use body language in presentation

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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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.

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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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How to use body language during a presentation

• 19 February 2018
• 10 minute read

It’s easy to spend a long time agonising over what to say when it comes to giving a presentation. However, it’s important to remember that a great presentation is about much more than just content. Elsewhere on the Future Skills Blog we’ve talked about the most important public speaking skills to have in general, but here we’re going to focus on body language.

Body language can make all the difference between a dull, static presentation and a dynamic, engaging one. Of course, body language has many different elements, and so we’ve broken it down into five categories:

• Facial expressions
• Eye contact
• Position and movement

Some of these may seem like small details, but they have a big impact on how your presentation comes across. When your body language is working hand in hand with the other aspects of your presentation, such as content and tone of voice, then you’re sure to win over your audience.

1) Facial expressions

People will travel half-way around the world to meet one another “face-to-face” for a reason – when it comes to interacting with others, what we do with our faces is vital. We may not usually control our facial expressions in any conscious way, but there are times when we have to think about what our face is telling others, such as when giving a presentation. Study-body-language.com has produced a fun guide to facial expressions and why they matter.

The first and most obvious thing to remember is to make sure that you are using your face at all. Giving a presentation with a blank face, without any particular facial expression is like speaking in a monotone – no matter how great your content is, your audience will not be engaged. Even some simple steps from the outset, such as opening your eyes wider, raising your eyebrows a little, and smiling, can make a huge difference in setting the tone for your presentation. You can also “reset” at different points during your presentation to make sure that you haven’t fallen back into a dull resting expression and to re-engage your audience’s attention.

Of course, putting rehearsed facial expressions into your speech mechanically is never going to be effective, and what you do with your face should look natural. The important thing is to be attentive to what you’re saying. If your facial expressions are in line with the tone of your words, then the information you are presenting will come across more clearly, and you will seem more sincere. Remember that the expression you wear tells people a lot about how trustworthy you are. Don’t forget that the size of the room and the audience matters too – a bigger crowd requires bigger facial expressions.

2) Eye contact

Having thought about what your face is doing in general, it’s time to get even more specific and think about eye contact. This is crucial when it comes to communication, as explored in a recent Psychology Today article .

Just as with facial expressions and the other parts of body language we’ll be looking at below, the way in which you use eye contact and look at your audience depends on the size of the room and the audience. However, here are some general tips:

• Make sure you look at everyone – Staring at the same spot throughout a presentation is visually dull and unengaging for your audience. Make sure that by the end of your presentation you have made eye contact with everyone at least once – that might mean every individual if you have a small audience, or every section of a crowd if you have a bigger audience.
• Don’t be afraid of eye contact – Prolonged eye contact can make people nervous, but that’s because it’s so powerful. You may be perceived as aggressive or bullying. A brief glance, however, suggests that you are monitoring their expression as you speak to them, and thus that you care about how your message is being received. While it may be tempting to find a spot to stare at on the back wall, it is always better to try and make a more personal connection with members of your audience. But remember…
• Don’t stare – No one wants to feel uncomfortable or that they are being put on the spot. Keep your gaze moving and engage as many people as possible.

Again, remember that different situations call for different approaches, but as long as you are consciously using eye contact, you’ll be well on the way to making your presentation as involving as possible.

We’ve talked about facial expressions and eye contact, now it’s time to look at the bigger picture: posture. Whether you’re sitting or standing, the way in which you hold yourself is incredibly important and sets the tone for the whole presentation before it’s even begun.

With this in mind, here are a few Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to posture during a presentation:

• DON’T slouch – In almost all presentation situations, your posture should be upright and open. This will make you look and feel more confident, and it will invite your audience in rather than pushing them away. If you are not sitting or standing upright it suggests that what you have to say is not particularly important to you. If you suggest to your audience that what you have to say is not really worthy of your attention they are unlikely to pay much attention either.
• DON’T be tense – It’s important to look and feel relaxed during a presentation. If you’re standing upright but look rigid, it won’t make a good impression. No matter how nervous you may feel, a speaker who seems to be afraid of his audience will not win their trust. Pause and take a deep breath before you begin, and remind yourself to relax at different points throughout the presentation. Pausing and giving your audience time to think about what you have just said is a good thing to do anyway. You can take that time consciously to relax and re-set your expression and posture.
• DO think about your audience – A formal presentation to the board of a company is very different to an interactive talk with schoolchildren. While you still need to be upright, open and relaxed in all situations, remember that different situations require different levels of formality. Do you want to be interrupted if someone has a question for example, or will you only take questions at the end of your presentation? Adapt your posture to be more open or more formal accordingly.
• DO be adaptable – If you are sat down or have a lectern for your presentation, don’t hold onto them for support or let them get in the way. You should have an open and communicative posture no matter what the specific set-up is. Be prepared to adapt to unexpected situations. If you are addressing a large audience or being recorded you may need to use a microphone – this may mean you have to remain at a lectern, or you have to hold a microphone in one hand, which can restrict your gestures. Try to find out beforehand, but if things are not at you expected, adapt quickly to make the best of the facilities provided.

In addition, Ethos3 also gives some very helpful advice on how to improve your posture for a presentation .

4) Gestures

Varied facial expressions, eye contact and a good posture will put you well on the way to presentation success, but if you stand still without moving any other part of your body, it can create a very strange impression. On the other hand, over-rehearsed or exaggerated hand gestures can be off-putting and look unnatural.

A happy medium is needed. Remember that the purpose of using gestures when giving a presentation is to make your message clearer and more interesting. In short, your gestures should mean something. For example, if you are making a contrast between big and small, you can use hand gestures to represent this. If you are giving a numbered list, you can show the numbers with your hand so that both people’s eyes and ears are engaged. Alternatively, if you want to address the audience directly, you can gesture towards them (but try not to point aggressively as though you’re accusing them of something). If you have a PowerPoint slideshow or other visual aids, use gestures to draw people’s attention to them. If you have a particular point which is one of the key messages of your presentation you may want to make your gestures more exaggerated as you work up to that point – in this way you can communicate to the audience which of the things you have to say matter most to you.

The Science of People blog’s article on hand gestures gives some great insight into this aspect of presentation along with some further ideas. Remember that whatever happens, gestures should look relaxed and natural. If you are struggling with this, remember that practice makes perfect – film yourself presenting or ask your friends to give you feedback. Also, as with all the other aspects of body language we’ve been talking about, you’ll need to adjust things depending on the size of the room.

5) Position and movement

This last area is more variable depending on the specific set-up of your presentation. It will be clear straight away whether you have any flexibility over where you position yourself or if movement around the space is even possible, but it’s always worth considering.

For example, if you are giving your presentation on a big stage, a bit of movement around the space can help to create visual interest and keep different parts of the audience engaged. Likewise, if your presentation has interactive elements, you could move closer or slightly further back from the audience depending on whether they’re involved or not. The golden rule is that any movement should be clear and directed – you should never look like you’re just wandering around the stage. You may, for example, want to engage your audience early on in your presentation by moving to the front of the stage and asking them a question – “Who can tell me…”, “Put your hand up if you have ever…” – this not only enables you to make some judgements about how much your audience already knows about what you have to say, it also engages them and suggests that you care about their experiences. Most people are much happier if they feel a speaker is “talking to” them rather than “talking at” them with no concern for their opinions.

The five topics above give an overall sense of how you can use body language to make your presentation clearer, more engaging and more powerful. Remember that body language is not something you apply later to a pre-written script, but a core part of how you present. It should go hand-in-hand with every other aspect of the presentation, such as the content and the tone of your voice, to create a compelling overall experience for your audience. Good luck and happy presenting!

Article tagged:

• communication

Importance of Body Language in Presentations (+ Good & Bad Examples)

All eyes are on you.

Before you’ve even spoken the first word, your audience can already read how you’re feeling through your body language.

Nonverbal cues are the key indicators of your true emotions. If you’re a nervous presenter, this doesn’t work to your advantage, but fear not, as it is a skill that can be taught and mastered with practice.

We’ll dive into the importance of body language in presenting, which nonverbal cues are most important when presenting and what not to do when all eyes are on you. Plus, how to use body language in sit-down presentations.

• Why is Body Language Important in Presentations

5 Non-Verbal Cues to Think About When Presenting

What body language not to use when presenting.

• Body Language Tips to Rock Your Next Presentation
• BONUS: How to Use Body Language for a Remote Presentation

Why is Body Language Important in Presentations?

In simple terms, body language can make or break your presentation.

Anyone can get up on stage and talk. But it’s how you present and use body language to convey your passion and authority that will keep your audience engaged in the long run. Your body language can reinforce your points and guide your audience towards the next stage of your presentation.

Before you’ve even said the first word of your presentation or speech, it’s likely that the audience has already decided whether they trust you or not.

There are lots of different aspects that go into acing your body language. We’ll go over 5 of them in more detail.

Body language is heavily influenced by 5 other nonverbal cues that you should be aware of when presenting – trust us, they make a big difference. These include:

• Hand gestures
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions

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1. Hand gestures

The purpose of hand gestures during a presentation is to make your message clearer, not more complicated. Using the right amount of hand gestures is the key. Overly exaggerated gestures can be distracting but using clear gestures can add impact to your points. For example, using gestures to address certain slides, making contrasts or a numbered list – the combination of visual and audio aids will draw in your audience’s attention.

Show your enthusiasm through controlled and natural gestures, not forced hand gestures that can distract your audience.

2. Eye contact

Have you ever heard someone say, “…you could see the emotion in their eyes”? This isn’t a lie. Human beings portray lots of emotion and feelings in their eyes, so much so that many of us can understand what another person is saying just by eye movements alone. Use the audience’s eyes and body language to gauge their reaction to your presentation – if they look bored, make changes to your tone or try to engage them.

When it comes to eye contact when presenting, aim to use 50% eye contact as you’re speaking and looking around the room intently to show your audience your confidence and interest in the subject. Your eyes can also help incorporate the audience into your presentation, making them feel part of the process.

Presentation posture is all about standing tall, chin up and open arms – never crossed. This can be tricky if you’re a nervous presenter. But, if your audience can tell that you’re afraid of them, it’ll be hard to win over their trust and full attention.

Stand with your feet apart, shoulders open and naturally relaxed. This will convey confidence and authority and will invite your audience in, instead of pushing them away. Having good posture will also help you to breathe more easily and project your voice further across the room – particularly useful if you’re presenting to a big group.

Here are several great examples of presentation posture:

4. Movement

X marks the spot. There’s an old myth that every presenter should stand still, feet shoulder width apart and just simply speak – almost like a statue. Now, we see some of the best presenters (whether it be during TED Talks or CEO product launches) walking around the stage with confidence and natural energy. We are human beings after all – it’s not in our nature to simply stand still.

It’s easy to get this confused though. The key is not to walk or pace around as if you’re getting your daily steps in. Instead, walk slowly between your key talking points when describing less important details of your presentation. Use your movements to punctuate your statements and stop to make an impact. Just be sure to match your movements with your presentation slides in the background so your audience isn’t distracted.

