Thumbs Up on Body Language
Great professional speakers deliver speeches that are engaging to listen to and that also draw in their audiences visually. They keep their gestures to a minimum and use them purposefully to emphasize the content of the message. They make eye contact with each audience member as though they are the only people in the room. They express sincerity through a smile and appear to be relaxed.
Even if you aren’t a professional speaker, paying attention to your “visual presentation” in conversation is important! Do you make eye contact with the listener? Do you use your eyes, eyebrows and mouth to express your meaning? Or do you have more of a deadpan expression? Are your hands close to your sides, wide open or constantly moving out of nervous habit?
Some of us need to learn to enlarge our gestures and facial expression while others of us need to tone them down a bit. Here are a few suggestions for gesturing effectively whether you have an audience of one person or 100:
1. Minimize distracting gestures. Using your hands non-purposefully while talking is one of the biggest problems. If your hands are constantly moving, sit on them to keep still. This will help you get used to minimizing your gestures. Other habits that are distracting may be fixing your tie, pushing back your hair, facial ticks, swaying back and forth, etc. All of these can be eliminated with a little effort.
2. Let your body respond naturally to what you are thinking and feeling. The times that we feel most passionately about a topic are the times when our body movements are most natural. But you can bring natural movements into even the most mundane conversations. A warm smile goes a long way toward expressing sincerity.
3. Use a gesture to enhances the point you want to make. In other words, your gestures should be motivated by the content of your message. For example, use two fingers to express two things. Point to a body part when you speak about listening or thinking. Look for other gestures that help to accentuate your message.
4. Use facial expression to express sincerity and a positive attitude. A warm smile, raised eye brows and head nods can help to express sincerity and warmth.
5. Make eye contact when you speak. In order to involve your listeners and let them know you are speaking to them personally and directly, you must look them in the eye. Failure to make eye contact may imply disinterest and a lack of confidence, sincerity and trust.
Take a few moments to observe others. What gestures do they use effectively in conversation or during presentations? The ability to communicate ideas through gestures and facial expressions will enhance your effectiveness as a speaker.