verbal communication during presentation

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

Carmine Gallo

verbal communication during presentation

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman (St. Martin’s Press).

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15 Essential Presentation Techniques for Winning Over Any Audience

The Speaker Lab
April 13, 2024

Ever found yourself standing before an audience, your heart racing? That’s the moment when knowing effective presentation techniques can prove to be your unwavering ally. But what are presentation techniques? And what makes them so powerful? In this article, we’re going to answer those questions.

Before we can talk about presentation techniques, though, we first have to talk about good communication. The power of effective communication isn’t just in what you say. It’s how you say it; it’s in those deep breaths that steady nerves, and in maintaining eye contact. It’s about turning a room full of strangers into an engaged audience hanging onto your every word. When it comes to public speaking, real success comes from mastering non-verbal cues to punctuate our words and using visual aids not as crutches but as tools for engagement.

As you hone your communication skills, you will begin to form effective presentation techniques. Expect rough patches as you get the hang of things, but view them as mere footholds propelling you towards your ultimate triumph. Keep pushing forward.

Mastering Presentation Techniques for Impactful Delivery

Presentation techniques are more than just standing in front of a crowd and talking. They’re about making connections, telling stories that resonate, and leaving your audience with something to remember you by.

Elements of an Effective Presentation

For your presentation to resonate, ensure the visuals are straightforward and supportive, rather than distracting. Your message should be concise yet powerful enough to stick. And let’s not forget engagement; keeping your audience on their toes is key.

Visuals: Keep them simple but impactful.
Message: Make every word count.
Engagement: Interact with your audience, ask questions, make them think.

We’ve all seen those slides crammed with text or charts. When you make your slides, don’t cram information, because nobody wants to squint at tiny fonts or decipher complex graphs while trying to listen to you speak. This resource suggests focusing on clarity and simplicity when designing slides—advice worth taking.

Strategies for Delivering a Successful Presentation

To deliver a knockout presentation, start strong. Grab attention from the get-go with an intriguing fact or story related directly back into the topic at hand. Maintain eye contact across the room so everyone feels included in the conversation. Finally, end on a memorable note, either with a call to action or insight gained during the time together. Leave them wanting more information and eager to learn about the subject matter discussed today.

The opener: Hook your audience with a relevant fact or anecdote.
Maintain connection: Eyes up, engage everyone around.
Closing remarks : Last chance for impact–what’s your mic drop?

As author Lilly Walters once said, “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” This quote reminds us that the true goal of any speech is the understanding achieved between the speaker and the listeners.

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Engaging Your Audience with Nonverbal Communication

As the name implies, nonverbal communication denotes all of the ways you communicate without using words. This includes eye contact, body language, and facial expressions. Although nonverbal communication might not be the first presentation technique that comes to mind, it’s nevertheless a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal. Let’s take a look.

The Power of Eye Contact, Body Language, and Facial Expressions

Making eye contact isn’t just about looking someone in the eye; it’s about forging a connection. Aim for brief moments of eye contact across different sections of your audience throughout your presentation. Establishing fleeting eye connections across diverse audience segments fosters a sense of trust and keeps them hooked, all while ensuring no one feels on edge.

Body language is similarly important. Stand tall with good posture; it exudes confidence even when you feel nervous. As you grow more confident, mix up standing still with moving around subtly. This dynamic shift holds attention better than being rooted to one spot or nervous pacing. Use your hands to gesture naturally as you speak—it adds emphasis and keeps things lively.

If there’s one thing people can spot from miles away, it’s insincerity. So let those facial expressions match your words. Smile when you share something amusing, and furrow your brow when diving into serious stuff. After all, it’s not just what you say but how visually engaged and passionate you appear while saying it that counts.

Tying these elements together helps you deliver impactful, memorable talks. When done right, folks will leave feeling more connected, understood, and fired up by your presentation, all thanks to your techniques.