Want more body language examples? View our other post on why body language is important in communication for bonus videos.

5. Facial expressions

We, humans, can make over 10,000 facial expressions. When it comes to presenting, your facial expressions can suggest a lot to your audience. For example, a monotone facial expression can suggest a lack of interest or belief in your own ideas to your audience. If you’re not interested in your own words and ideas, you can’t expect your audience to be.

It’s important to fully utilise the power of facial expressions when presenting. Watch the faces of your audience to get an insight into how they’re feeling as you present – then you can make adjustments to your own expressions to keep them engaged. Also, if your audience is a big one, ensure you exaggerate your expressions so everyone can read your face.

1. Slouch or look uncomfortable

We get it, presenting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But sometimes it cannot be avoided, especially if you hold a senior position in the organisation. Your posture tells a lot more about you than you think. Try to stand up straight, take your arms away from your body and relax your shoulders.

Not only will this make you feel more confident, but it’ll also make you look more confident, and it will tell your audience that you know what you’re talking about giving them a reason to believe you.

Watch this video for an example of a good and bad presentation – see if you can spot the differences! Tag us on Twitter at @UModernGov and tell us what you find.

2. Turn away from your audience

Moving around in the right moments of your presentation can be impactful but be sure to not turn your back on your audience at any point. As 93% of communication is nonverbal, turning your back on your audience means you’ve lost the impact of your nonverbal cues, but you’re also making it difficult for your audience to hear you and understand what you truly mean.

It’s okay to gesture to the screen if you’re talking about a specific presentation slide, but make sure to keep your body language open and turn towards your audience to keep the attention on your point.

3. Use too many/over-exaggerated hand gestures

Although hand gestures can be a great way to show your passion for a subject, using too many or overly extravagant hand gestures can be distracting or even off-putting to some audience members. You don’t want them spending their time calculating which direction their arms are going to go in next – you want them focused on your words and presentation.

3 Body Language Tips to Rock Your Next Presentation

• Maintain eye contact – No matter how big or small your audience is, look them in the eye. No, we don’t mean staring so much to creep them out, we mean looking at them every so often to create a bond and ensure they are focused on you and your words.
• Use open body language – Avoid closing yourself off. If you’re standing still and tense, your audience will feel this. Using open body language will help you clearly express your message in a positive professional and natural manner.
• Get advice or record yourself to see how your body language really looks – it can be difficult to know how your body language really comes across when presenting, especially if it’s not something you do often. Ask a friend to help you practice your presentation or record a practice run to help you see how to improve your body language.

Use this helpful graphic to understand the body language you use and how you can improve.

Bonus: How to Use Body Language for a Remote Presentation

Sometimes you might not have the option of conducting a standing presentation. If this is the case, there are things you can do to still promote positive body language to your audience. Sitting down and presenting your ideas or opinions can offer a great chance to be intimate with your listeners. Use this time to engage in natural sharing in a casual and relaxed tone – putting the listeners at ease.

While you might not have the chance to use your full body to show communication, you can still keep your arms open, and back straight, hand gestures natural and use clear facial expressions and eye contact to support your points.

5 Quick Tips for an Effective Remote Presentation:

• Use vocal variety and modulation to increase your personal impact: A monotonous voice is difficult to listen to so ensure that yours is full of vocal colour. Practice by reading out loud and varying tone, emphasis, and pitch and never forget the power of the pause.
• Become an excellent storyteller : Create a narrative for the meeting so that it flows efficiently. Use examples and stories and ask questions to engage your colleagues in order to get buy-in so that you influence effectively.
• Articulate your message with clarity: Ensure that every word can be easily understood by opening your mouth well and using your articulators - tongue, teeth, lips, hard and soft palate - to maintain clarity. Keep your message short and concise to achieve maximum impact.
• Sit "well" and own your space: Ensure your feet are flat on the ground and that your sitting bones are comfortably in the back of the seat. Sitting too close to the screen can come across as being mildly threatening to the viewer. Use gestures with definition, but also with grace.
• Be aware of your physical presentation: Dress appropriately in single-block colours to avoid distraction. Look behind you to ensure the backdrop your colleagues are witnessing is one you want to reveal.

Your Voice and Body Language Go Hand in Hand – Learn How to Combine The Two Effectively

Now you’ve got your body language in check, it’s time to make sure your words follow suit. Take a look at our upcoming Confidence & Resilience training courses  to present the maximum impact.

Related posts

Why is Body Language Important in Communication?

25 Common Body Language Types | Plus Examples in Action

What Your Digital Body Language Says About You | Plus Tips to Improve

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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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4 Tips For More Effective Body Language in Public Speaking

Body language in public speaking is the nonverbal cues that your movements make during communication. Presenters often focus on what they are going to say and their visual aids. However, we often overlook an important part of the speech — body language. Non-verbal communication makes a lasting impression and makes a marked difference in your communication skills. And when it comes to public speaking, if you look poised and confident, your audience  will believe  you are poised and confident.

In this session, we’ll cover a few simple public speaking ideas that will give you good posture and encourage better body movement. First, we show how important the power of body language is during your presentation. Next, I’ll give you a few, simple tips to look more confident and create a good impression (even if you’re nervous). Finally, I’ll share a presentation secret that, once you understand it, will change the way you look at your nervous habits forever (and in turn, help you give a great presentation).

You Body Language in Public Speaking is Important to a Successful Speech.

When presentation coaches reference body language, they often refer to a 1967 study published by Albert Mehrabian. Dr. Mehrabian is a professor at UCLA. His study showed that only 7% of communication comes from the words spoken. He said that 38% of communication comes from the voice and tone. The final 55% of the communication process comes from body language. In reality, this study has nothing to do with public speaking or presenting. So, the reference to the “Mehrabian Formula” as a reason to focus on body language in public speaking is false. However, that doesn’t mean the power of nonverbal communication isn’t important.

The better that a speaker carries himself or herself, the more credibility the speaker has with the group. If you look timid or nervous, your audience will question your competence. Confident body language has a profound effect on the unconscious mind of your audience. So much so that, even if they know you’re a new speaker, they won’t help but feel turned off by the small details, like a lack of good eye contact and other aspects of body language.

To cover for nervousness, a lot of speakers will avoid negative body language by hiding behind a lectern. Others will deliver their entire presentation from a seated position and make the slideshow the presentation. When you do these things, though, you are losing your connection to the audience. You are also, likely, inadvertently making your presentation more boring.

A Few Simple Presentation Tips to Improve Body Language

If you want to see your ability as a persuasive public speaker improve, try these simple tips. Just testing out one or two of them will show you the real impact of body language.

1. Set Your Screen to the Side, Not the Front

What? What does the screen’s placement in the room have to do with body language in public speaking? Well, everything. Many presenters will set the projection screen or digital screen in the very center of the room. When you do this, though, your ability to move around the room is significantly limited. You’re forced to work in a smaller “stage” to present from, and you’re now off to the side. Your audience didn’t come to see you click through bullet points. They came to hear you speak.

2. Take a Deep Breath and Drop Your Hands to Your Side.

Please don’t misunderstand this tip. The tip ISN’T to KEEP your hands by your side. It’s just the opposite. When you start your presentation with your hands dropped loosely by your side, your first gesture will be bigger and more powerful. This is a powerful tool you can try from wherever you are right now.

Stand up and clasp your hands together in front of your waist as most presenters do. Now, break the clasp and try to make a gesture with one of your hands. Try it a few times. When you do, you will notice that your elbow will tend to rest around your hip. The gesture will look robotic. If you alternate moving your hands from that clasped position, you will likely look like a t-rex.  Fearless Presentations , I mentioned in the book that “People judge our competence by the confidence that we show.” This statement is so true.

Now, drop both hands to your side and let them hand loosely. Try to make the same gesture that you did before. When you do, you will, most likely end up moving BOTH hands. This time, the gesture will look more powerful and energetic. Also, when you stop making the gesture, you will probably return your hands to your side so that your next gesture is also powerful. (Your hands will often return to their starting point.)

If you’re having trouble remembering to drop your hands to your side, try one of these 3 tips:

Incorporate Slow Breathing and a Relaxed Stance:  Begin your presentation with slow breathing and a relaxed body language, keeping your hands at your sides. This not only calms your nerves but also sets a composed tone for your speech. A relaxed physical presence goes a long way in making your delivery appear confident and effortless. Remember, a calm demeanor and tone of voice can make a big difference in public speech.

Practice Purposeful Gestures and Open Palms:  When rehearsing, focus on using your whole body to make purposeful and open gestures. An open palm can signal honesty and active participation from the audience. Treat this as a learned skill, where each movement, including returning your hands to your sides, is a part of your physical expression. This technique enhances audience engagement and ensures your gestures complement the tone of your voice.

Visual Cues and Physical Movements Checklist:  Create a checklist of physical movements, including keeping your hands at your sides, which you can refer to as an exhaustive list during practice. This list can act as a reminder that each aspect of your body language, from your gestures to your posture, contributes to a great idea being effectively communicated. Regular practice with these visual cues helps in embedding these actions into your muscle memory, ensuring a more natural and engaging delivery.

3. Tell More Stories

If you want to have great body language when presenting, tell more stories. It is almost impossible to tell a story without using your hands to explain what is happening. For instance, when I start my  presentation skills seminars , I will often start with a story. Typically, I tell the class what happened to me the first time I had to speak in front of a room of executives. As I describe how my hands got sweaty, I often naturally rub my palms on my pants. When I tell them how I zoomed through the presentation, I move my hands quickly in small circles. These movements add clarity to my description. No one ever taught me how to do this. These gestures happen naturally as I relive the incident from memory.

These natural gestures add a lot of enthusiasm and fun to your presentations. So, if you want to use more poised body language, tell more stories.

Here are some additional tips on incorporating gestures into your presentation:

Mimic the Action : When narrating an event or action in your story, mimic the movement with your hands or body. For example, if you’re talking about opening a door to a new opportunity, physically mimic the action of turning a door handle and pushing a door open. This not only makes your story more vivid and engaging but also helps the audience visualize the scenario better.

Use Symbolic Gestures : Incorporate gestures that symbolize concepts or emotions in your story. If you’re discussing overcoming obstacles, you might show pushing against an invisible barrier with your hands. For stories involving growth or progression, use upward or forward-moving hand motions. These symbolic gestures can powerfully convey abstract ideas and emotions, enhancing the impact of your story.

Avoid Overuse of Gestures : While gestures can greatly enhance your storytelling, it’s important to use them judiciously. Be mindful not to overcrowd your narrative with excessive or exaggerated gestures, as this can distract or even confuse the audience. The key is to ensure that your gestures feel natural and spontaneous, complementing rather than dominating the story. Let your movements flow organically from the narrative; if a gesture doesn’t feel natural or necessary, it’s often better to omit it. This approach maintains the authenticity and impact of your storytelling.

4. Use Your Visual Aid

One of the things that bug me most is when a speaker stands (or sits) clicking a clicker. If you are going to take the time to create a great slide or visual aid… USE IT! One of the techniques that we cover in our  speaking class  is to visually touch your slide. I know it sounds weird, but it works like magic.

