Public speaking can be nerve-wracking for many people, even the most seasoned speakers. Paying close attention to your body language can help you get your point across without giving off the wrong message to your audience or distracting them from what you’re saying. And with 55 percent of communication being conveyed through nonverbal cues, your body language is essential to effective public speaking.
To elevate your speaking skills, we’ve pulled together the top five body language tips:
- Keep consistent eye contact. By maintaining eye contact with your audience, you will exude confidence and help establish a connection to whom you are speaking. This doesn’t mean staring into the depths of a single person’s soul, but simply looking around the room and locking eyes with different members of the audience. Avoid shifting your eyes around as it’ll make you appear uneasy, which may then rub off onto your audience.
- Use your body to emphasize, not distract. Many speakers use their hands and arms to emphasize their talking points. But, too much movement can distract the audience from what you’re actually saying.
- Mind your hands. When standing on a stage without a podium in front of you, you may be unsure of what to do with your hands. Keep them soft – don’t clench your fists or wave them around. One helpful technique is to pretend you’re gently holding a beach ball in your hands. When you want to emphasize what you’re saying, pretend the beach ball is larger or smaller, depending on the point you’re trying to make.
- Stand tall. Stand up straight with your shoulders and arms relaxed, and head held high to give off an air of confidence. Slouching may tell your audience that you’re uncertain about or lack confidence in what you’re saying. Also make sure that you’re standing square, with your toes pointing toward the audience and your feet slightly less than hip width apart.
- Smile! Even if your nerves are getting the best of you, be sure to smile. A quick flash of your pearly whites will tell the audience that you’re happy to be there and enjoying presenting for them. An added bonus – instinctual facial mimicry will make the audience likely to smile in response to your smile, and what’s better than looking into a sea of smiling faces while you’re up on stage?
More than a quarter of all Americans have a fear of public speaking, so you’re not alone. Taking a deep breath, visualizing yourself doing a great job, and positive self-talk can help calm your nerves before hitting the stage. Once you’re up on stage, these five tips will help you give engaging, interactive, and informative presentations, no matter the size of the audience.
