Many people falsely seem to believe that they can be successful simply by being effective speakers and using motivating and compelling rhetoric. Although being a good public speaker is certainly a positive asset in most circumstances, mere rhetoric alone rarely convinces most other people. Most people are evaluated more for their body language than the content of their words, and this body language is usually the result of a combination of professional training combined with integrity-based self-confidence.
1. Body language is a combination of many factors. These include posture, eye contact, how and where you place your arms and hands, movements and eye contact, gestures, etc. Do you stoop when you are with other people or are you standing? If you don’t stoop, is your “good” posture stiff and upright, or relaxed and welcoming? Are your arms and hands relaxed or, for example, do you cross your arms stiffly in front of you? What about your eyes? Are you directly at the person (s) you are talking to, or do you look away, to the side, etc.? What about your facial expression? Are you firm and unwelcoming, relaxed, or smiling all the time? Which one would you feel most comfortable with? Are you constantly gesturing, waving your arms? Are you pointing directly at others, where your finger can give someone the feeling that you are almost like a weapon? Take a look in the mirror sometime and see what you do when you talk to others. Would you find your body language supportive, comforting, and positive, or would it be a turnoff for you? It is important to think fully about the aura or mystique that you emit to others.
2. Your body language is often the graphic part of your presentation. Speakers in large forums use Power Point presentations or other visual aids to reduce the amount of attention from them alone. However, when you are in a situation where you are in a less formal setting or without visual aids, an important part of how effective your presentation is depends on how others feel from your body language. Is your body language positive or negative? Does it convey the same message as your words?
When observing your body language, do you get the feeling that you are friendly or do you seem distant? Does your body language convey a message of integrity or is it not trustworthy? Body language should be your ally and not your enemy. One can understand body language more clearly by reviewing television tapes and radio tapes of the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy debates. Most experts believe that if one only listened to the radio (in other words, only the words and even how they sounded), Nixon won the debates. However, these same experts believe that Kennedy was the overwhelming winner for those who saw him on television, due to the appearance of both men, the difference in posture, eye contact, facial expression, etc. Without a doubt, body language is something that most of us should spend more time understanding and empowering, as well as focusing on making our body language consistent with the message we want to convey.