Designing Compelling Presentation Materials

Knowing how to design engaging presentation materials is one technique you can’t do without. Far from mere embellishments, these implements are crafted to hammer your message home. Hence, it’s vital to select these aids with great care and discernment.

Tips for Creating Effective Slides

When it comes to crafting slides, think of each as a billboard advertisement for your idea. You want it clear, impactful, and memorable.

Keep it simple : One idea per slide keeps confusion at bay and attention locked in.
Use bullet points : Break down your points so your audience can track.
Pick a font size : Generally speaking, bigger is better.
Use color : Harness colors that pop without blinding anyone; contrast is key.
Use images with purpose : A good picture or chart can help illustrate your point, but keep it relevant and don’t overdo it.

With a few helpful visuals, your presentation can go from good to great. For more on creating slides, check out this link here .

Handling Questions and Interactions Professionally

For some speakers, it’s not the presentation itself that makes them nervous—it’s the Q&A session that follows. This is the moment where you get to shine or stumble based on how well you handle those curveballs from your audience. If you want to round off your presentation well, you’re going to want to learn a few techniques for fielding these questions. Let’s look at a few ways of doing this.

Preparing for Audience Questions and How to Address Them Effectively

Below are six techniques that will help you address audience questions effectively.

Listen Up : The first rule of thumb is to listen like it’s a superpower. When someone throws a question at you, don’t just hear them out—really listen. Demonstrating this level of attentiveness not only conveys your respect but also affords you a brief moment to collect your ideas.
Stay Calm : You’ve got this. Even if a question catches you off guard, take a deep breath before diving into your answer. No one expects perfection, but showing confidence matters.
Practice Beforehand : Before presentation day arrives, think about potential questions folks might ask and prep some responses in advance. Practice makes perfect, after all.
Vary Your Techniques : Not every question needs an essay as an answer; sometimes short and sweet does the trick. Mix up how detailed or brief your answers are depending on what’s asked.
Show You Care : If you ever get a question that leaves you stumped, say so honestly—but add that magical line: “Let me find out more and I’ll get back to you.” Then actually do it.
Appreciate Audience Curiosity : Remember that the reason you audience is asking questions is because they’re interested. So no matter what questions you get, keep engaging with enthusiasm.

Go forth with confidence, knowing not only can these moments boost credibility—they make connections too. So next time when facing down those queries remember to listen hard, stay calm & always engage warmly. With these techniques under your belt, answering audience questions after your presentation will feel much less daunting.

Techniques for a Memorable and Effective Presentation

No matter what topic you cover in your presentation, you can easily add in a story, and more likely than not you can add a little humor too. Together, these two presentation techniques are perfect for making your speech memorable.

Incorporating Storytelling into Your Presentation

One great technique for making your presentation stick is telling stories. Stories have the power to touch people profoundly, especially when they depict relatable experiences. So, when you’re up there presenting, kick things off with a story that ties into your main message. It could be personal, something from history, or even an anecdote that gets your point across. Stories are not just fluff; they’re the glue of your presentation. They make complex ideas digestible and memorable.

Using Humor to Connect with the Audience

Another great way of engaging your audience is by using humor. But here’s the deal—use humor wisely. Keep it tasteful and tied closely to the content at hand so it enhances rather than detracts from your message.

Pick universal themes everyone can relate to.
Avoid anything potentially offensive.
Tie jokes back to your key points to make them relevant.

If humor isn’t your thing, or you’re worried about your comedic timing, it’s perfectly okay to skip the jokes. Especially if you’re new to public speaking, humor can be hard to nail immediately. But as you grow and hone your presentation techniques, consider stretching yourself a bit. By starting small, you can practice using humor to connect with your audience. That is your goal, after all—to leave a positive, memorable impression on your audience.

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Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

For some speakers, stepping in front of a crowd to speak causes immediate anxiety. But fear not! Conquering public speaking anxiety is entirely within your grasp.

