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Negative Body Language: 7 Deadly Sins of

Nonverbal Communication
Does your body language display one of the 7 deadly sins of nonverbal communication?
Below are some ways speakers use “negative body language” to undermine their own
credibility and influence. If you see your own behavior reflected here, it’s time to take stock and
start using body language that helps rather than hurts your message!

1. Poor stance or posture.

How you hold yourself broadcasts to audiences your
sense of self-worth. Slumped shoulders and a caved
chest, for instance, indicate surrender rather than
a willingness to take on the world. How you stand
affects your standing with the audience. Here’s an
easy yet effective exercise: Imagine a string leading
from the top of your head into infinity. Someone is
tugging gently on that string. Allow yourself to respond . . . and notice in a mirror how
much more capable and confident you look!

Learn more on this topic and gaining power as a speaker: BODY LANGUAGE AND
POWER POSES: HOW TO ACHIEVE AMAZING PRESENCE

2. Avoiding eye contact.

You know the variations of this one: The nervous
speaker who talks to the floor. The PowerPoint
user who converses with the screen rather than
the audience. The keynoter who has an excellent
relationship with his notes and none with the people
in the seats. Trust is your most valuable commodity
as a speaker. And it depends upon eye contact!
Speaking to an audience that cares about the topic at hand should be a delightful
activity. That includes watching their responses, and responding to that in turn. People
not only expect you to look at them when you talk. They’ll trust you more if you do;
and perhaps won’t trust you at all if you don’t.
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3. Creating a barrier that shuts out listeners.

This sin has many variations. Standing with arms
crossed; the fig leaf position of hands in front of the
crotch; creating a church steeple with one’s fingers;
“washing” the hands while speaking. — Every one of
these behaviors involves a speaker creating a physical
barrier between him or her and listeners. Let those
arms remain at your sides, and bring them up to
make a gesture that amplifies or supports your meaning. It may feel awkward at first,
but you’ll soon get used to it.

Never underestimate the significance of how you move and sound. Download
THE BODY LANGUAGE RULES: 12 WAYS TO BE A MORE POWERFUL SPEAKER.

4. Unproductive use of space.

It’s odd how we over-emphasize gestures in public
speaking while ignoring space. An audience expects
you to use space, not impersonate a statue. In fact,
it’s your job to command space. Using different parts
of the stage tells an audience you’re comfortable
up there. And few performance techniques aid
engagement like letting listeners know you’re about
to start a new point. If you stand in a different spot for each of those points, listeners
will retain each one more reliably. Use your audience in terms of space as well,
approaching them to answer questions or to “check in” frequently.

Get this cheat sheet for more tips on positive body language that boosts your
credibility: 5 KEY SECRETS OF POWERFUL BODY LANGUAGE

5. Employing weak or repetitive gestures.

“What should I do with my hands?” is a frequent
question of anxious speakers. The answer is simple:
a gesture should be an integral part of what you’re
saying—as Hamlet put it, “Suiting the action to the
word, the word to the action.” With that mantra in
mind, it should actually become difficult to use too Get our weekly blog
many gestures, since that particular gesture couldn’t Speak For Success!
possibly fit that many expressions! The other half of this equation is the power and
spareness of the gesture: each one you make should be strong, support the phrase,
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and end cleanly.

Read more on this topic: WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY HANDS? HOW TO

GESTURE NATURALLY
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6. Relating negatively to listeners.

You’ve seen speakers accomplish this remarkable
feat: Rather than cultivating influence with an
audience, they antagonize them. Negative facial
expressions, nodding impatiently at a questioner so
they’ll shut up so you can answer, or pointing a stiff
finger at the next unlucky questioner in line instead
of using a “welcoming” gesture — these are clear
indications that the speaker would rather be somewhere else. Pretty soon, of course,
the audience will agree that you should be.

Stay calm and in control. Get this cheat sheet: 7 TIPS FOR OVERCOMING
AUDIENCE RESISTANCE

7. Clumsy use of objects.

You’ve seen the laser pointers that dance playfully
close to an audience member’s eyes; the writing
instruments held but never once used in a
presentation; the gravity-defying pieces of chalk; and
the held microphones that gesture wildly. Speakers,
like actors with props, need to use objects rather than
being used by them. At the very least, experiment
with coming out from behind a lectern if possible, for a podium is the worst object of
all, a physical barrier between you and listeners. That’s why I call it the “Devil’s Tool.”

Always remember the basics: THE SIX RULES OF EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

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