Have you ever been in a presentation where a speaker puts up a series of bullet points and just starts talking? As he presents, you may think he is on point four, but then he clicks to the next slide. This occurs because the speaker naturally assumes that you can figure out which point he is on. As a result, he doesn’t both to tell you when he moves from one point to the next. In most cases, the points aren’t clearly defined, anyway, so there is a lot of overlap. This makes the entire presentation confusing.

A better way is to physically go to the screen and point to bullet #2 when you move to bullet #2. If you combine this technique with telling a story, your presentation comes alive. This happens because the speaker will move toward the screen to identify the next point. Then, she will jump into an example or story to clarify the point. She will naturally move back toward the audience as she tells the story. Of course, as she tells the story, she will use those natural gestures as well. This combination of techniques adds a lot of enthusiasm and energy to a presentation.

A Presentation Secret that Should Help with Presentation Gestures

In reality, most speakers feel nervousness. It is just that most of the symptoms they feel aren’t visible either. If you understand this and use a few of the tips we covered earlier, you can look very poised when you speak. (Even if you are nervous!)

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Body Language in Public Speaking: How to Master It

Public speaking can be daunting. Even seasoned speakers can sometimes lack confidence and poise in front of a crowd. Your words may be carefully constructed, but what about your body language? Are you making the best use of everything from your head tilt to your hand gestures to create the most impressionable, powerful performance? It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to improving your body language for public speaking. After all, there’s so much to take into account. Which can make you even more anxious! But never fear – in this blog post we’ll show you how to master your body language and make your public speaking more impactful. We’ll cover basics, like posture and facial expressions, to finer details, like microphone technique, to ensure you make the right impression every time. So let’s get started on taking your public speaking to the next level – the only way is up!

Quick Answer

Using body language when giving a speech or presentation can help to convey your message more effectively and engage the audience. Make sure to avoid any nervous habits such as fidgeting and maintain good posture. Use hand gestures and facial expressions sparingly and intentionally for maximum effect.

Understanding Body Language

Understanding body language is key for any public speaker to be successful in creating an impact. On one hand, researchers suggest that body language can provide insight into a person’s true feelings, intentions and thoughts.

Whether it be positive reinforcement like a thumbs-up or negative reinforcement like facial expressions of frustration - body language always plays an important role in the understanding of communication.

Additionally, during the speaking portion of a presentation, a speaker’s posture will affect their delivery, giving off strong signals of confidence and power when done correctly. On the other hand, many people have studied nonverbal communication and report mixed findings on its accuracy. 

Our own biases as individuals tend to influence our interpretation of what we observe in another’s body language. Context can also play a big role in how we interpret cues - something that someone may consider as confident body language could easily be considered intimidating or aggressive depending on the scenario and the audience it is being given to. Overall, understanding the basics of both verbal and nonverbal communication is essential for any successful public speaker to make an impactful statement. By understanding these essential differences between each form of speaking, a speaker can craft their presentation accurately and congruently in order to achieve their desired outcome. Now that an understanding of body language has been discussed, the following section will discuss "What is Body Language" in further detail.

Must-Know Summary Points

Body language, both positive and negative, plays an important role in communication. Body language can influence how successful a public speaker is, as their posture not only affects delivery but also signals confidence and power.

The interpretation of nonverbal communication, however, can be affected by the individual's biases and context-dependent cues. To make a successful impact through speaking publicly, one must understand both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication.

What is Body Language?

Body language is a form of communication that uses nonverbal cues, such as posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact to convey messages. It is defined as “ the behavior that one displays during communication through body movements, posture, and gestures .” 

Body language can be used to express a variety of emotions, including happiness, anger, sadness, confusion, or surprise. It is also an effective way to make a point or emphasize something important when delivering a speech. Body language can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the context in which it is used. For instance, standing up straight with your arms crossed applied can make you appear more authoritative or confident. On the other hand, this gesture may come off as aggressive and intimidating if the tone of your message isn't aligned with the assertive body language. By being mindful of our body posture and movements before and during a presentation we can ensure that the message we are trying to convey is accurately interpreted by our audience. With a better understanding of how body language affects public speaking, we can use it to our advantage and create meaningful connections that foster trust and respect with our audience. In the next section we will explore how to use body language to make your public speaking more impactful.

The Impact of Body Language

When it comes to public speaking, what we say matters, but the way we say it matters even more. Body language is a universal language and can have an immense impact on how your message is received by an audience. Often times, before you have even said your first word, your body language has already spoken thousands of words to the audience. The lines of your face, curve of your throat, folds in your clothing and the look in your eye all speak volumes about how you are feeling and what kind of attitude you bring to the podium. For example, if a speaker appears tense or closed-off, it may cause some audience members to become defensive or uncomfortable. But if a speaker comes across as open and confident, it helps put the audience at ease and encourages them to respond positively to what they hear. Body language can also have numerous other nonverbal communication benefits during public speaking . For example, well-timed pauses , emphasis on certain points through gestures, and capturing attention with eye contact can all help take an average speech and turn it into something that really resonates with the listener. On the other hand, there’s no denying that people’s perception of body language can be highly subjective. While certain body language cues such as crossed arms may be indicative of being closed off to ideas that don't align with one’s own beliefs for some people, for others crossed arms may simply mean deep concentration.

So its important to keep in mind that how we interpret someone else’s body language largely reflects our own preconceived notions rather than calling out any specific trait of another person. The impact of body language when giving a public presentation should not be underestimated - it can turn a mediocre performance into something extraordinary by creating a connection with listeners and keeping them engaged throughout. Now let's take a closer look at how you can use body language effectively during public speaking to maximize this impact.

Body Language During Public Speaking

Body language during public speaking can have a huge influence on the delivery of your speech, as well as your overall success. The way you move and use your body to convey your message is one of the most important elements of delivering an effective presentation . Your body language can reveal how confident or hesitant you are about the material you’re conveying and how engaged or disinterested your audience is. When speaking in front of people, maintaining an open body language can demonstrate your confidence and help put them at ease. Some people tend to cross their arms when they become nervous , which can come off as confrontational or even hostile.

Your posture should be relaxed but upright—avoid slouching or hunching over, as this comes off as unprofessional and may signal a lack of confidence in yourself and your message. On the other hand, standing too straight and rigid can also be intimidating. Standing with your feet slightly apart in an open stance conveys openness and comfort with yourself and your message. Your facial expressions should also match what you’re saying—a grimace when telling a funny story, for example, is confusing for the audience. It’s important to stay aware of flinching or winking too much, which can make it seem like you’re not paying attention to what you’re saying or are uncomfortable with the content. Make sure to look out for any unintentional visual cues that might distract or confuse your audience. Keeping good posture and making sure your movements coincide with the flow of your speech will enable you to project confidence and enthusiasm that will keep your audience engaged throughout the duration of your presentation.

Your facial expressions play an equally vital role in helping you get your point across efficiently so it’s important to become aware of them while speaking. With greater awareness and practice, mastering nonverbal communication during public speaking will become easier and more natural. Next we will discuss how facial expressions and posture play key roles in how impactful a speaker is during public presentations.

Facial Expressions and Posture

The way we use facial expressions and posture when speaking publicly has a huge influence on how people perceive us. Our eyes, forehead, mouth, and chin all send organic cues to others about our feelings and thoughts.

It’s important to pay attention to the signals our faces are sending, making sure they are intentional rather than merely fleeting. Additionally, our posture speaks volumes when it comes to communicating with an audience. One of the most important gestures that can help you connect with your audience is smiling. A charming smile can boost credibility, increase positive reactions, and help keep the atmosphere light-hearted.

On the other hand, the opposite can also be true: frowning and furrowing your eyebrows may distract or upset a room of listeners. So practice your presentation with a big smile and choose wisely when changing expressions during your speech. In addition to facial expression, posture is essential in public speaking. Standing up straight and tall projects strength and authority while slouching signals weakness and uncertainty. By standing up with proper posture while speaking publicly you give off an impression of capability and confidence, which will make people better listen to what you have to say.

For example, when talking to an audience try planting your feet hip-width apart; this will ground yourself in your message. Slumping or swaying back-and-forth sends a negative message about self-belief that your audience can sense subconsciously; so pay attention to subtle adjustments that express dedication and seriousness for your speech topic . Overall, facial expressions and posture play an integral role in public speaking as they set up tangible associations with the message one is trying to communicate as a speaker or presenter. Next up in this article we will discuss practical tips for utilizing body language during public speaking.

Tips for Using Body Language in Public Speaking

When preparing to give a public speech , body language plays an essential role in connecting with and impressing your audience. It can be used to emphasize key points and create the kind of lasting impression you want to make. Here are some tips for using body language effectively: 1. Stand Confidently – A confident posture expresses power, passion, and conviction. Keep your hands at your sides instead of crossed over your chest as this has been shown to make people appear more defensive and tense. Make sure your body weight is well-distributed by standing with both feet firmly planted on the ground. 2. Don’t Fidget – People tend to fidget when nervous and this can be distracting or even annoying to an audience. To combat this, practice presenting in front of a mirror so that you can become familiar with how you move and where you may need to adjust. 3. Use Intentional Gestures – If done properly, gestures can help add energy and excitement to an otherwise dull presentation. Avoid robotic gestures that don’t mean anything; practice deliberate gestures that connect with the topic or point you are making in meaningful ways for maximum impact. 4. Make Eye Contact – People love it when presenters look them directly in the eye because it makes them feel included in the action, connected to their speakers, and more likely to remember what was spoken about. Aim for 3-5 seconds of direct eye contact with each person who is listening so that you communicate strong, vibrant energy throughout the room. By taking advantage of these speaking techniques and using meaningful gestures, powerful stances, and confident looks, you will have presented a far more impactful speech than had any of these body language methods been overlooked or neglected. Now, let's talk about common mistakes to avoid when delivering public speeches...

• Research studies show that a speaker's body language accounts for up to 93% of their communication when presenting (although this may not be true).
• Effective body language can help to create rapport between the presenter and the audience, leading to more effective communication
• Studies have shown that positive body language, such as open and inviting gestures, can help increase audience engagement and understanding of the message.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Public speaking is a challenging endeavor, and even seasoned presenters can make mistakes. It can be easy to forget about the need for attentive body language if you get too caught up in your presentation. To mitigate the possibility of ‘faux pas’, it is important to understand some common blunders that can lessen the impact of your performance. It is vital to avoid maintaining an unfavorable facial expression; for instance, scowling or yawning. Such expressions tend to leave negative impressions, making it difficult to maintain attention. Instead, try to adopt a relaxed and pleasant facial expression which will help put people at ease and keep them engaged.