Techniques to Manage Stage Fright and Boost Confidence

First off, feeling nervous before taking the stage is completely normal. Even Mark Twain admitted, “There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” So take that flutter in your stomach as a sign you care deeply about delivering value to your audience. In addition, consider the following tips as you prepare to hit the stage.

Breathe Deep: Before stepping up, take some deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel every muscle relax with each exhale.
Mind Over Matter: Visualization is key. Picture yourself nailing that presentation, because if you can see it, you can achieve it.
Keep It Simple: Stick to what you know best; this isn’t the time for surprises or untested waters.
Pace Yourself: Speak slowly but surely—there’s no rush here.

Believe it or not, acting relaxed often leads to actually being relaxed. Remember when we said mind over matter? Well, it applies here big time. The power pose backstage might just be what turns those nerves into excitement.

So next time you feel stage fright coming on, fight back with these techniques. With these tricks up your sleeve, you’re more than ready. So go ahead, breathe deep, and step onto that stage. You’ve got this.

Using Different Presentation Methods to Engage Your Audience

While learning styles is “ little more than urban myth ,” presenting your material in a variety of ways is a great technique for engaging your audience. By switching it up, you increase your chances of explaining something in a way that clicks with individual audience members. This is especially helpful for more complex topics that might be hard to grasp.

There are three main ways of presenting your material to your audience: through visuals, audio, and hands-on activities.

Visuals: Use slides packed with images, graphs, and bullet points.
Audio: Tell stories, play audio clips or engage in discussions.
Hands-on Activities: Include activities or demonstrations that allow audience members to participate physically.

Making sure everyone gets something from your presentation means considering these techniques when planning content. Not only can incorporating various methods increase audience engagement, but it can also elevate your presentation from decent to memorable.

Essential Tips for First-Time Presenters

Stepping onto the stage or logging into that webinar platform as a first-time presenter can feel nerve-wracking. But fear not! With these tips on how to dress appropriately, arrive early, and make your presentation shine, you’ll be ready to confidently nail that presentation.

Dress Appropriately

Your outfit is your armor. Choose something professional yet comfortable. Whether it’s in-person or online, dressing one notch above what you expect your audience to wear usually hits the sweet spot. Aim for solid colors that won’t distract your audience.

Arriving Early

If possible, arrive at the venue before your audience does. This gives you time to settle in, test any tech gear like microphones or projectors, and take those deep breaths. This extra time also lets you chat with early birds. By connecting with people before taking center stage, you can ease nerves significantly.

Making Presentation Time Count

You only have the audience’s attention for so long. Keep an eye on the clock as you present, but avoid rushing through content. It especially helps to pause after key points, letting information sink in. Your end goal? Leave you’re audience wanting more. You’ll know if you succeeded based on the number of questions you get during the Q&A.

So there you have it—the techniques you need to deliver an engaging presentation. By honing nonverbal communication, like eye contact and posture, you can captivate your audience with your energy. And visual aids? They’re not just ornamental; they help bolster your point and drive it home.

We also learned that tackling audience questions is not an art reserved for the eloquent few but a skill sharpened by preparation and presence. While it takes a little work to nail good storytelling and well-timed humor, the ultimate outcome is worth it.

So while standing before an audience may set your heart racing, know that arming yourself with knowledge and technique can transform not just your presentation, but you yourself. So don’t be afraid to try your hand at these skills; in doing so, you build your own confidence and become a better speaker in the process.

Last Updated: April 11, 2024

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Effective Communication Presentation 101: Everything You Need to Know to Deliver a Great Presentation

Post author: Adi Wadjdi
Post last modified: September 18, 2023

Introduction

Effective communication presentations can help you achieve personal and professional success in various situations, such as giving a speech, pitching an idea, teaching a lesson, or delivering a report. Have you ever wondered how some people can captivate their audience with their words and gestures? How they can persuade, inform, educate, or entertain with ease and confidence? How they can make a lasting impression with their presentation skills?

In this article, you will learn effective communication presentation skills, how to improve them, and how to apply them in your presentations. You will also find some practical and actionable tips that will help you enhance your confidence, clarity, and credibility as a presenter.

