Effective Body Language

What story is your face telling? I’m surprised or scared!

What story is your face telling? I’m thinking hard and perhaps am angry!

What story is your face telling? I’m disgusted by something!

What story is your face telling? I’m worried or thinking really hard!

What story is your face telling? I’m worried or angry.

What story is your face telling? I’m angry.

Consciously relax your face. Open your mouth as widely as you can and yawn. Wriggle your jaw from side to side. Massage gently with your fingertips the place where your jaw hinges next to your ears. Massage your temples gently and the place between your eyebrows.

Punctuate your Speech with Posture Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart and your arms ready to gesture. Lean slightly toward the audience. Lean on the podium only once in a while for effect.

Punctuate your Speech with Posture 4. Avoid standing with your hands on your hips. 5. Avoid swaying back and forth.

Punctuate your Speech with Posture 6. Avoid standing with your arms across your chest. 7. Avoid standing with your arms behind your back.

Punctuate your Speech with Posture 8. Avoid standing in the fig leaf position. 9. Avoid burying your hands in your pockets.

Giving the right message with gestures. Create opportunities to use gestures. Include a few items in your speech to help with this by talking about how large or small something is or alternative actions—”on the one hand…and on the other hand.”

Giving the right message with gestures. Vary your gestures. Put your hands in the steeple position. Make your gestures fit the space. Make bold gestures.

Avoid the Banker: Rattle coins in pockets. Sound like a change machine.

Avoid the Optician: Constantly adjust their glasses. Take their glasses on and off. Glasses slip down their nose.

Avoid the Tailor: Constantly fiddle with clothing. Neckties are especially distracting for men.

Avoid the Jeweler: Constantly fiddle with jewelry. Necklaces and rings are especially distracting.

Avoid the Lonely Lover: Hug themselves….enough said.

Avoid the Beggar: Hands thrust toward the audience as if they are begging for something.

Avoid the Hygienist: Rubs hands together like they are washing them.

Avoid the Toy Maker: Plays with pens, markers, pointers…whatever happens to be around.

Avoid the Bug Collector: Pull at the hair on the back of their necks and heads.

Establish eye contact at the end of a thought. Making Eye Contact Look at individuals. Establish eye contact at the end of a thought. Look at the audience, not everywhere else. 24

Making Eye Contact Look at more than one spot. Spend more time looking at the audience rather than your notes. Look at the noses of the audience if you’re nervous, not over their heads. 25

Dressing to Impress Dress conservatively. Shine your shoes. Wear comfortable clothes. Keep the pencils, pens, and markers from peeking out of your shirt or jacket pockets. 26

Dressing to Impress Wear jewelry that won’t distract the audience. Leave your purse somewhere other than the podium. Keep bulky stuff out of your pockets. 27

Mastering Physical Movement Use up and down movements. Move purposefully. Be aware of audience depth perception. Move only left or right. Move in an irregular pattern. Avoid making nervous movements. 28

Getting into the Power Position X 29

Using the podium effectively… Use the podium as a strategic tool. Look at your notes while you’re moving behind the podium. Use a podium to “hide” when appropriate. Avoid pressing or gripping the podium. 30