If you could have any superpower, what would it be? We all dream of having a superpower, but do you know that you already have one? I would say Body Language is your secret superpower. The ability to understand nonverbal behaviour in both yourself and others will radically change your life. Do you know that body language can be used to make oneself an exceptional presenter or public speaker or simply change the way in which you are perceived?
Research has found that 60-90% of our communication is nonverbal. Nonverbal communication is 12-13 times more powerful than accompanying words. You can use body language and nonverbal communication to change the way others perceive you. When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our nonverbal behaviours—the gestures we make, our sitting, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally.
Oftentimes, what we communicate through our mouth and what we communicate through our body language are two totally different things. When faced with these mixed signals, the audience has to choose which one they believe, and, in most cases, they’re going to choose the nonverbal because it’s a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts our true feelings and intentions in any given moment.
Your body language conveys how you feel to others and it also conveys the same information to you! If you let your shoulders drop, make nervous movements and make sure your brain gets the message – ‘I don’t feel confident’. It’s a negative feedback cycle! You start to fail in every area of your life as soon as you feel less confident and people will know this. If you catch yourself slipping into negative body language – use confident body language and your brain will get the message – I’m feeling confident right now!
Types of nonverbal communication and body language
There are many different types of nonverbal communication you can utilise when you are presenting or speaking in front of the people. If you can utilise the following body languages properly you can be a good presenter or speaker.
Facial expressions
The human face is, able to express countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, joy, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across all cultures of the world.
Body movements and posture
Body movements can be used to emphasise what a person is saying and also offer information about the emotions and attitudes of a person, like whether they are believable or worthy of your trust. The perceptions of people about you are affected by the way you sit, walk, stand up or move your head. It is very important to know where to stand and how to stand at the stage so the audience connects with you. It is important to stand in the centre and face the people you are presenting to.
Gestures
Gestures are very important for engaging the audience. If you use the gestures properly you can engage the audience twice. Your hand movement and arm movement can easily attract the audience. However, the meaning of gestures can be very different across cultures and regions, so it’s important to be careful to avoid misinterpretation.
Eye contact
Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal communication. It is very important to make and maintain eye contact with your audience while you are delivering your presentation. However, you should always be aware of cultural diversity. For example, in some cultures-It is not polite to maintain eye contact for extended periods of time.
In small groups, you can have eye contact with almost everyone. For a larger group, you can create the illusion of making contact with everyone by focusing on a few specific people in the room
Voice, Pace, Tone and Pitch
It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. When we speak, other people “read” our voices in addition to listening to our words. The following methods support having a positive impact in your presentation:
· Contrast the tone of your voice
· Pause more often
· Ensure your voice hold conviction.
Space
Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.
I hope the above will help you to be a good presenter or speaker or help you in your daily life. You should always remember that body language is your super power: stand strong, use gestures effectively and mind your audience.
Hemi Hossain
Executive coach, Leadership Consultant, Advanced NLP Practitioner
Managing Director-CareersHub Bangladesh Ltd
Founder Director-CareersClub Australia Pty Ltd.