What are effective communication presentation skills.

Presentation skills are the combination of verbal and non-verbal communication skills that you use to deliver your message to your audience. They include aspects such as:

Verbal communication: The words you choose, the tone you use, the pace you set, and the questions you ask.
Body language: The gestures you make, the eye contact you maintain, the posture you adopt, and the facial expressions you show.
Voice projection: The volume you use, the pitch you modulate, the intonation you vary, and the pauses you insert.
Visual aids : The slides you create, the images you select, the charts you display, and the videos you play.

Effective communication presentation skills are presentation skills that help you achieve your specific goals for your presentation. Depending on your purpose, your goals may be to:

Persuade your audience to adopt your point of view, support your cause, or take action.
Inform your audience about a topic, a problem, or a solution.
Educate your audience about a concept, a skill, or a process.
Entertain your audience with a story, a joke, or a performance.

Effective communication presentation skills can help you in various situations where presentation skills are required or beneficial. For example:

Giving a speech at a wedding, graduation, or conference.
Pitching an idea to a client, an investor, or a boss.
Teaching a lesson to a class, a workshop, or a webinar.
Delivering a report to a team, a committee, or a board.

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Improving your presentation skills is something that takes time to happen. It requires practice, feedback, and continuous learning. However, there are some practical and actionable tips that can help you improve your presentation skills in the short term and in the long term. Here are some of them:

Define your purpose and scope for your presentation.
Identify your target audience and their needs and expectations.
Gather relevant and reliable information from various sources.
Evaluate and organize the information according to its relevance and importance.
Cite your sources properly and avoid plagiarism.
Start with an introduction that hooks your audience’s attention , explains what effective communication presentation is, why it is important, and provides an overview of the main points.
Follow with the body that covers the main points in detail, such as what practical communication presentation skills are, how they can help you achieve various goals, how to improve them, etc.
End with a conclusion that summarizes the main points, restates the benefits of effective communication presentation, provides a call to action for the reader, etc.
Use headings and subheadings to organize your content into logical sections.
Use bullet points or numbered lists to present multiple items or steps in a concise way.
Use transition words or phrases to connect your ideas and guide your audience through your presentation.
Rehearse your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a camera.
Simulate the actual presentation environment, such as the venue, the equipment, the audience size, etc.
Time yourself and adjust your content and pace accordingly.
Get feedback from someone you trust, such as a friend, a colleague, or a mentor.
Incorporate the feedback and make improvements.
Anticipate the most likely or common questions or challenges that may arise from your audience.
Prepare clear and concise answers or responses for each question or challenge.
Acknowledge and respect the questioner or challenger and their point of view.
Address the question or challenge directly and confidently.
Redirect the question or challenge to the audience or to another topic if necessary.
Choose visual aids and tools that are relevant, simple, and attractive.
Use visual aids and tools that are compatible with your presentation format, such as slides, images, charts, videos, etc.
Use visual aids and tools that are easy to see, hear, and understand for your audience.
Use visual aids and tools sparingly and strategically to avoid cluttering or distracting your audience.
Explain or describe your visual aids and tools when you introduce them.

How to Apply Effective Communication Presentation Skills in Your Own Presentations

Now that you have learned what effective communication presentation skills are and how to improve them, you may wonder how to apply them in your own presentations. Here are some steps that can help you apply effective communication presentation skills in your own presentations:

Identify the purpose and goal of your presentation. What do you want to achieve with your presentation? What do you want your audience to do, know, or feel after your presentation?
Analyze your audience. Who are they? What are their backgrounds, interests, needs, expectations, etc.? How can you tailor your message to suit them?
Select and research your topic. What is the main topic of your presentation? What are the subtopics or aspects that you want to cover? What are the sources of information that you can use?
Plan your presentation structure and outline. How will you organize your content into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion? What are the main points that you want to convey in each section? How will you transition from one point to another?
Create your presentation content. What are the words, sentences, and paragraphs that you will use to express your ideas? How will you use verbal communication techniques such as tone, pace, questions, etc.?
Design your presentation delivery. How will you use non-verbal communication techniques such as body language, voice projection, etc.? How will you use visual aids and tools such as slides, images, charts, videos, etc.?
Practice your presentation and get feedback. How will you rehearse your presentation? How will you simulate the actual presentation environment? How will you time yourself? How will you get feedback and make improvements?
Deliver your presentation and handle questions and challenges. How will you start and end your presentation? How will you engage and interact with your audience? How will you handle questions and challenges?

