
Better Body Language
What is your body language saying about you?
Professional actors are finely tuned to their emotions, enabling them to speak with the movement of a hand. An effective spokesperson also makes use of body movements to convey appropriate emotion.
The following gestures and expressions are considered positive and convey personal interest and self-confidence:
- Look people in the eye;
- Lean slightly forward, if seated;
- Make hand movements that occur naturally as a supplement to what you are saying;
- Listen intently to anyone who asks a question;
- Listen to what other people have to say.
The following gestures and expressions tend to be negative and convey tension and nervousness:
- Inappropriate smiling, laughter;
- Tightly clasped hands;
- Hands gripping sides of chairs, tables, knees;
- Hands toying with pencils, water glasses, buttons, microphones;
- Drumming on the tabletop;
- Tightening and loosening of jaw;
- A ramrod straight, unnatural posture.
These movements convey impatience and discomfort:
- Swinging legs;
- Shifting in chair;
- Shifting eyes.
These movements convey guilt and disinterest:
- Casting eyes toward ceiling;
- Failure to look at the audience;
- Slouching posture;
- Closing eyes.
Where in the World is Anthony?
Spoke all day today in Fort Wayne, Indiana at a construction association leadership academy. Negotiation tip 33: Don't mirror your opponent's demeanor, especially if the tone/questions are negative.
Spoke this morning in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Crisis tip 17: Don't do news interviews directly in front of the crisis scene. The news media want to show you in front of the "trainwreck." Resist!
Worked today in Denver with a soon-to-be very large credit union association. Presenting tip 6: Remove physical -- or virtual barriers -- that disconnect you from your audience (lectern, table, spacing, bad camera angle, distracting background, etc.).
Speaking this week in Colorado, Tennessee and Indiana. Messaging tip 19: Too many talking points leads to watering down of core message. PRIORITIZE!
Spoke today in Columbus, OH. Virtual tip 6: Here's my take on camera ON vs. camera OFF debate. If in the "old days" meeting was a phone call, then cameras OFF. If it was an in-person meeting, then cameras ON. Set expectations in meeting invite whether it'll be camera ON or OFF