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?
Just wrapped my last job of the year. Looking forward to getting off the road for a bit. A sincere thank you to all my clients who made this year feel a bit like old times. Going silent for a few weeks. Happy holidays and God bless everyone!
Working the next two days with an Ohio transit authority. Crisis Tip 51: Emergency response plan and crisis communications plan are NOT the same thing. You need both.
Spent the afternoon in Sacramento moderating a fantastic construction manager's annual meeting. Public Relations tip 2: Want reporters to pay attention to your news release? Write more like a journalist, less like a PR person.
Spoke twice today in Columbus. Worked this morning with a State of Ohio agency, and this afternoon with a construction group. Meeting facilitation tip 5: More Variety = More Energy. Mix things up to keep your audience constantly engaged.
Worked this morning with an Ohio-based insurance company. Crisis communications tip 7: Quickly address misinformation and rumors in the early hours of a crisis, or risk losing control of the narrative.