the techniques above in your day-to-day life so that they become deep-rooted habits and then you won’t have to consciously think about doing them when you’re on stage.

Body Language in Presentation: Enhancing Communication

In public speaking and presentations, words only tell part of the story. The true power of your message lies not just in what you say but also in how you say it. Effective communication encompasses not only your verbal content but also your nonverbal cues. This is where the significance of body language in presentation truly shines. Let's discuss the world of body language, exploring how it can enhance your presentations and leave a lasting impression.

Why Do We Use Body Language in Presentations?

Body language is an integral part of human communication. It's how we express emotions, build rapport, and convey confidence. When giving a presentation, your body language can make all the difference. Here's why:

• Creating a Personal Connection: Body language allows you to establish a personal connection with your audience. Maintaining eye contact and using open body language can make your audience feel seen and heard.
• Nonverbal Communication: While your words convey the facts, your body language conveys the emotions and intent behind those words. This dual communication approach ensures your message is well-rounded and easily understood.

How Should Body Language Be in a Presentation?

Effective body language in a presentation is not just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have. It plays a pivotal role in ensuring your message is delivered with impact and clarity. Here are some essential aspects of the right body language in a presentation:

1. Maintain Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact with your audience is perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of effective body language. It establishes a direct connection between you and your listeners. When you look someone in the eye, it conveys sincerity, confidence, and engagement. You're not just reciting words; you're having a genuine conversation with your audience. This can make your message more relatable and build trust.

2. Facial Expressions

Your face is a canvas for your emotions, and it should reflect the emotions your words convey. A genuine smile can warm the atmosphere and make your audience feel more at ease. A raised eyebrow can pique curiosity and draw attention to a particular point. Likewise, a serious expression can underline the gravity of a situation or message. Effective presenters use their facial expressions as a powerful tool to amplify the impact of their words.

3. Hand Gestures

Hand gestures are another essential component of body language. They are like the punctuation marks of your spoken words. Appropriate gestures can accentuate key points and add dynamism to your presentation. However, a word of caution: overusing hand gestures can become distracting. Balance is the key. Use gestures intentionally and naturally to support your verbal content.

Achieving Positive and Confident Body Language

To achieve the right body language, it's important to exude positivity and confidence. Here's how you can achieve this:

• Positive Body Language: A positive body language conveys enthusiasm, approachability, and optimism. This is achieved through maintaining a pleasant facial expression, using open body language, and smiling genuinely. It's about projecting an attitude that says, "I'm excited to share this with you."
• Confident Body Language: Confidence in your body language is essential to establish authority and trust. It's conveyed through maintaining good posture, making purposeful gestures, and speaking clearly and assertively. When your body language exudes confidence, your audience is more likely to believe in your message and follow your lead.

The Balance in Body Language

Balancing body language in a presentation is a delicate art. It's essential to remember that moderation is the key to success. While body language can significantly augment your message, too much of a good thing can be counterproductive. An overabundance of any nonverbal cue can lead to unintended consequences.

For instance, maintaining excessive eye contact can make your audience feel uncomfortable, as it may come across as overly intense or even confrontational. Similarly, an abundance of smiles may seem insincere and undermine the credibility of your message. Over-the-top gestures can also be distracting, potentially diverting the audience's attention away from your main points.

Striking the right balance in your body language ensures that it harmonizes with your spoken words, enhancing the overall impact of your message rather than detracting from it. It's about finding that sweet spot where your nonverbal cues complement your verbal content, creating a harmonious and compelling presentation.

How to Introduce Body Language in Your Presentation

The first moments of your presentation are crucial. This is when you have the audience's full attention, and it's your opportunity to make a lasting impression. Starting with impact is essential. One effective way to do this is by sharing a funny story or a personal anecdote. Humor can break the ice, making your audience feel more at ease, and personal anecdotes help create a connection.

When you share something relatable or amusing, you immediately engage your audience's emotions, making them more receptive to your message. It's a powerful way to set the tone for your presentation and establish a connection that can carry through the rest of your talk.

Having these elements of body language, you can break the ice, engage your audience on a personal level, and create a welcoming atmosphere. Your audience is more likely to be attentive and open to your message when they feel a connection with you. Starting with an impact not only introduces body language effectively but also ensures that your presentation begins on a strong and memorable note.

How Can I Improve My Body Language and Communication Skills?

Improving your body language and communication skills is an ongoing process. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Practice: The golden rule of body language is practice. Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure your gestures are well-timed and natural.
• Video Recording: Record your presentations and review them. This helps you identify areas where you can improve.
• Avoid Poor Posture: Poor posture can project a lack of confidence. Stand straight and tall, projecting confidence and authority.

Can Body Language Be More Meaningful Than Actual Words?

In many cases, body language can be more powerful than words. Your audience may not remember every word you say, but they will remember how you made them feel. This is where presentation skills, taking a deep breath, and maintaining the right presentation posture come into play. 