Effective communication presentation is a skill that can help you deliver your message with confidence and clarity to your audience. It can help you achieve personal and professional success in various situations where presentation skills are required or beneficial.

To improve your effective communication presentation skills, you should:

Research your topic and know it inside out.
Plan your presentation structure and outline.
Practice your presentation and get feedback.
Prepare for possible questions and challenges.
Use appropriate visual aids and tools.

To apply effective communication presentation skills in your presentations, you should:

Identify the purpose and goal of your presentation.
Analyze your audience.
Select and research your topic.
Create your presentation content.
Design your presentation delivery.
Deliver your presentation and handle questions and challenges.

We hope this article has helped you learn more about effective communication.

FAQ’s

What is an effective communication presentation.

Effective communication presentation is the ability to convey your message clearly, concisely, and convincingly to your audience. It is a skill that can help you achieve personal and professional success in various situations, such as giving a speech, pitching an idea, teaching a lesson, or delivering a report.

Why is effective communication presentation important?

Effective communication presentation is important because it can help you persuade, inform, educate, or entertain your audience. It can also help you enhance your confidence, clarity, and credibility as a presenter.

What are some examples of effective communication presentation skills?

Some examples of effective communication presentation skills are verbal communication, body language, voice projection, and visual aids. These skills can help you express your ideas, engage your audience, and support your message.

How can I improve my effective communication presentation skills?

You can improve your effective communication presentation skills by researching your topic, planning your presentation structure and outline, practicing your presentation and getting feedback, preparing for possible questions and challenges, and using appropriate visual aids and tools.

How can I apply effective communication presentation skills in my own presentations?

You can apply effective communication presentation skills in your own presentations by identifying the purpose and goal of your presentation, analyzing your audience, selecting and researching your topic, creating your presentation content, designing your presentation delivery, practicing your presentation and getting feedback, and delivering your presentation and handling questions and challenges.

How long should my presentation be?

The length of your presentation depends on your purpose, topic, audience, and format. A general rule of thumb is to allocate one minute per slide or one minute per main point. However, you should also consider the time limit, the attention span, and the expectations of your audience.

How should I start and end my presentation?

You should start and end your presentation with a strong and memorable statement that captures your audience’s attention and reinforces your message. You should also include a hook, an overview, a summary, and a call to action in your introduction and conclusion.

How should I deal with nervousness before or during my presentation?

Nervousness is a natural and common reaction to presenting in front of an audience. However, you can overcome it by preparing well , practicing often, breathing deeply, smiling confidently, focusing on your message, and enjoying the experience.

How should I use slides in my presentation?

Slides are a useful tool to enhance your presentation by adding variety, interest, and clarity to your message. However, you should not rely on them too much or use them as a script. You should use slides that are relevant, simple, and attractive. You should also explain or describe them when you introduce them.

How should I handle questions or challenges from my audience?

Questions or challenges from your audience are an opportunity to interact with them and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. You should acknowledge and respect the questioner or challenger and their point of view. You should also address the question or challenge directly and confidently. You should redirect the question or challenge to the audience or to another topic if necessary.

Say goodbye to boring slides: 10 must-have google slide templates for stunning presentations, envato elements reviews 2023: a comprehensive guide for creatives, starting a presentation: 7 simple tips for a captivating beginning.

