Have you ever felt disappointed after delivering a speech because you did not receive the reaction you were hoping for? Have you ever felt that no matter how eloquent you are, how powerful your content is, people still do not like your speeches/sessions?
There is a high chance that this is because of improper body language. When your words and your body language do not coincide with each other, your audience is misled, and unnecessary chaos is created.
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication which includes hand-gestures, eye-movements, facial expression and body-posture. For a speech, session or any form of communication to be effective, it is essential that the body language coincides with the words spoken to create an impact in the audience.
Body and word cohesion is the most crucial as well as the most difficult in Public Speaking. This is because, it is most easily forgotten since it requires us to pay a conscious attention to our actions while speaking which we generally do not do in our daily lives. From how you stand to how you use your hands, everything said-unsaid gets noticed under Public Eye.
Thus, it becomes all-the-more essential to pay attention to our body-language during such scenarios to present our best selves. Here are 6 body language mantras you must keep in mind during Public Speaking:
1) Eye-contact is Must.
The first prerequisite to a good body language is maintaining an eye-contact with your audience. It becomes an expression of your confidence which gives your words an appeal. It also has psychological side to it, as when you make a direct eye-contact with your listeners, you make them feel important which automatically attracts their attention towards you.
There is nothing more frustrating than listening to a person who does not make any eye-contact while speaking. It is not only disrespectful but is also a sign of nervousness. Imagine sitting in a conference hall and listening to a speaker who is either looking at his notes or staring at the ceiling or just going about doing anything to avoid the gaze of his/her audience. You will automatically not want to listen and will get bored or feel drowsy.
Thus, while speaking, try to make an eye-contact with your audience.
2) Always Stand Upright!
Have you seen Ellen DeGeneres hosting? How does she stand? Doesn’t it give appeal to her personality?
Standing upright is another very important factor which projects your confidence. A slouched body projects laziness, nervousness, exhaustion and even disinterest which can be construed as disrespectfulness. Upright body posture not only adds elegance to your personality but also creates an aura which binds your audience towards you.
Thus, always push your shoulders and stand upright.
3) Do Not Fidget
Fidgeting involves all the actions we do under restlessness. It displays our inner nervousness and our anxieties and give our personality an appeal of that of an under-confident person which can leave a bad impression on the audience. These actions are often unconscious which makes it even more essential to be paid attention to.
Actions like playing with fingers or hair, touching face or neck again and again, come under fidgeting. They portray a certain sense of discomfort and can also become a cause of embarrassment. While delivering speeches or conducting sessions, we do not realise how we are carrying ourselves. Hence, we must always get ourselves recorded on a video so that we also realise how we represent our personality and work on it.
4) Always have a Firm Handshake
Whenever you go as a speaker to an event, you meet a lot of new people back-stage or before the event. It is an important time to make new contacts and create connections which will help you grow in your career. Every new introduction begins with a handshake.
A handshake is a form of greeting. It is a crucial means of non-verbal communication which projects a person’s interest, confidence and personality type. A handshake must be strong, and firm accompanied with an eye-contact between the two individuals. Nobody likes a loose handshake. It shows how disinterested, rude or lethargic a person is. It is a form of contact which immediately forms an impression in the other individual.
5) Always, Smile!
Imagine a speaker, speaking on the stage with the most depressing expression one can ever have. An expression which gives an impression as if the world has collapsed on his head and he is somehow existing. Or, imagine another speaker with the angriest expression as if it is a torture for her to speak in front of people, she never wishes to see in her life. It just turns off your interest to listen for even a single second, doesn’t it?
Nobody likes to pay heed to such a person which is why it is very essential to carry a smile on the stage. Everyone adores a lively person, and everyone despises a grumpy person. A smile can add flavours to your character. It also shows humility of your character and conveys your respect for your audience.
6) Dress Smart!
We have often heard that “The first impression is the last impression.” It holds true as your appearance is the first contact your audience will have with you. It forms an impression within a second and can even go to an extent of determining their interest in listening to you. What you wear, how you wear speaks a lot about you.
Hence, always dress smart and suitable to occasion. When you cannot imagine yourself wearing a formal pant shirt to a beach party then do not wear a casual dress to a formal public speaking event It matters that you aptly dressed for the part you are supposed to play in a social setting. Make sure that you don't go overboard with your dressing style. Keep it nice, simple and suitable to the occasion to create a powerful impact on your audience.
These are some body-language mantras you must keep in mind in every Public-Speaking event. Now go out there and spread your wings with your confidence and elegance.
“Remember, your body-language can make as well as break your speeches/sessions!”
- Isha Jain
Source: https://mindgrad.com/free-reads/f/6-body-language-mantras-of-public-speaking
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