Importance of Body Language

As a human being, one of the ways we communicate with each other is through our body
language. It plays a major part in communicating with people. And when it comes to a
presentation this is especially true when you are communicating with your audience because
they are going to look at you and get a subconscious impression or feeling about what are you
about and whether or not what you are saying you believe. So, what you want to do to appear
more confident when you are giving a presentation is to practice your body language before
you give the presentation.

As a part of preparation practice, you should not only practice what you have to say but also
prepare how you are going to act or what you are going to do with your body. On the day of
your presentation, you’ll be comfortable, relaxed, and confident that you have what it takes to
ace your presentation!

The different types of Body Language

1. Eye Contact: - Eye contact helps us to assess how that person is receiving your
communication. Do they look interested in what you’re saying or not? Good eye
contact is also key to assuring your audience you know what you’re talking about.
2. Facial Expressions: - Having a very expressive face can both be positive and negative.
It’s positive if you make it work for you, if you use it to help get your message across.
However, it’s a negative if you can’t control what your face says. Your face says so
much about you. In fact, your face literally says it all.
3. Body Posture: - Don’t slouch or lean towards the podium. Stand straight and be
confident.
4. Head Movement: - Head movement can indicate an extensive range of signals and
expressions. Practice the right moves, and you could engage your audience in ways
you never thought possible before!
5. Hand Gesture: - Hand gestures play an important role in presentations. The correct
hand gestures complement or reinforce the verbal message. Hand gestures make it
easy for people to remember your point.
Presentation Body Language Strategies

Tips for Success Pitfall to Avoid

 Smile Often  Using the wrong gestures.
 Put a space to a good use  Standing still
 Be facially expressive.  Looking at the Screen.
 Speaks clearly and confidently  Slouching.
 Face your audience  Not involving visual aids
 Don’t forget to breathe  Fidgeting.
 Stand up straight.

Think about when you are practicing to also consider what your body language is saying to
your audience as well. Be sure to be strong and confident and to project that to your audience
too that should really help in terms of not only what you are going to say but how you are
showing yourself to your audience.