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?
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Speaking at 2 events tomorrow in Anchorage. How to Use AI to Fake Credibility 27: Is it just me, or did the number of LinkedIn posts with super nice charts increase 1,000x in the last year? And long-form, super clever posts have increased 5,000x. Insert sigh emoji here...
Worked today in eastern Ohio teaching a manufacturer how to do news interviews. Q&A Tip 1: The most important thing isn’t what they ask — it’s what you say and how you say it. That applies not only to the media, but many other audiences you interact with every day.
Spoke today north of Detroit. Presenting tip 6: Remove physical barriers that disconnect you from the audience. For live presentations - lecterns, tables, distance, soft voice, etc. Virtual presentations - bad lighting, weird camera angle, etc.
Worked all day today in the Bay Area (California) with a very large steel contractor. Communication tip 43: Having an unpleasant conversation? Standing at a 45-degree angle can help defuse hostility.
Worked with union leaders all day today in Los Angeles. Virtual Presenting Tip 14: Stop using your laptop. Get an actual webcam and a tripod and put your camera at eye level. A minimal amount of effort and less than $50 makes a huge difference.