Your posture is another essential aspect of body language. Don’t slouch or hunch your shoulders as this position communicates a lack of confidence or enthusiasm and disengages the audience. Aim to stand with even proportions; your feet shoulder-width apart with your chest held up and arms loose by your side. This establishes a stance that suggests dynamism, engagement, and assurance - words you want associated with yourself and your speech. On the other hand, it is also important not to contort yourself into an over-assertive pose that may distract from the content of your address. Many speakers adopt hyperextended poses such as spreading their arms wide and pacing back-and-forth across the stage setting their audience on edge rather than inspiring them with confidence in the speaker’s message. In conclusion, practice mindful body language when speaking publicly: maintain a friendly expression, appropriate posture, and avoid gestures that detract from what matters most -your presentation content! Building self-confidence to ensure successful public speaking requires both clever content delivery and skillful manipulation of body language – something we will explore further in the following section on building self-confidence while speaking publicly.

Building Your Self-Confidence

Confidence is the cornerstone of public speaking. It is essential for conveying effective messages and connecting with your audience. Building up your self-confidence before a speech or presentation will ensure that you are ready to deliver an impactful performance. Here are some strategic tips for increasing your self-confidence when you take the stage: 1. Practice, practice, practice – Before delivering a speech, engaging in multiple rehearsals helps individuals become more familiar and comfortable with their material. Rehearsing enables speakers to focus on specific points of their speech and practice the flow and delivery of their words with precision.

Additionally, rehearsing also provides an opportunity to perfect and enhance content that can potentially elevate the level of enthusiasm within your audience. 2. Boost your posture – Holding yourself in a “power pose” can be an effective way to channel confidence both onstage and offstage. Highlighting important moments with dramatic gesture indicates a grounded, passionate presence that leaves a lasting impression on viewers.

When people feel as if they can trust and respect who is communicating a message, it increases engagement and creates opportunities to further dialogue or discussion afterwards. 3. Set attainable goals – Curating manageable objectives for yourself is another great way to build self-confidence before going on stage. This includes building out an agenda (also known as ‘ speaker notes ’) that lays out talking points and bullets important sections of your presentation beforehand so that you can confidently navigate transitions between slides or topics during delivery.

Setting clear expectations beforehand not only reminds the speaker what topics are of importance, but it also offers direction so speaking becomes easier when conducting research or writing scripts ahead of time.

4. Visualize success – Visualization is another form of preparation that can have significant effects on one’s self-confidence levels prior to taking the stage. It involves creating vivid mental images related to successful performance while simultaneously reminding oneself that they have successfully conquered other speaking engagements prior preceding this one; this essentially helps make it easier transitioning from anxiousness into preparedness pre-speech day nerves. Confidence can be seen as both an intrinsic quality associated with personality traits such as charisma, charm, poise and eloquence, as well as something environmental or situational like body language, external feedback or attitude surrounding a particular event or task at hand that contributes to overall comfortability levels onstage (or offstage).

Consequently it can be argued that one needs both external factors working in tandem with personality attributes to establish robust personal confidence capable of maximizing success onstage as a public speaker; however where people depict various levels of comfortability with how each contributes towards self-efficacy depends largely upon individual beliefs about their own character and abilities involving communication(s).

Ultimately, developing strategies for harnessing confidence for public speaking requires individuals to assess what works best for them based upon what makes them feel most prepared & competent when under pressure - that’s why it’s important to review all available options prior developing tactical plans designed to elevate public speaking performances; good luck!

Most Common Questions

How does body language emphasize content when public speaking.

Body language is an important factor when it comes to emphasizing content when public speaking. This is because people tend to take in nonverbal cues more than verbal cues. S

tudies have shown that 93% of communication is nonverbal, which means that what you do with your body language can be just as influential as the words you use.

When delivering a presentation or speech, gestures and movements can be used to emphasize key points, draw attention to certain ideas, and add depth and meaning to the content.

For example, making large hand gestures when discussing a significant idea helps communicate a powerful message, while pointing at relevant diagrams or visuals helps guide the audience’s attention toward important information.

Additionally, maintaining strong and confident posture while speaking also sends a signal of authority and helps engage listeners. Ultimately, by deliberately incorporating body language into presentations or speeches, presenters can effectively emphasize the content being presented and increase its impact on audiences.

What are some common mistakes to avoid with body language in public speaking?

One of the most common mistakes to avoid with body language in public speaking is not maintaining good posture. Keeping your head up and shoulders back shows confidence. Avoid slouching, which can make you appear uncomfortable or insecure.

Additionally, avoid excessive movements such as fidgeting, gesturing too much or rocking back and forth. These habits can be distracting to your audience and detract from the message that you are trying to get across. Another mistake to avoid is using negative gestures and facial expressions. Too many negative expressions like frowns or eyerolls can provide a conflicting message to your audience, weakening the impact of your words.

As a speaker, it’s important to project confidence, so negative body language can be counter-productive. Smiling or looking positive while speaking will give off a confident air and help keep the atmosphere positive and engaging. Finally, be aware of how much space you are taking up and remain conscious of what your body is saying. Invading too much personal space makes people in the audience feel uncomfortable.

Be sure to match people’s body language cues so that it doesn’t come off as aggressive or intimidating. By paying attention to these small nuances, you will be able to properly control your body language in public speaking and make a bigger impression on your audience!

What are the most important tips for using body language in public speaking?

The most important tips for using body language in public speaking are: 1. Establish good eye contact - to your audience, look around the room and make sure to engage people with eye contact at different points while you speak. 2. Use open body language - avoid postures that suggest discomfort or lack of confidence such as crossed arms, fidgeting, and avoiding direct eye contact. Instead, strive to use body language that suggests openness and comfort. 3. Use gestures to emphasize points - gestures can help engage your audience, amplify the message you're trying to get across, and give energy to your presentation. Practice beforehand what gestures will help accentuate each point in your presentation and use them appropriately when speaking. 4. Use facial expressions - don't just stand still like a statue! Make sure to smile, frown, use surprise and other subtle expressions as appropriate to convey emotion with your words and make your story come alive for the audience. 5. Vary Your Speech Pace & Volume - vary the speed of your delivery based on the content of your speech and don't forget about pushing up or down on the volume of your voice for multi-syllable words or when emphasizing a point – movement of your hands can be helpful too! Using these tips during public speaking can help make it more impactful and have better results in conveying your message across effectively to any audience.

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The mastery of body language for a presentations

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Anete Ezera November 24, 2023

We know that creating a stunning presentation isn’t enough to fully sway your audience. When you take the stage for that all-important Prezi presentation, your words matter—but your body speaks volumes. The subtle tilt of the head, the grounding of your stance, and the assured gesture of your hands; are the unspoken elements of dialogue that can captivate an audience before you even utter a word. Fortunately, with a Prezi presentation, you already set the stage for confident delivery, captivating your audience from the first few seconds and providing the confidence boost you need. However, how you end up delivering your presentation using the tone of your voice, posture, movement, and gestures, is up to you. That’s why in this article, we’ll equip you with the skills to ensure that your actions speak as confidently as your words and Prezi presentation.

The power of body language in presentation

The silent language of our posture, gestures, and facial expressions speaks volumes about our confidence. In a presentation, the audience is not only listening—they’re also observing. Effective body language for a presentation can reinforce and amplify your spoken message, while poor body language can undermine it. When used adeptly, it serves as a powerful tool to engage your audience, convey authority, and leave a lasting impression.

Studies suggest that communication is only 7% verbal and 93% non-verbal, of which body language is a significant component. This emphasizes the critical role of physical expression in delivering a message. Therefore, understanding the nuances of body language for a presentation is not just beneficial—it’s imperative.

The basics of confident body language for a presentation

Starting with the basics, confident body language is the foundation upon which a successful presentation is built. Here are some tips about body language for a presentation that can set the stage for a powerful performance:

Posture: Stand tall with your shoulders back and chin up. This conveys confidence and helps you breathe better, thus improving your vocal projection.

Eye contact: Maintain a steady gaze with your audience. This builds trust and shows you’re engaged with them.

Gestures: Use your hands to emphasize points but keep them controlled. Avoid fidgeting, which can be distracting.

Movement: Move purposefully around the stage to engage with different parts of your audience but avoid pacing aimlessly.

Facial expressions: Smile where appropriate and match your expressions to your content to show passion and sincerity.

By integrating these body language basics into your presentation, you can start to harness the full potential of your physical presence.

Advanced techniques for body language

Beyond the fundamentals, there are advanced body language techniques that can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level:

Mirroring: When a speaker mirrors the body language of the audience, it can foster a subconscious bond, making the audience feel understood and connected. This mimicry can make the audience more open and amenable to the speaker’s message. It’s a psychological strategy that, when done subtly, can lead to increased trust and affinity, which is especially beneficial during persuasive speeches or when trying to establish common ground.

Staging: Deliberate use of space, such as moving towards the audience, can signal engagement and invite participation, making the presentation feel more interactive and personal. Conversely, stepping back can signal to the audience that it’s time to ponder a point you’ve made, providing them with a moment to absorb information. Effective staging can thus control the rhythm and emphasis of the presentation, making it more dynamic and memorable.

Variation in gestures: Utilizing a range of gestures can cater to different learning styles within the audience, as some people are more responsive to visual cues. Open gestures are generally perceived as welcoming and honest, which can help to create a positive atmosphere. In contrast, precise gestures, like pointing or enumerating points on fingers, can highlight key information and signal to the audience that something is of particular importance. This variety prevents monotony, keeps the audience’s attention, and underscores the speaker’s message.

Incorporating these techniques requires practice, but when done correctly, they can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your presentation. You can also explore our article on the 9 secrets of confident body language to get even more tips and insights on effective body language for a presentation.  

Examples of well-mastered body language for a presentation

Ted presenters.

To illustrate these body language techniques, consider the demeanor of accomplished public speakers like TED presenters. They often begin their talks with a story or anecdote, using expressive hand gestures that match the emotional tone of their story. As the narrative builds, their movements around the stage draw the audience along on the journey. The strategic use of pauses, combined with sustained eye contact, allows the speaker to connect with the audience on a personal level, making the presentation more memorable. Discover more TED Talk presentation skills by watching the following video.

Lecturers and educators

In educational settings, teachers and lecturers use body language for a presentation to emphasize points and show enthusiasm for the topic. They might walk across the room to engage different parts of the audience or use hand gestures that correspond with key points on their Prezi slides. This helps students to connect visual information with physical actions, enhancing memory and understanding.

Salespeople

In sales pitches, effective body language is the silent ally of the salesperson. They use a confident posture to project assurance in the product they’re selling. Strategic use of hand gestures can draw attention to specific benefits or data on the screen, and making eye contact with various members of the audience helps to personalize the pitch and keep potential clients engaged.

Public speakers

Politicians and public speakers are also masters of body language for a presentation. They use their hands to emphasize conviction and make their points more compelling. They might step closer to the audience when sharing a personal story, using proximity to create a sense of intimacy. On the other hand, when they want to appear authoritative on a subject, they might stand tall, with hands behind their back, to command the room.

Exercises to improve body language during presentation

Before stepping onto the stage, it’s beneficial to engage in exercises that fine-tune your body language for a presentation:

Warm-up: Engaging in a physical warm-up before a presentation can be tremendously beneficial. It helps in reducing physical tension, which can otherwise lead to restrictive body language. A relaxed body allows for more fluid and natural movements, making the speaker appear more confident and at ease. Additionally, warming up can help regulate breathing, leading to better voice control during the speech.

