Body Language Skills

Body Language and Nervousness

Presentation skills are required in almost every aspect nowadays. Presenting information confidently and efficiently is a basic skill to get your audience’s attention, that’s explain why body language, signposting, and vanquish the nervousness, are the most important parts of all the communication skills to you as a public speaker. Thus, what are they and how important are they for your speeches or presentations?

Body language is a process of communicating nonverbally where thoughts, intentions, or feelings are expressed by physical gestures, such as facial expressions, body posture, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Body language is a crucial form of communication; it can abet or aggravate your presentation.

When it comes to presenting, nerves are inevitable. For those not born with natural eloquence, public speaking can be remarkably nerve-racking. There are still some things you can do to help clear your head before your big moment. Letting them get the better of you is not. You need to develop a strategy for taking the focus off your nervousness and putting that energy to positive use.

Here are some tips how to vanquish the nervousness in the presentation:

1. Use your nervous energy to your advantage

Nervous energy isn’t always a bad thing. When you are in a heightened state from the adrenaline, you can use that energy to communicate enthusiastically, convincingly, and passionately. Getting the blood pumping sharpens your senses makes you more aware of what’s going on around you. Use that extra energy to engage your audience, and to show your passion. The key is to decrease your level of nervousness so you can use your energy on these positive activities, not on trying to control your nerves.

2. Avoid memorize every single word and read word for word

Memorized every single word will increase the nervousness if the sequence of the words you’re trying to memorize goes amiss. Avoid reading your presentation word for word from a script because there’s a difference between speaking and

Signposting is the words that steer the audience through the presentation. A good presenter will typically use plenty signpost language. When you are explaining something, stating your own opinion, reporting someone else' opinion or work, stating that you agree or disagree, or suggesting something, let the audience know by using signpost; it shows regard for audience’s cognition and construe.

Examples of Signposting:

1. Introducing the subject: First of all, I'll...

2. Starting another topic: I'd like now to discuss...

3. Giving an example: As an illustration,...

4. Summarizing and concluding: Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues we've covered...

5. Ask questions: Does anyone have any questions or comments?

Thus, as a speaker, don’t forget to smile and open gestures to communicate your warmth to your audience. If you communicate warmth, and the audience senses your trustworthiness as well as your friendliness, you will be on the path to a successful