THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE WHEN MAKING PRESENTATIONS
Our body language is the single most important element in giving meaning to the messages we send out, regardless of the words we use.
To a certain extent many of us know how to manipulate our body language, e.g. we know how to sit when we go for an interview so that we look in control, confident and at ease. However, we give off minute, unconscious, body language signals of which we are unaware and over which we have no control. Other people pick up sub-consciously on these signals, e.g. the most minute facial muscle contractions, the way we angle our body, and other unconscious signals. These unconscious signals go to helping the other person to form an impression of us and the real meaning of what we are saying.
When you are making presentations, you need to have a positive belief that you will do well, and that the presentation will be a success.
What would happen if your belief was that you would not do very well in your presentation, and that the audience won’t like you?
You will probably not be very confident in your delivery, and the audience may not be very convinced of the credibility of your message.
Breathing effectively is one of the quickest ways to calm down. So, by breathing properly you can quickly get into a better frame of mind. Doing a breathing exercise as a preparation for your visualization is even more useful.
Specific body language indicators that you need to be aware of are:
- A smile, as appropriate to the subject you are delivering
- Good hand gestures
- Purposeful movement around the platform as you make different points
- Scanning the audience as you speak, so that individuals feel that you are making eye contact with them.
CONGRUENT BODY LANGUAGE
Congruent body language means that your body language conveys the same message that your voice tonality and words convey. Because the visual message is so powerful, inexperienced speakers can actually ‘over-write’ their message.
For example, imagine the speaker says:
"We’re really excited about these new developments and I firmly believe that we have an excellent system in place to help us deal with them."
But the body language is slightly hunched, with one arm held tightly across the middle of the body. The head is slightly lowered, and there is no eye contact. The message coming from the body language is not congruent with the message ‘it’s exciting’ and ‘I firmly believe’.
Other examples of incongruent body language are:
- Saying you agree with something whilst shaking the head to show a negative
- Putting your hand across your mouth as you ‘tell the truth’.
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