Practice in a mirror: Practicing in front of a mirror allows presenters to become more conscious of their body language, including facial expressions and movements. This self-observation can help in identifying and correcting any behaviors that might be distracting or detracting from the message, such as unnecessary hand fidgeting or lack of eye contact.

Record and review: Recording practice sessions provide the opportunity to review one’s performance from an outsider’s perspective. It allows presenters to notice nuances in their body language that they might not catch in a mirror, such as the timing of gestures or the consistency of eye contact. This can lead to a more polished and professional presentation style.

Feedback loop: Constructive feedback from peers can offer a fresh perspective on a presenter’s body language. Colleagues may notice things the presenter doesn’t and can offer suggestions for improvement. This external input is critical for growth, as it can identify blind spots in a presenter’s self-perception and help refine their non-verbal communication skills.

By regularly performing these exercises, you can become more attuned to your body language for a presentation and gradually improve your non-verbal communication skills. Furthermore, discover other ways to improve your delivery skills according to your unique presentation style by watching the following video.

Body language pitfalls to avoid

Even seasoned speakers can fall into body language traps that detract from their message. Being aware of these pitfalls is the first step to avoiding them:

Over-gesticulating: While hand movements can be engaging, too much can be distracting. Aim for purposeful gestures that complement your words.

Lack of expression: A monotone delivery can bore the audience. Your facial expressions should reflect the passion and intensity of your message.

Closed posture: Crossing arms or legs can appear defensive. Aim for an open posture to seem approachable and confident.

Inconsistency: When your words say one thing but your body says another, it creates dissonance. Strive for consistency between your verbal and non-verbal cues.

Avoiding these common mistakes can help ensure that your body language for a presentation remains an asset, not a liability, during presenting.

The role of body language in audience engagement

The ultimate goal of your presentation is to engage your audience, and your body language is a key factor in achieving this. By leveraging positive body language for a presentation, you can:

When you step onto the stage, your aim is to not just present but to resonate with the audience. Non-verbal cues, like a warm smile or an open stance, can act as a conduit, establishing a rapport that transcends words. It’s this connection that can transform a room of passive listeners into a captivated audience. This silent dialogue fosters a sense of familiarity, making your message not just heard, but felt and experienced.

Your body speaks the language of conviction. When your posture is commanding and your gestures are assured, your words carry weight. Confidence emanates from the way you hold yourself, the assurance with which you move. It’s a subtle but powerful tool in your arsenal, lending credence to your arguments and swaying your audience with the unspoken but clear belief in your message.

Hold attention

In the ebb and flow of a presentation, your body language is the visual rhythm that keeps the narrative alive. Varied and dynamic body language acts as visual punctuation, highlighting key points and maintaining the narrative’s momentum. It breaks the monotony, adds emphasis where needed, and keeps the audience engaged not just with their ears, but with their eyes as well. It’s the difference between a monologue and a performance.

Remember, engaging body language for a presentation is not just about entertaining your audience; it’s about bringing them into your narrative, making them feel involved and invested in your message.

Incorporating technology and body language for a presentation

In today’s digital age, many presentations are enhanced with technological aids. How you interact with these tools can affect your body language:

Remote clickers

Use tools like clickers to advance slides seamlessly without interrupting your flow. When the flow of your presentation is interrupted, it not only wastes time but could also divert your audience’s attention from your message. If you’re a particularly nervous presenter, interrupting your flow could cause anxiety to kick in which is why it’s so important to practice with technology beforehand. 

Tablets and screens

Engage with touchscreens naturally without letting them become a barrier between you and the audience. Physical barriers can disrupt the audience’s visual connection to you and your message, which can become a big distraction. Practice using tablets and screens throughout your presentation until it feels like second nature. 

Virtual presentations

Even when presenting virtually, maintain an awareness of how your body language translates through the camera. It’s important to make sure you position yourself accordingly for your presentation. You want the audience to be able to see you clearly, with enough space for your hand gestures to be visible on the screen. With Prezi Video functionality, you can easily present your content right next to you on-screen, without needing to hide behind your slides, making your virtual presentations significantly more engaging.

In all cases, your interaction with technology should be smooth and practiced, ensuring that it supports rather than hinders your body language cues.

Mastering the silent dialogue: the final word on body language for a presentation

To convey your message with the utmost impact, aligning your spoken words with the unspoken power of body language is essential. By mastering confident body language for a presentation, you can transform it into an engaging, persuasive, and memorable experience for your audience. Remember, it’s the harmony of verbal and non-verbal communication that resonates most profoundly with listeners. As you continue to refine your skills, keep in mind that body language is a continuous learning process—every audience and every presentation offers a new opportunity to excel. 

Further insights for you to explore

For further exploration of confident body language tips for presentations, explore other Prezi blog articles for invaluable insights, and check out the videos on how to display confident body language:

By studying and applying these principles, you’ll not only improve your presentation skills but also enhance your ability to communicate in every aspect of your professional life. Remember, body language for a presentation is a powerful tool—use it wisely, and it’ll serve you well.

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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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Body Language in PPT Presentations: 8 Tips & Tricks

Gestures and facial expressions play a major role in shaping our communication. This also applies to PPT presentations: A presenter’s body language is a crucial factor in influencing the audience’s response to content and key messages.

So, you’ve got great content, slick PowerPoint slides and the latest presentation technology. Don’t forget one of the most versatile and effective presentation tools at your disposal – your body .

If you hide behind the podium, ignore your posture or use awkward gestures and facial expressions, you’ll have no chance of convincing your audience. In this article, we’ll show you eight effective tips and tricks to use body language to your best advantage.

Why body language is so important in PPT presentations

Admittedly , body language is something we tend to use unconsciously — it’s difficult for us to control. Most of the time, we don’t notice that our body language has an adverse effect on our presentation until it’s too late. Nervousness plays a role in this, especially when presenting in front of a large audience. Our hands get cold and clammy, we gesture too much and too excitedly, or we just hide behind the podium.

The wrong gestures can impact negatively on your presentation. Even the most polished PPT presentation will fall flat if we hide our hands in pockets, gesture too much or slouch. Audiences decide within a few seconds whether the speaker is likeable or competent.

Body language and gestures are just as important for a successful presentation as the content itself. It pays to review your rhetoric skills from time to time and brush up on them.

How can facial expressions enhance a presentation?

Facial expressions show the audience how the speaker feels about the content. The more you connect with your content on an emotional level , the more impact your words will have on your audience. With a little practice, you can find the right facial expressions to set the right tone for your presentation.

Tip : Practice your facial expressions in front of a mirror. How do you feel when you smile? Is your smile genuine? Or give your presentation in front of a familiar audience, such as your family or friends. Get honest feedback on your facial expressions and try to incorporate the critique. You can also find many helpful videos online.

How can the right gestures enhance your presentation?

A gesture is a hand or arm movement that expresses or emphasizes an idea. Many presenters know the feeling of not knowing where to put their hands during a presentation. A common awkward reaction is to clasp your hands behind your body or just let your arms hang. This often comes across as insecure, unprofessional and uninspired. Instead, use your hands to punctuate your presentation at specific points and underline key messages . This communicates professionalism and dynamism.

Here’s an example : You present a process in your presentation using a diagram. Leaving your arms hanging down from your body gives the impression that you’re uninterested and unmotivated. Don’t underestimate the power of gestures – use them to your advantage!

With that in mind, let’s go back to the example above . Whenever you explain a new section of the process, point to where you are on the slide. Or punctuate the process itself. If the process went forward, represent this with forward-moving had gesture. If it went backward, make a backward motion with your hands. This shows that you’re involved, energized and professional.

Tip : Again, be sure to practice in front of a mirror beforehand. Which gestures complement your presentation? Do they support your statements? Next, test these gestures in front of family and friends. Make sure to get feedback. You can also find a lot of online resources to help you, for example here .

Here are some helpful tips and tricks for using your body language correctly.

Effective body language during presentations: 8 tips and tricks

The right way to present: sitting or standing.

Are you someone who likes to keep it comfortable and plan to sit during your presentation? Please don’t! When you present, you need to be the literal center of attention . Presenting while sitting will immediately take the focus off you. You’ll appear unmotivated, uninspired and limit how much body language you can use. If you’re sitting behind a table or have your laptop in front of you, you’re basically hiding from your audience.

Stand while presenting. You’ll have freedom to move around and use your body language in a more purposeful way. You’ll appear more animated and motivated. Be aware of distracting objects in front of you, such as tables, and remove them. You want to be fully visible to the audience and not create an unconscious barrier.

Posture: How to stand correctly

You now that you should stand while presenting. Standing – sounds simple, right? Even here, you need to pay attention to a few points:

• Don’t stand with your legs too far apart . This can make you look less elegant.
• Don’t stand with your legs too close together. It’s an easy way to lose your footing and maybe even trip.
• Do stand with your legs about shoulder width apart so you have a firm and stable stance.

Also, stand up straight . Make yourself as tall as possible. Avoid slouching or slumping your shoulders forward . Rocking your upper body back and forth or swaying side to side creates an unsettled effect. What has a positive impact on your posture?

The answer is simple: Self-confidence . Know your presentation topic inside and out and rehearse your presentation several times over. The more familiar you are with your topic, the more confident you will appear . Self-confidence straightens the back.

Keep your head as still as possible while speaking . Raising your head and voice at the end of a sentence sounds like you’re asking a question. And this makes you seem less confident. Avoid nervous hair flicking or touching .

Hands & Gestures

You’re standing up straight with your head held high. What about your hands? As we described above, hand gestures can be game changers during a presentation.

Avoid the following pitfalls:

• Hands on hips: This quickly comes across as unsympathetic or judgmental.
• Hands in pockets: This makes them look insecure and unprofessional.
• Pen in hand: You may find yourself playing with the pen, either unconsciously or out of nervousness. No one wants to hear click…click…click… This can be incredibly distracting. ..click…click… This can be incredibly distracting.
• Crossed arms: It may be a comfortable position for you, but it expresses resistance and detachment. You’ll subconsciously build a barrier and come off as defensive to your audience.

The solution: Use gestures as often as possible to emphasize statements. Don’t worry about how often you should gesture. Feel free to use your hands whenever you feel it’s necessary. A good neutral position is with bent arms and hands at belly-button level. Leave a space between your elbows and torso when gesturing . This makes you take up more space and appear more confident. You can find more tips here .

Gear the use of gestures to the size of the audience. Smaller groups require “quieter gestures” . Raising your arms will quickly look artificial. The three-joint rule helps to correctly identify which gestures to use:

When speaking to a smaller group, use hand gestures , the so-called “quiet gestures” we mentioned above. With 20 to 30 people, the elbow, the second joint, should move the most . This creates “loud gestures” . Use the shoulder, the third joint, in front of a large audience only . These “louder gestures ” can be used to emphasize a point right to the back of a large room.

