Every presenter’s worst nightmare.
You work really hard at creating the best presentation possible. And then when you’re in the moment, delivering your talk, your body betrays you, something about your body language or expressions, show the audience how uncertain or nervous you are. So here are five things to pay attention to so that your body works for you, not against.
1. First, your poker face. You think that your expression is neutral, but in reality, it looks something like this. Always be aware of your expression and your micro expressions so that you can always look present and alert.
2. Swaying or stepping randomly. It shows that you’re nervous. It shows that you don’t know where to step.
Always have your feet firmly planted on the ground.
3. Tight fists, closed hands, or holding one hand with another while you talk. It shows that you’re not confident, open or approachable.
4. Repetitive gestures. If you’re making the same gestures over and over, you are showing thoughtlessness, carelessness, a limited range.
And the worst part, it will become distracting for the audience. If they’re just seeing the same thing over and over.
5. And the fifth way that your body might be betraying you when you’re presenting is. If you’re not facing the camera at all, you’re looking at your slides and your audience is over there.
They can look at you if they want, but you’re not going to give them attention. It’s not really sending the right message to your audience. It’s not signaling them that you care about them. So now, you know, five ways to make sure that your body never betrays you. Which one was surprising for you? I would love to know.