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Effective Oral Presentations

Verbally (and as a general rule), do not write down and memorize or read your full text, because then your presentation will sound like what it is: a recited written text. Instead, memorize the outline of your presentation — that is, a tree structure of main points and subpoints — and speak ex tempore, reinventing the words as you go along. As you do, you will occasionally need to think about what to say next and find the most appropriate words to say it. Instead of using filler words ( um , er , you know , I mean , etc.), simply pause. If you say um , you get about half a second of thinking time and the audience is likely to notice the um and be irritated by it. If you keep silent, you can get up to two or three seconds of thinking time without the audience noticing anything. Even if attendees do notice the silence, they will simply think that you are choosing your words carefully — and there is nothing wrong with that.

Despite pointing often at the screen, Marie nicely faces the audience with her body at all times, keeps her hands down between gestures, and maintains eye contact with the attendees. Transcript Vocally, vary the tone, rate, and volume of your voice as a function of the meaning, complexity, and importance of what you are saying. You need not invent a new intonation pattern: You simply need to amplify your normal pattern.

Visually, control your body. Adopt a stable, confident position; move only when you have a positive reason to do so (for example, move closer to the audience for taking questions), not when your body seems to ask for it. When you make a gesture, make it large and deliberate; between gestures, bring your hands down and do not fidget. Establish eye contact: Engage the audience by looking them straight in the eyes.

At all times, make sure you address the audience. Even if you have slides, tell the audience your story in a stand-alone way; do not just explain your slides. In particular, anticipate your slides. You should know at all times what your next slide is about so you can insert an appropriate transition.

Delivering as a non-native speaker

To keep the audience engaged , Jean-luc emphasizes his points with facial expressions, purposeful gestures, and — especially — a high dynamic range in his vocal delivery. Transcript If you are a non-native speaker of English, you may find it more challenging to speak ex tempore in English than in your native language. Still, even imperfect extemporaneous English is more likely to engage the audience than reciting a more polished, less spontaneous written text. To improve your delivery and overall presentation as a non-native speaker, practice more, pace yourself, and support your spoken discourse with appropriate slides.

While all speakers benefit from practicing their presentations multiple times, consider investing more time in such practice if you are less familiar with the language. Practicing helps you identify missing vocabulary, including key technical terms (which are difficult to circumvent), and express your ideas more fluently. As you practice, you may want to prepare a list of difficult words (to review on the day of your presentation) or write down an occasional complex yet crucial sentence. Still, do not feel bound to what you write down. These notes should be a help, not a constraint.

Practicing in front of an audience (a few colleagues, for example) can help you correct or refine your pronunciation. If you are unsure how to pronounce some words or phrases, you can ask native speakers in advance or check online dictionaries that offer phonetic spelling or audio rendering. Still, you may be unaware of certain words you mispronounce; a practice audience can point these words out to you if you invite it to do so.

During your presentation, pace yourself. As a non-native speaker, you may feel you need to search for your words more often or for a longer time than in your native language, but the mechanism is the same. Do not let this challenge pressure you. Give yourself the time you need to express your ideas clearly. Silence is not your enemy; it is your friend.

Pacing yourself also means speaking more slowly than you otherwise might, especially if you have an accent in English. Accents are common among non-native speakers — and among specific groups of native speakers, too — and they are not a problem as long as they are mild. Often, they are experienced as charming. Still, they take some getting used to. Remember to slow down, especially at the beginning of a presentation, so your audience can get used to your accent, whether native or not.

Handling stage fright and mishaps

Most speakers, even experienced ones, are nervous before or during an oral presentation. Such stage fright is normal and even reassuring: It shows that you care, and you should care if you want to deliver an effective presentation. Accordingly, accept your stage fright rather than feeling guilty about it. Instead of trying to suppress nervousness, strive to focus your nervous energy in your voice, your gestures, and your eye contact. Do not let it dissipate into entropy, such as by using filler words or engaging in nervous mannerisms.