Gestures attract attention but don’t go overboard. Use your gestures strategically. The audience will follow your hands and be interested in what you have to say.

Walking around

Everyone who presents has faced the question, ” Can I move around, or should I stay in one spot?”. Here’s the answer: you can do both. But there are some rules to follow in both cases. Here’s one: Avoid walking back and forth all the time – give your movements intention and meaning . For example, move after you’ve made a statement or finished a section. Or when you want to explain something from a different point of view .

Eye contact

Eye contact with an audience is key to a good presentation. Maintain eye contact with each audience member, but only one person at a time. Why? Most of us get nervous when we have to speak in front of several people. Our gaze moves from one audience member to the next, we wonder what they’re thinking — and we become insecure.

If you concentrate on only one person at a time, it will feel like you’re having a one-on-one conversation. Much less intimidating than addressing a large crowd at once, right ? In addition, each audience member will feel like you’re speaking to them directly – a positive and personal interaction that guarantees you’ll have their attention.

Keep in mind that if the room is large and at capacity, you’ll probably not be able to make eye contact with everyone present. In this situation, divide your audience into sections : front, center, back, left, right. Fixate on one person from one area and then another from the next area. Once you have made eye contact with one person from each area, start again from the first section.

You can also support your key messages by slightly lowering your chin at the end while maintaining eye contact with your audience. This will add weight to your statement and the audience will find you more credible and competent.

The right facial expressions

We’ve already described how facial expressions a major role in presentations. Here are some additional points to think about:

• A genuine smile always makes a good impression. Particularly when welcoming your audience, it can help you create a friendly, pleasant atmosphere.
• Use a neutral facial expression when presenting facts , such as figures and data. Emotions will seem out of place here.
• Emphasize important points with raised eyebrows and open eyes . A smile can also enhance the effect.
• If you have to present less-than-optimal data or results, pull your eyebrows down and squint your eyes a bit. This clearly signals a negative emotion.
• When you make a rhetorical pause or lose your train of thought, make sure that you keep your mouth closed . This will make you appear calm and confident. Breathe calmly and continue the sentence you have started.

Here’s a fun video about the science behind smiles and how to smile more effectively.

The right outfit

Ever heard the saying, “Clothes make the man (or woman)?”. We all know looking good is important, but did you know that your choice of outfit can directly affect your body language ? Choose something comfortable but at the same time is appropriate for the occasion (no sweatpants!). If you’re not a suit-and-tie guy, don’t decide to become one for your presentation. You’ll be uncomfortable and won’t be able to present confidently.

As for women: Sure, high heels look elegant, chic and businesslike. But make sure that you can walk in them if you want to wear them during your presentation. Nothing is worse than an unsteady gait or even slipping or falling. Think about your footwear!

Avoid wearing clothes that are too colorful or garish . This quickly distracts from your actual presentation and may even make your body language look funny. Coordinate your clothing with your background so that you don’t “disappear”.

Before you start your presentation, check that your clothes fit . Are all buttons closed? Is the zipper of the pants closed? This will allow you to go into the presentation with confidence, which will only benefit your body language.

Finally: Other countries, other body language

If you’re planning an international presentation, remember that your body language must be understandable to everyone . Learn about potential cultural differences between the body language you’re familiar with and what your audience understands.

Score points with the right body language in your PPT presentation!

Body language is a presentation tool which shouldn’t be ignored . Most of the time, body language happens naturally. Nevertheless, it’s important to focus on the right body language , especially during important presentations. Without a bit of forethought and practice, you can quickly come across as boring, awkward, unmotivated or unprofessional.

Use our tips and think about how you can incorporate them into your presentation. Don’t hesitate to practice in front of a familiar audience and ask for feedback. With practice, you’ll be able to perfect your body language and get the best results from your presentation . A good video summary on body language in presentations can be found here .

Extra tip: Here are some tips for online PPT presentations or when you have to present wearing a mask .

We’re happy to help you with and questions about body language, general questions about presenting or PowerPoint presentations themselves. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] .

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6 Tips to Use Body Language in Your Presentations

Presenters used to pay a lot more attention to their body language. Then PowerPoint was invented, and many people breathed a sigh of relief. No need to bother about body language any more!

Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether using PowerPoint or not, your body language says more about what you really think about the subject matter than your words do – and has a huge role in taking your audience with you. All presentations are, in effect, multilingual.

It’s quite likely that you’re not even aware of your body language: particularly in a presentation situation, where additional nervousness and stress can make your gestures and stance more defensive and rigid. Have someone video your next presentation, and then take a look. You might be shocked!

But being shocked is good if it helps you to improve.

Let’s look at some of the key pointers. Even if you’re speaking your words quietly, your body language can be shouting at your audience – and the signs it gives are interpreted instinctively.

1. Get the stance right

Particularly if you’re new to the presentation game, you might feel a tendency to stand stiffly in one place, hug your lectern for support, slouch, or sway while you’re standing. It’s also natural to lean back, put your hands in your pockets or on your hips, and look straight ahead while speaking.

Natural they might be  – but all of these are big turn-offs to the audience.

2. Move around while you speak

Be alive and energetic. Don’t sway, don’t slouch, and don’t lean back. If you stand tall and lean forward, you send an unconscious but powerful message to your audience that you’re passionate about your subject, that you’re confident and that you’ve got something to say that’s worth hearing.

3. Hands are a speaker’s best weapon

Hands are a speaker’s best weapon – yes, even more than the voice. If you don’t believe me, take a look at films of great orators. They’re certainly not standing with their hands in their pockets! Their hands are driving the points they’re making, underlining them, illustrating them.

4. Shoulders are important too

When addressing a large gathering, hands can’t always make big enough gestures – but shoulders can. Gesturing from the shoulder and using your whole arms can also help to relieve any tension or nerves.

5. Look at people in turn

The facial expression is vital, of course. Many experts recommend that you should look at different people in turn, engaging each of them with your eyes before pausing slightly and moving on to your next point. (The pauses help give your message importance, and give added drama and impact to what you’re saying.) Make sure you don’t ignore any part of the audience, but engage with as many members of it as possible. This will help make them feel connected with you.

6. Above all, smile!

Even in a serious or weighty presentation, you should be able to smile at the start: another good tension reliever. In many presentations, you’ll be able to smile several times. Look as if you’re having fun, and two things will happen: you’ll start enjoying yourself, and so will your audience.

Use body language for feedback

Last but not least, body language works the other way too. In many presentations, nobody in the audience will speak until you get to the end and ask for questions. But their body language will provide powerful unspoken feedback.

If everyone’s sitting back or slouching, they’re not paying attention. If they’re looking away or have their eyes closed, that’s even worse. If they’re sitting with their arms folded looking directly at you, you might have offended or annoyed them in some way. If they’re leaning forward and maintaining eye contact, you’ve made a hit. All these pointers and many others can help you adjust what you’re saying – and doing – in your presentation.

By David Vickery

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the tips was rely great also i would like to add few more: 1) should give an related day-to-day example and like it with the presentation, 2) can also use few technique to capture the attentaion of the audiance like posting few questions, by giving a explosive start, can also have some demo make audiance to paticipate in the presentation. 3)dress code and the physical appearence also helps on getting the attentaion of the observer.

The presentar should remember few things:

he should be precise in his presentaion, not too long not too short.

he should also make clear what his observers want to understand so there should be a proper preperation.

Great Tips on here. Found it quite revealing and useful.

very useful information. thank you. anyway very difficult to avoid some mannerisms, especially at presentation

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas Use Your Body Language to Rock Your Next Presentation

Use Your Body Language to Rock Your Next Presentation

When tasked with giving a presentation to an executive audience, and you will in one way or another in business, it’s important not only to have something worth saying, but also being effective in how you communicate your ideas.

Human beings are social creatures, thus we train ourselves very early on how to understand each other not just through direct verbal messages, but through silent, subconscious, and physical ones as well. In fact, body language and your actions during a presentation actually makes a massive difference in your chances of successfully convincing your audience of your ideas. A popularly referenced scholarly study by Albert Mehrabian in the 1950s found that only 7% of an impactful message comes from the quality of its words, whereas body language altered the effectiveness of communication by 55%. With a majority of the outcome decided through our physical actions, it’s easy to see why it’s important to not only master your message, but how you act when you spread that message.

Motions that Matter Most

While body language as a whole is important, and every little action we do, from blinking to wiggling our fingers, does impact an observer at some level, there are certain parts of our body that, we as a species, have come to focus on more than others. By mastering the most impactful tools of body language, you can become both an effective communicator while also saving time. The four major pieces that impact body language are:

• Your smile ( and mouth gestures in general)
• Your steps and your movement when you talk

1. Eyes that Create Beauty for your Beholders

Eyes, and the region surrounding them (eyebrows, eyelids, etc.), are such a critical contributor of communication that often many of us are taught from an early age to respect their power. We are told lessons such as making eye contact when you want to demonstrate active participation in a conversation, or how looking to the side when being interrogated can represent a lie. People have naturally come to understand that our eyes tell a lot more of the story than what might be on the surface, and this translates to what people pay attention to even when they are part of a larger audience.

While you may not be able to look everyone in the eyes when giving a group presentation, there are still conscious and subconscious actions you can be aware of that will help keep your audience engaged.

• Keep your eye level directed towards the audience. Looking down at the ground, at the ceiling, out the window, or even at your own presentation means you are no longer speaking with your audience members, but rather that you’re just throwing out information with no intended receiver.
• Continue to scan the room. Looking at a single audience member or a select portion of the audience means the remaining listeners will recognize themselves to be forgotten or lesser. Even if you are glancing in the audience’s direction, our eyes take note that you want the whole room to hear your message, and not just a small selection.
• Engage other parts around your eyes. Our eye brows and our eyelids act as emphasis and enhancers to our eyes. When raising eyebrows, or widening our eyes, it shows an energy in what we are saying, and an urgency in that moment. Be careful not to overuse this tool, however, as too much emphasis waters down the power it holds in key moments.

2. Mouth Magic

While we speak and spread our message using our mouth, it’s also important to keep in mind that people are actively paying attention to how our mouth looks while we speak. Our mouth can be used to convey not only information, but emotion as well. Keep in mind that your mouth is like the gateway to your words, and you can use your gate as a tool to control the flow, shape, and direction of your message.

• Focus on your total mouth usage in order to speak more clearly and definitively. By opening your mouth wider or emphasizing tones in words, it can slow down speech, help you keep a level volume, and make your words more deliberate and clear.
• Develop a genuine smile to inspire joy, peace, and interest with your audience. A smile is one of the most universally recognized ways people notice someone worth trusting. By having a warm smile, you show that you are not only happy and excited to share your message, but that you’re excited for your specific audience to hear that message. Make sure not to force your smile though! An unnatural, forced smile is seen as fake, stiff, and aggressive. Use your passion for your project to help relax your mouth, and let your genuine desire to succeed fill you with the joy to crack a genuine grin. Opening with a smile at the start of a presentation or after a good question is a great way to display an eager personality in a discussion.

