Public Speaking

Body language

This is another post where I’m recommending that you record yourself – this time it’ll need to be on video because you’re going to get familiar with your body language.

There’s an often-quoted paper that supposedly proves that 55% of communication is through body language. Don’t believe it; those results came from very specific circumstances. Nevertheless, body language is important because our subconscious takes notice of it.

You know when you get a feeling about someone that you can’t quite put your finger on – positive or negative? Their body language might be contributing. Your body language will be contributing to that feeling in other people too.

When you look at a recording of yourself, look for the following things:

1. Am I doing anything that could distract my audience? For example:

Standing in front of my presentation.
Carrying a pen or a piece of paper without needing to and fidgeting with it. (If you need a fidget toy, use a quiet one.)
Standing on one leg. (I kid you not; some people do this when they’re trying to control their nerves.)

Stop these. You want your audience to concentrate on what you’re saying, and to see what you want them to see.

2. Am I doing anything repetitive? For example:

Pacing back and forth. (This was my personal favourite for a while.)
Doing a square dance – one foot back, then the other, one foot forward, then the other.
Using eye contact like I’m watching a tennis match.

Stop these. You’ll put your audience into a trance.

3. Is there anything I could be doing to support my message better? For example:

Using gestures that match my communication, e.g. counting on fingers, showing the size of something.
Using facial expressions that match the mood of my message, e.g. serious face for solemn news, smile for good news.
Moving purposefully, e.g. using different parts of the stage for different parts of my speech.

There are many more things to know about body language but these are some things I’ve seen multiple clients do, so let’s start with them.