Here are some examples of how body language can speak louder than words:

Maintaining Eye Contact

Maintaining consistent eye contact is a fundamental aspect of effective presentation skills. It demonstrates that you're not merely reciting a script but are truly engaged with your audience. When you make eye contact, it conveys authenticity, interest, and a personal connection, which words alone may not achieve.

During your presentation, using open palms is a nonverbal cue that signifies honesty and a willingness to communicate openly. It's a gesture that invites trust and openness from your audience. When your words align with your open body language, the message becomes not only sincere but also impactful.

Power Pose and OK Sign

The way you carry yourself is a key aspect of presentation posture. A power pose, characterized by standing tall with your shoulders back, is a nonverbal cue that exudes confidence and positivity. It tells your audience that you are in control and confident about what you're conveying.

The "OK" sign, formed by connecting your thumb and forefinger to create a circle with the remaining three fingers extended, can be a subtle yet powerful gesture. It can reassure your audience that everything is going well, making them feel at ease.

Leveraging Teleprompters for a Polished Presentation

Teleprompters have become an invaluable tool for presenters looking to deliver a smooth and confident speech. By displaying your script or notes in an easily readable way, teleprompters can significantly enhance your presentation skills. This technology enables you to maintain excellent eye contact with your audience while ensuring you don't miss a single point, making it an ideal choice for both experienced speakers and those new to public speaking.

When you use a teleprompter, your delivery remains fluid, and your body language, including maintaining eye contact and an upright presentation posture, remains unaffected. It's a practical solution for keeping your focus on engaging your audience, all while ensuring you convey your message clearly and confidently. As a result, teleprompters are a secret weapon for presenters aiming to balance their content with their nonverbal communication effectively.

Key Points for Effective Body Language in Presentation

To summarize, effective body language in presentations is about creating a connection with your audience, conveying confidence, and supporting your verbal content. By practicing and incorporating these techniques into your presentations, you can leave a positive impression and deliver great presentations.

In the grand scheme of things, words are just a small part of the equation. It's your body language that can make the bigger picture memorable. So, the next time you step forward to present, remember the importance of body language and let it help you deliver a compelling and impactful message. Don't underestimate its power in your journey to becoming a more effective presenter.

By mastering the art of body language in presentation, you can captivate your audience, hold their attention, and ensure your message is not just heard, but truly understood and appreciated.

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, 4 essential body language tips crucial for giving a solid presentation.

More than half of your impact as a speaker depends upon your body language.  When all eyes are on you, your facial expressions, stance, and gestures become increasingly important. When giving a presentation, strong, positive body language becomes a powerful tool for helping you build credibility, express your emotions, and connect with your audience.  Effective body language supports the message and conveys a strong image of the presenter.  There is no shortage of advice on things you should and shouldn’t do when presenting and this can sometimes lead people to appear as puppets trying to pull on too many strings.  For a strong, compelling, and authentic presentation, follow these 4 essential body language tips.

• Smile Genuinely

Never underestimate the power of a smile.  Whenever you stand in front of an audience there should always be an opportunity to share something “happy.”  Even if you are delivering a business presentation loaded with stats and information or you are discussing a sad topic, look for that silver lining moment or find a way to infuse some happiness into your presentation.  When you flash a genuine smile at your audience, they immediately feel a sense of warmth and competence.  Your audience will appreciate the sincerity of a smile and it will earn you instant credibility.

• Do Use Your Hands

When giving a presentation, your hands do not belong in your pockets, on your hips, or folded across your chest.  These gestures immediately show defensiveness or nervousness, both of which will cost you your credibility as a speaker.  Instead, use them to help emphasize a point, express emotion, or engage your audience.  For example, if you are making a big point open your arms wide.  Try moving around the stage to maximize your impact on different parts of the audience.  If your hands remain in one place or your fail to open them toward your audience, they will not be open to your ideas.

• Make Eye Contact

We have all sat through a presentation where the speaker looked down throughout the entire presentation as they read from their notes.  Not only are you left with the feeling that they are incompetent, but there is a complete lack of audience engagement.  Nothing directly connects you to your audience like eye contact.  Effective presenters engage one person at a time, focusing long enough to complete an entire phrase or thought.  This level of focus can rivet the audience and draw them in to boost their attention.  Avoid looking down or constantly scanning the room. Instead, use your eyes to engage with your audience and establish a connection.

• Keep a Firm Stance

How you stand in front of an audience makes an impression before you ever even open your mouth.  Your stance tells the audience if you are happy, nervous, confident, or uncomfortable.  A slouched stance says that you are bored or disinterested but a balanced stance shows confidence and eagerness.  It is also good to move around the stage in order to engage your audience, but avoid constant motion as this can be a distraction.  In your moments of stillness, keep your feet pointing straight ahead and lean in slightly toward your audience.  A firm stance will project confidence and ease and will engage your listeners.

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