3. “Hand”-ling your Presentation with Purpose

Our hands are the versatile tools of the human body that allow us to be productive and active. Grabbing, typing, directing, shaping, our hands are so natural to our actions that we don’t have to think about most motor actions involving them on a daily basis. But this can become a problem in presentations, because our hands suddenly become a representation of our natural state of being. Hands can show stress, panic, shyness, and any other emotion that can negatively impact a presentation. Thus, mastering your hands means mastering the art of body language deception and effective message communication.

• Keep your hands in relaxed motion. Arms and hands that don’t move for a long period of time convey a message of inflexibility. By holding a position too long, people will see your body language not as natural and human, but as stiff and robotic. Keeping your hands in motion and changing to different positions helps to represent movement through your dialogue, and a relaxed internal demeanor.
• Use steepling, or bringing your fingertips from both hands together, is a method to demonstrate confidence and control. By selectively using steepling during a presentation, you can emphasis the key points you wish to convey, and show a subconscious authority of your expertise.
• Use open hands most often. Open hands refers to keeping your palms visible, and your fingers extended. Fists, or closing your hands, typically shows aggression, stress, or fear. By keeping your hands open, it demonstrates a friendly nature, and a willingness to connect with an audience member.
• Keep your physical motions reasonable. While simple hand gestures can show natural confidence and a relaxed state, wild hand motions or exaggerations will give a message with too much energy or panic.

4. Keep in Step

The final major piece to keep in mind with your body language when giving presentations has to do with where you position yourself, and how you move about the room when you speak. Even if you are a master of every other part of your body language, poor walking or pacing habits can betray your efforts and distract the audience. Train yourself to be aware of your body all the way down to your toes.

• Keep motion smooth and calm. Rapid pacing or shifting in motion is jarring, unsettling, and naturally inspires tension in people. Quick movement often represents stress or fear, instead of a calm cool demeanor. If you feel uncomfortable where you are, it’s okay to move, but do so with smooth purpose to show the audience that you are actively choosing where you want to be.
• Use motion to emphasize and de-emphasize your message, specifically forward and backwards movement. By stepping forward during a presentation, you are engaging with your audience closer, more intimately, and more directly. Use these moments to drive home a point. However, make sure you also balance this with time stepping back, to allow your audience to breathe, and not to come on too aggressively.

Mastery of Movement is Mastery of Message

By utilizing these tips, you will not only become a better presenter, but a better business leader. Whether it be a presentation in front of an executive audience, or a review with an employee, body language affects our ability to successfully achieve our goals. Through practicing good physical habits, you will naturally train yourself to be a more confident, controlled, and professional individual in everything that you do. In mastering your body language, you are not only learning how to give better presentations, but being an effective communicator regardless of who you are speaking to, or how many people are watching.

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One Response to “Use Your Body Language to Rock Your Next Presentation”

This is helping very much, I believe i can use this short presentation to my core – executive members and upcoming juniors.

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

Mattie Drucker • 08 Apr 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?
• Use  live word clouds  or  live Q&A  to  survey your audience  easier!
• Use  brainstorming tool  effectively by  AhaSlides idea board

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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

5 body language tips to improve your presentations

"What does body language have to do with a PowerPoint presentation?" you ask. Well, more than you think. In the same way it's always worth putting some thought into the placement of our text and images or the way we design a slide, it's also worth thinking about the placement of other things "outside of the presentation" like our hands and eyes, as well as the way we present ourselves (no pun intended).

The thing is, you're using body language whether you realise it or not. There's no vacuum here, so you may as well be intentional about it. Being aware of and leveraging the way you come across when presenting can be a great way to add that extra layer of clarity, conviction or persuasion we need to win that pitch, secure that raise or get the team on board for the next project. 

Your body language can either help you engage your audience and be confident and relaxed during your presentation, or make you look dull and uninterested thanks to slouching, lack of eye contact or nervous pacing back and forth. So, while we normally focus on helping you design your slides, in this post, we're giving you five pointers to help you look as good as your deck!

If you're nervous, your body will often instinctively try to avoid eye contact. If you're overly confident, you might stare for too long, making the other person nervous. The goal here is to find that sweet spot and look for long enough to appear confident without coming across as creepy. 

Here are a few tips for healthy eye contact: 

• Aim to move around and look at everyone in the room at least once
• Try about 2 seconds – less looks nervous, longer feels awkward 
• If you're too nervous to lock in, try looking just above people's eyes
• Don't look down at your notes the whole time if you're aiming to connect

2. Use hand gestures ... the right ones, that is

According to a  study by Vanessa Van Edwards , lead investigator for Science of People, hand gestures are among the five essential ingredients that make up a successful TED talk. I ntentional, well-timed hand gestures can show your audience that you care about the topic and that you're a knowledgable and effective communicator. On the flipside, unintentional hand gestures can easily cause distraction and make you look nervous or unprofessional and even annoying. 

Here are a few common ones to avoid: 

• Fiddling with a watch, wedding band or microphone
• Playing with keys, pens, coins or stuff in your pocket
• Stroking your hair, beard, mustache (or eyebrows!)
• Repeatedly adjusting items of clothing
• Pointing at people 

And a few to try: 

• Pausing to point an important element or message on your slide
• Using welcoming, positive gestures to engage with the audience
• Using a gesture to invite the audience to answer a question
• Counting key points on your fingers for emphasis
• Clapping to celebrate or acknowledge an achievement 

3. Consider your clothes

A lot can be said about people's choice of clothing, and there are obviously plenty of landmines to be mindful of here, including everything from company dress code to individual taste. We won't go too deep here, and also try to leave some room for personal preferences, but here are a few questions to ask yourself: 

Are your clothes enhancing your message or distracting people?

A t-shirt with an eye-catching design or some provocative wording might be perfect for a night on the town, but if it's not supporting your message, it may be distracting and detracting from it. If in doubt, go neutral. Plainer clothes are often a good choice, or at least items of clothing that don't carry conflicting messaging. 

How will your audience be dressed?

If they're in suits, you might not want to rock up in swimwear, unless of course you're doing a talk on water safety, in which case it might be an appropriate way to grab, and hold, people's attention. Many suggest dressing slightly better than your audience, helping establish some level of professionalism while also hanging on to some relatability. 

Are your clothes clean, ironed and in decent condition?

We're not suggesting you invest in a new wardrobe every time you need to get the team together for a 5-minute stand-up meeting at the office, but it's worth checking your clothes are neat and tidy enough not to distract people while you're talking. There's nothing worse than staring at a guy with big square-shaped creases on his recently purchased shirt because he didn't allow time to iron it before taking the stage. 

4. Remember your posture

Body language matters. As mentioned in one of the earlier tips, a poor posture such as slouching will give your audience the impression that you’re not confident nor interested in your topic or yourself. If you're tense, they'll sense your nervousness. Remind yourself to relax throughout your presentation and to straighten up if you start to slouch. Not only will this give you the chance to improve your posture, but it'll also allow your audience to take in the points you’ve just covered.

Within your own personal style, try to be comfortably confident. 

So here are two dos and two don'ts when it comes to posture during a presentation:

• Don't slouch – Your posture should be upright and open. This'll make you look and feel more confident, inviting the audience in rather than pushing them away.
• Try not to be tense – It’s important to look and feel relaxed during a presentation. Appearing too rigid won’t make a good impression. No matter how nervous you may feel, a speaker who seems to be afraid of his or her audience will not win their trust. Remind yourself to relax at different points throughout the presentation. Use your pauses to consciously to relax and reset your expression and posture.
• Think about your audience – A formal presentation to the board of a company is quite different from an interactive talk with a junior coworker. While you still need to be upright, open, and relaxed in all situations, remember that different settings require different levels of formality. Adapt your posture and the delivery of your message to be more open or more formal accordingly.

Read more:   10 dos and don'ts of impactful presentations

  5. Don't forget to breathe

Whether you're nervous, excited or insecure about delivering a presentation to an audience, it's surprisingly common to either freeze or to speak faster than normal, leading you to experience a shortness of breath. Regardless of  how you feel about presenting, it's important to remember to breathe normally. It's a great way to center yourself, find some calm and take control of the situation.  Breathing at a healthy pace will also give you the chance to gather your thoughts in between points, and most importantly, give your audience the opportunity to take in what you've just said.

Much like eye contact, pausing to breathe needs to be timed well. Too short and you seem flustered, too long and it gets awkward.  Try delivering a sentence or two and then pausing to breathe. Soon, you'll find a rhythm and cadence that enables both you and your audience to settle in for the ride so they remain focused and curious, and you stay calm and in complete control. 

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Watch oprah winfrey and reese witherspoon: learn how body language can make you a great communicator.

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Oprah Winfrey addresses the audience during the 55th NAACP Image Awards (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Did you know that using your hands properly while communicating can increase the effectiveness of your message by up to 60% ? This is just one example of how we can communicate without using spoken words. In fact, before the spoken word existed, our ancestors communicated effectively using a language that is important even today. Body language.

What is Body Language?

Psychology Today describes body language as a “silent orchestra.” Non-verbal messages, including body movements, facial expressions, vocal tone and volume, displays of emotion, hand gestures, movements and posture that give clues to what we’re thinking and feeling. All these signs register in the human brain of your audience almost immediately, coloring the way you are perceived and the way the information you’re sharing is interpreted.

These Women are Fluent in Body Language

We use our bodies to communicate all the time. The women in these video clips show us important ways to easily improve our skills, making us more effective, impactful and engaging communicators.

#1 Hand Gestures

Hand gestures add emphasis but to be effective they need to be in sync with what you are saying. Using your hands in any way that is disconnected to your message will only be distracting.

In this video , Morgan Stanley’s Carla Harris is sharing career advice and begins with the easiest of hand gestures - using your fingers to count. Effective speakers use corresponding gestures with the fingers of one hand any time they enumerate a list. This informs the listener that a list is coming, helps organize the information and makes it easier to remember the content.

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Carla Harris, Vice Chairman of Wealth Management and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley

She also uses the popular “hand steeple.” This shows confidence without appearing threatening, and experts say the higher the steeple, the more confident the speaker appears. Near the end of the clip, she uses the finger point, actually pointing one finger toward the camera to make her message more emphatic.

Throughout the video, Harris’ hand gestures appear intentional and connected to her words and are therefore quite effective. By the way, Harris also creates a distinct “signature” by always wearing pearls as she shares her now famous “pearls of wisdom.” Another great tactic.

#2 Eye Contact

Oprah Winfrey wins the prize for best eye contact. Eye contact connects you to the listener and makes them feel you’re speaking with them, not at them. But there is a nuance to eye contact. Scan the room too quickly and it conveys a sense of nervousness. Gaze too long in someone’s eyes and they may feel awkward.

Oprah Winfrey at the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards (Photo by Kevin Winter)

In this video , Winfrey does a great job dividing the room into 3 sections, sort of like pizza slices. She looks intently at each section while completing a phrase. Then she moves on to another phrase and another section. At around the 30 second mark in the clip, she actually removes her glasses, eliminating the barrier between her and her audience so they can truly see “eye to eye.”