Among the many ways to keep your nerves under control, perhaps the most effective one is to focus constructively on your purpose at all times. Before your presentation, eliminate all the unknowns: Prepare your presentation well, identify (or even meet) your audience, and know the room. During the presentation, do what it takes to get your message across, even if it means doing something differently than you had planned. Have a positive attitude about the presentation at all times: Visualize what you want to achieve, not what you want to avoid.

Even with careful preparation, mishaps can occur. For example, technology may fail, you may forget what you wanted to say, or you may accidentally say the wrong thing. As a rule, do not apologize for what happens — neither in advance nor after the fact. Although well-meant, such apologies provide no benefit to the audience: They are noise. If you can do something about the problem, such as fix the technology or insert what you forgot later in the presentation, concentrate on doing so instead of apologizing. If the problem is out of your control, then there is no need to apologize for it. As a specific example, if you feel your command of English is poor, then do what you can in advance to improve it; in particular, practice your presentation thoroughly. Then, on the day of the presentation, do your best with the command you have, but do not apologize at the beginning of the presentation for what you think is poor English. This apology will not solve anything, and it gives the attendees a negative image of you. Rather, let the attendees judge for themselves whether your command of English is sufficient (perhaps it is, despite what you might think). In other words, focus on delivering results, not excuses.

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Lucia Hartigan , registrar 1 ,
Fionnuala Mone , fellow in maternal fetal medicine 1 ,
Mary Higgins , consultant obstetrician 2
1 National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
2 National Maternity Hospital, Dublin; Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin
luciahartigan{at}hotmail.com

The success of an oral presentation lies in the speaker’s ability to transmit information to the audience. Lucia Hartigan and colleagues describe what they have learnt about delivering an effective scientific oral presentation from their own experiences, and their mistakes

The objective of an oral presentation is to portray large amounts of often complex information in a clear, bite sized fashion. Although some of the success lies in the content, the rest lies in the speaker’s skills in transmitting the information to the audience. 1

Preparation

It is important to be as well prepared as possible. Look at the venue in person, and find out the time allowed for your presentation and for questions, and the size of the audience and their backgrounds, which will allow the presentation to be pitched at the appropriate level.

See what the ambience and temperature are like and check that the format of your presentation is compatible with the available computer. This is particularly important when embedding videos. Before you begin, look at the video on stand-by and make sure the lights are dimmed and the speakers are functioning.

For visual aids, Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Mac Keynote programmes are usual, although Prezi is increasing in popularity. Save the presentation on a USB stick, with email or cloud storage backup to avoid last minute disasters.

When preparing the presentation, start with an opening slide containing the title of the study, your name, and the date. Begin by addressing and thanking the audience and the organisation that has invited you to speak. Typically, the format includes background, study aims, methodology, results, strengths and weaknesses of the study, and conclusions.

If the study takes a lecturing format, consider including “any questions?” on a slide before you conclude, which will allow the audience to remember the take home messages. Ideally, the audience should remember three of the main points from the presentation. 2

Have a maximum of four short points per slide. If you can display something as a diagram, video, or a graph, use this instead of text and talk around it.

Animation is available in both Microsoft PowerPoint and the Apple Mac Keynote programme, and its use in presentations has been demonstrated to assist in the retention and recall of facts. 3 Do not overuse it, though, as it could make you appear unprofessional. If you show a video or diagram don’t just sit back—use a laser pointer to explain what is happening.

Rehearse your presentation in front of at least one person. Request feedback and amend accordingly. If possible, practise in the venue itself so things will not be unfamiliar on the day. If you appear comfortable, the audience will feel comfortable. Ask colleagues and seniors what questions they would ask and prepare responses to these questions.

It is important to dress appropriately, stand up straight, and project your voice towards the back of the room. Practise using a microphone, or any other presentation aids, in advance. If you don’t have your own presenting style, think of the style of inspirational scientific speakers you have seen and imitate it.

Try to present slides at the rate of around one slide a minute. If you talk too much, you will lose your audience’s attention. The slides or videos should be an adjunct to your presentation, so do not hide behind them, and be proud of the work you are presenting. You should avoid reading the wording on the slides, but instead talk around the content on them.

