Body Language
These notes will help you out in developing a good posture and gesture while presenting. It will tell you everything starting from how to stand, your eye contact, your hand movement, your facial expression and a lot more.
Stand up and spread your feet about 6 to 8 inches apart, parallel to each other with your toes pointed straight ahead to achieve a comfortable speaking position. Then, flex your knees and put your weight on the balls of your feet. Standing in this position will stop any swaying or rocking motion and will diminish any distracting heel movements.Stand up straight and face the audience head-on. Keep your posture open with arms relaxed. If your arms are crossed in front it may make you seem defensive. Hold your head up high with your chin up. Having your chin raised gives you the aura of being in control; chin down connotes acquiescence. Visual signals that make you appear not to be in control will detract from your presentation.Reading from prepared notes or a script contributes to the problem of lowering your chin.One way to eliminate this is to use 8 ½ x 11 inch paper. Write on only the top two-thirds of the page so your eye doesn't move down or you drop your chin, which also makes your voice go down. When you are seated, you want to look energized and confident. You don't want to lean or slouch or appear too comfortable or relaxed. Proper seated posture when you are presenting (or just want to look good at a meeting) is sitting straight up in your chair, spine straight, with your feet flat on the floor and hands open on the table.
You Can Use Gestures EffectivelyGestures, a form of body language, are also a part of your overall visual picture. They are visual reinforcements of the words and ideas you are trying to communicate to your audience. Gestures include hand, arm, and head movements and can enhance your presentation or detract from it. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who "talks with their hands?" In some cultures, it is an accepted and commonplace addition to spoken communication. In our culture, some hand gestures such as finger pointing can be interpreted as hostile or threatening. Another negative related to gesturing concerns the position of a speaker's hands and arms. When giving presentations, men frequently stand in the "at ease" position commonly used in the military. They cross their hands behind their backs, and they keep them there. Both men and women frequently cross their arms over their chests thinking they appear relaxed and confident. To many in the audience, this stance makes the speaker look merely defensive. By facing audience members with your arms crossed you are closing yourself to them, and they will sense this. Since your objective is to communicate with openness and sincerity, you want to make open gestures to reinforce what you are saying.Another gesture to avoid is putting your hands in your pockets. Some nervous presenters use this as a way of keeping their shaking hands out of sight. Some people can't get their hands back out again and wind up spilling out the contents of their pockets as they try to release their hands. Folding your hands into a folded position as when praying is another gesture to eliminate. This gesture tightens you up and pulls in your energy instead of releasing it and allowing you to reach out to the audience. A weak twirling motion with your hands or wagging your fingers when making a point also indicates your unease to the audience.
Gestures also help you to emphasize important points during your presentation. They reinforce what you are saying with a visual message. The most effective gestures are spontaneous ones. They come from what you are thinking and feeling and they help the audience to relate to you and what you are telling them. It is much more effective to watch a speaker who uses movement than to listen to someone standing behind a lectern with hands clasped in front of him. They don't belong on your hips or in your pockets or folded across your chest either or held behind your back. Use them-to help emphasize a point, to express emotion, to release tension, and to engage your audience. Most people have a vocabulary of gestures at their disposal. Anyone can all think of a gesture that supports words such as "short" or "tall;" however, the gestures of everyday conversation tend to be too small and often too low to use in front of a large audience.Your gestures should be varied; don't use the same motion over and over again. Repetition can be distracting to audience members and you may find they are watching your gestures instead of listening to the presentation. Some gestures interfere with the audience's ability to pay attention, such as the threatening ones mentioned earlier (finger pointing). Instead, use your palms and open them out to your audience. MovementIf possible, it is advisable to practice your presentation in the room where you will be giving it. If not, simulate the environment in your home or office. This will enable you to check your equipment and get comfortable in the room and address another key area of the visual message: a speaker's movement. If you're using a podium or lectern, make sure it is placed where you want it. If someone will be speaking before you, note where you want the lectern placed in case it is moved prior to your presentation. Remember that standing behind the lectern for any length of time separates you from audience members when your objective is to bring yourself closer to them. If you are nervous and need to refer to your notes, walk behind it again when you feel the need. Speakers who spend their entire presentation behind the podium can be perceived as aloof. Take at least two steps -- to avoid a one-step dance -- and then get back into position. Stay for awhile to avoid pacing. Use movements to establish contact with your audience. Getting physically closer to your audience increases its attention and interest. It also encourages response if you are asking questions. The accepted public distance zone is 12 to 25 feet. In smaller group situations, you can approach within a social distance of 4 to 12 feet primarily, and occasionally get as close as 18 inches to 4 feet.Speakers of short stature sometimes cling to the lectern because of the riser placed behind it to make them tall enough to be seen. A better choice would be to walk forward and stand closer to the audience. It will help to establish a good rapport with them. The Magic of EyesEven if they read from prepared notes, effective speakers make eye contact with audience members.Don't be afraid to make eye contact with audience members, their reactions to you will help your performance as a presenter. If you sense boredom, you may have to pick up the pace; if you sense enthusiasm, it can help to pump you up. When you make eye contact, you are relating to your audience, which will help get your message across.Facial ExpressionsSpeakers also know they need to be aware of facial expressions during presentations.Once you become aware of the expressions you make, it will be easier for you to eliminate them. Put a mirror next to your desk at work for one week. Watch your face when you are talking on the telephone. Be aware of any artificial, unfriendly, or deadpan expressions you may be making. Do you squint, frown, make strange faces? Practice smiling and looking pleasant. That's how you want to look during your presentations.It isn't easy to speak and smile at the same time, but it is important to smile during your presentation if congruent with your message. Some men find it more difficult to smile while presenting than women do, but practice helps here.
At the end of it I will say that
“ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT GOOD SPEAKERS ARE NOT BORN, THEY ARE TRAINED”
Student of Rai Business School- New Delhi
Sanjeev Kumar Singh