#3 Strategic Movement on Stage

Watching someone simply stand at a podium and read a speech can be a surefire recipe for boredom. Lily Singh is a great example of a woman who knows how to move effectively on stage. In this TED Talk about gender equality the trailblazing actress doesn’t pace, which can convey a sense of nervousness. Rather, she moves intentionally, pausing in one spot to emphatically finish her thought. When she is moving on to the next part of a story or starting a new thought, she resumes her movement.

Creator, actress and author Lily Singh

Singh also demonstrates an effective way to use props on stage. While talking about “taking a seat at the table” (around the 7:45 mark), she approaches the table and chair on stage and says, “And I remember thinking now…now, I’ve been invited to the big table and now things will be different. So, I took my seat.” And with that, Singh confidently sat at what appears to simply be a prop on a stage. It was an emphatic, powerful demonstration of a pivotal point in her life.

#4 Facial Expressions

Because facial expressions are one of the most obvious forms of nonverbal communications, they can be either highly impactful or downright distracting. To do it right, your facial expressions must complement your content. If you’re speaking about hope or retelling a joyful story, for example, a slight smile and soft brow is appropriate. If you’re talking about your company’s lackluster performance or telling a cautionary tale, a more somber expression and raised brow will help land your message. And, importantly, it’s imperative that you alter your facial expressions throughout your talk to keep your audience engaged and connected.

Michelle Obama giving her last official speech as first lady

Michelle Obama is an expert at using her face to connect with her audience and send her message home. In her final speech as First Lady, she starts off with a somewhat serious tone until she says, “So, for all the young people in this room and for those who are watching know that this country belongs to you.” And with that, she softens her face and offers a warm and reassuring smile. The listener instantly feels hope and connection with Obama, paving the way for the remainder of the speech. She resumes a serious tone, raising her eyebrows as she says, “If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are a part of a proud American tradition.” And then, “With a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible. Even becoming president.” And with that, she softens and offers the audience a broad and genuine smile. The listener can’t help smiling herself.

When your grandmother told you to sit up straight, she may have been on to something. Posture is important.

First, think about carrying yourself in a way that takes up space - like a peacock that fans its feathers or a cobra that expands its neck. Taking up space makes you seem more important, more formidable, more like an expert. Conversely, postures that make you smaller diminish your impact. Avoid folding your arms across your chest or slouching; that makes you appear small and closed off, which creates a barrier with your audience.

One easy option is to assume a version of the Wonder Woman pose - legs slightly apart, shoulders back and hands confidently on your hips or in your pockets. This will not only make you appear confident, but it will also help level the height imbalance many women feel when surrounded by men and will give you a feeling of power. Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon have nailed that pose!

Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon

Body language is just as important as what you say when it comes to effective communications. So, while preparing your remarks or prepping for an important conversation, take some time to choreograph the nonverbal parts of your talk. It’s the difference between being just a good speaker and being a great one.

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Cries of Sexism Greet a Nike Olympic Reveal

The sporting giant offered a sneak peek at its track and field outfits for Team U.S.A., and an unexpected backlash ensued.

By Vanessa Friedman

Ever since the Norwegian women’s beach handball team turned the fact that they were required to wear teeny-tiny bikini bottoms for competition into a cause célèbre, a quiet revolution has been brewing throughout women’s sports. It’s one that questions received conventions about what female athletes do — or don’t — have to wear to perform at their very best.

It has touched women’s soccer (why white shorts?), gymnastics (why not a unitard rather than a leotard?), field hockey (why a low-cut tank top?) and many more, including running.

So it probably should not have come as a shock to Nike that when it offered a sneak peek of the Team U.S.A. track and field unies during a Nike Air event in Paris celebrating its Air technology on Thursday (which also included looks for other Olympic athletes, like Kenya’s track and field team, France’s basketball team and Korea’s break dancing delegation), they were met with some less-than-enthusiastic reactions.

See, the two uniforms Nike chose to single out on the mannequins included a men’s compression tank top and mid-thigh-length compression shorts and a woman’s bodysuit, cut notably high on the hip. It looked sort of like a sporty version of a 1980s workout leotard. As it was displayed, the bodysuit seemed as if it would demand some complicated intimate grooming.

Citius Mag , which focuses on running news, posted a photo of the uniforms on Instagram, and many of its followers were not amused.

“What man designed the woman’s cut?” wrote one.

“I hope U.S.A.T.F. is paying for the bikini waxes,” wrote another. So went most of the more than 1,900 comments.

The running comedian Laura Green posted an Instagram reel in which she pretended to be trying on the look (“We’re feeling pretty, um, breezy,” she said) and checking out the rest of the athlete’s kit bag, which turned out to include hair spray, lip gloss and a “hysterectomy kit,” so the women would not have to worry about periods.

When asked, Nike did not address the brouhaha directly, but according to John Hoke, the chief innovation officer, the woman’s bodysuit and the man’s shorts and top are only two of the options Nike will have for its Olympic runners. There are “nearly 50 unique pieces across men’s and women’s and a dozen competition styles fine-tuned for specific events,” Mr. Hoke said.

Women will be able to opt for compression shorts, a crop top or tank and a bodysuit with shorts rather than bikini bottoms. The full slate of looks was not on hand in Paris but more will be revealed next week at the U.S. Olympic Committee media summit in New York. The Paris reveal was meant to be a teaser.

Mr. Hoke also pointed out that Nike consults with a large number of athletes at every stage of the uniform design. Its track and field roster includes Sha’Carri Richardson, who happened to be wearing the compression shorts during the Paris presentation, and Athing Mu. And there are certainly runners who like the high-cut brief. (The British Olympic sprinter Dina Asher-Smith , another Nike athlete, told The New York Times last summer that while she opts to run in briefs, she also leans toward a leotard style, rather than a two-piece.)

What Nike missed, however, was that in choosing those two looks as the primary preview for Team U.S.A., rather than, say, the matching shorts and tanks that will be also available, it shored up a longstanding inequity in sports — one that puts the body of a female athlete on display in a way it does not for the male athlete.

“Why are we presenting this sexualized outfit as the standard of excellence?” said Lauren Fleshman, a U.S. national champion distance runner and the author of “Good for a Girl.” “In part because we think that’s what nets us the most financial gain from sponsors or NIL opportunities, most of which are handed out by powerful men or people looking at it through a male gaze. But women are breaking records with ratings in sports where you don’t have to wear essentially a bathing suit to perform.”

The problem such imagery creates is twofold. When Nike chose to reveal the high-cut bodysuit as the first Olympics outfit, purposefully or not, the implication for anyone watching is that “this is what excellence looks like,” Ms. Fleshman said.

That perception filters down to young athletes and becomes the model girls think they have to adopt, often at a developmental stage when their relationships with their bodies are particularly fraught.

And more broadly, given the current political debate around adjudicating women’s bodies, it reinforces the idea that they are public property.

Still, Ms. Fleshman said, “I’m glad Nike put this image out as the crown jewel of Olympic Team design,” because it may act as the catalyst for another conversation that has been long overdue.

“If you showed this outfit to someone from the W.N.B.A. or women’s soccer, they would laugh in your face,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to normalize it for track and field anymore. Time’s up on that.”

Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014. More about Vanessa Friedman

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An Unusual Path to Hollywood:  Sobhita Dhulipala has taken on risky roles in her acting career, outside of India’s blockbuster hits . Now, she’s starring in Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man.”

These Scientists Rock, Literally: The Pasteur Institute in Paris, known for its world-altering scientific research , has been making advancements in another field: the musical arts.

JoJo Siwa Grows Up:  Siwa, the child star turned children’s entertainer, who at first modeled her career on Hannah Montana, is now after her own Miley (Cyrus) moment .

Jill Biden Makes an Entrance:  The first lady was glittering in crystals — days after Melania Trump stepped out in pink at a Palm Beach fund-raiser. Together, the pictures offer a harbinger of what is to come .

Creating Works of Ephemeral Beauty:  A YouTube rabbit hole led Blanka Amezkua to a small Mexican town and the centuries-old craft of papel picado  — chiseling intricate patterns into colorful paper flags.

New York Bridal Fashion Week:  Reimagined classic silhouettes, a play on textures and interactive presentations brought fresh takes  to the spring and summer 2025 bridal collections.

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According to 'Newsweek', dogs use body language to communicate when they are upset. Signs include moving away, averting gaze, sitting elsewhere when you approach, holding tail low, and growling. Expert Kait Hembree advises giving upset dogs space to settle down before resuming training more slowly.

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Orrville City Council approves adding tattoos, body piercing as conditional use downtown

After a public hearing Monday, the Orrville City Council approved adding tattoos and body piercing as a conditional use in the downtown Central Business Development District.

The action includes allowing microblading, classified as a tattoo by the Health Department, to be offered in hair salons.

The request came from Genesis Beauty Salon and was reviewed by the Planning Commission before council's approval.

In a presentation about the Orrville Utilities 2023 annual report, Director of Utilities Jeff Brediger highlighted several key aspects.

The total utility expenditure for 2023 was $39.1 million, with a consistent rate of stability observed over recent years. The expenditure was divided into electric ($33.6 million), water ($2.8 million) and wastewater ($2.7 million) categories.

Power outages get a little squirrelly

Electric rates remained steady throughout the year, a stability attributed in part to the sales of wholesale energy. Brediger noted a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, which decreased by 97% since 2010, showcasing environmental progress.

The report included the top five causes of sustained outages for residential utilities. Squirrels are at the top of the list, followed by trees, birds, lighting and wind.

“We spend a lot of money trimming trees to mitigate those problems, but we haven’t come up with a way to keep the squirrels out yet,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Orrville Utilities received recognition for its reliability, earning an award for restoring power quickly during major outage events. The average restoration time was about 90 minutes for major events and less than 60 minutes for non-major incidents.

No room for expansion, two retirements announced

On the economic front, Orrville continued to experience growth in 2023.

The opening of the Jarrett Logistics facility and Bekaert warehouse led to the addition of eight jobs. Furthermore, Wayne County was named among the top 10 micropolitan areas in the country, underscoring a sustained trend of economic strength.

A notable transition in management was announced, with Mike Hedberg retiring from his role as the city’s economic development manager. He will be succeeded by Kristin Endsley, who will continue her duties in Planning and Community Development.

Looking ahead, Brediger outlined challenges for the department. They include addressing climate change policies and regulations affecting the power plant, particularly focusing on environmental impacts on the electric utilities.

The department also plans to explore the development of a third industrial park to support economic growth and respond to economic development opportunities.

“We received 106 economic development opportunities last year, we responded to zero of those either because we didn’t have the property or some of these projects were so big,” he said.

At the end of the presentation, Brediger announced he is looking to retire this year. In preparation for his retirement, he mentioned plans to post an assistant utility director position to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.

Orrville Police Department appointed two new detectives. The new officers, Cory Shane and Ryan Mace, work in the Investigative Bureau under the supervision of Master Sgt. Dave Marks.

The next council meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, at City Hall.