“How do you use body language to create an impact? I’m Michael Trigg part of the Presentation Maestro.
Now there’s so much tosh written about body language, volumes have been written about it. Most of it is inaccurate. But I want to give you three tips today to help you make an impact – all quite natural.
The first one is stand still. It’s amazing how many people, given a stage or in front of a group with a space there, they’ll use it! And they’ll walk up and down and think they’re Michael McIntyre the comedian. Well Michael McIntyre’s a comedian and he’s paid a very great deal of money to make you laugh. But actually you have a far greater sense of authority if you stand still – and on both legs – not shifting from one to the other. All your energy and your expression should come from the hips upwards. In other words through your face and through your hands. So that’s number one – stand still and let your energy come out through your hands and your face.
Second thing, since we’re talking about it up here is to use facial expression, lots of smiles. Preferably not forcing them, but smiles to the audience and LOOK at them everywhere, everywhere there are people in the room – look at them. And the typical traps are fixing on the friendly face or missing out the wings left and right – bring in everybody who’s in the room. So that’s two – standing still, smiley face and look at everybody.
And the third one, and it seems so obvious, but it’s making use of these things [showing hands] every one of us, every human being is hard wired in their neurology to use these things to express themselves. Everybody does it differently so have them in a neutral resting place for when you’re not using them but they won’t stay there for long you will use them. And you won’t need to think about using them, they just work. And we’re all more engaging and people connect with us better when we’re using our hands naturally and not using any archetypal or false gestures.
So those are some tips I’d give you to use body language naturally to make an impact. See you on the next one.”