Maintain eye contact with the audience and remember to smile and pause after each comment, giving your nerves time to settle. Speak slowly and concisely, highlighting key points.

Do not assume that the audience is completely familiar with the topic you are passionate about, but don’t patronise them either. Use every presentation as an opportunity to teach, even your seniors. The information you are presenting may be new to them, but it is always important to know your audience’s background. You can then ensure you do not patronise world experts.

To maintain the audience’s attention, vary the tone and inflection of your voice. If appropriate, use humour, though you should run any comments or jokes past others beforehand and make sure they are culturally appropriate. Check every now and again that the audience is following and offer them the opportunity to ask questions.

Finishing up is the most important part, as this is when you send your take home message with the audience. Slow down, even though time is important at this stage. Conclude with the three key points from the study and leave the slide up for a further few seconds. Do not ramble on. Give the audience a chance to digest the presentation. Conclude by acknowledging those who assisted you in the study, and thank the audience and organisation. If you are presenting in North America, it is usual practice to conclude with an image of the team. If you wish to show references, insert a text box on the appropriate slide with the primary author, year, and paper, although this is not always required.

Answering questions can often feel like the most daunting part, but don’t look upon this as negative. Assume that the audience has listened and is interested in your research. Listen carefully, and if you are unsure about what someone is saying, ask for the question to be rephrased. Thank the audience member for asking the question and keep responses brief and concise. If you are unsure of the answer you can say that the questioner has raised an interesting point that you will have to investigate further. Have someone in the audience who will write down the questions for you, and remember that this is effectively free peer review.

Be proud of your achievements and try to do justice to the work that you and the rest of your group have done. You deserve to be up on that stage, so show off what you have achieved.

Competing interests: We have read and understood the BMJ Group policy on declaration of interests and declare the following interests: None.

↵ Rovira A, Auger C, Naidich TP. How to prepare an oral presentation and a conference. Radiologica 2013 ; 55 (suppl 1): 2 -7S. OpenUrl
↵ Bourne PE. Ten simple rules for making good oral presentations. PLos Comput Biol 2007 ; 3 : e77 . OpenUrl PubMed
↵ Naqvi SH, Mobasher F, Afzal MA, Umair M, Kohli AN, Bukhari MH. Effectiveness of teaching methods in a medical institute: perceptions of medical students to teaching aids. J Pak Med Assoc 2013 ; 63 : 859 -64. OpenUrl

Oral Presentations

Effective delivery: vocal & non-verbal.

Effective delivery has two aspects: vocal delivery and non-verbal communication.

Vocal Delivery

You may have a well-developed presentation, one that you’re excited about, one that distills your main ideas into memorable slides, one that meets your audience’s needs while presenting your informed viewpoint, one that will advance knowledge or process within or outside of your organization. Yet if you do not deliver that presentation well, it will not have the effects you intend. As legendary advertising creative director William Bernbach noted, “It’s not just what you say that stirs people. It’s the way that you say it.”

Vocal presentation matters in any type of presentation: in-person, online, real-time, asynchronous. Vocal variety affects how you are heard. Here are a few tips for effective verbal presentation from presentation skills training consultant Gavin Meikle, who identifies key elements, common errors, and good practices to develop greater vocal impact [1] .

Volume – Develop your range and vary your volume. To help put this in perspective, consider the saying, “A good speech needs light and shade.”
Pitch – Research suggests a general preference for lower vocal pitch, with participants ascribing more positive personality traits to lower pitched voices. That’s not to say that you should artificially lower your voice, but simply try to be conscious if your voice tends to rise when you speak, and try to modulate it.
Resonance – Resonance refers to the fullness of the sound. For example, when you’re nervous, your voice may tend to become “tighter.” Try deep breathing to re-establish vocal resonance before a presentation.
Pace – Be aware of and manage your speaking speed. It’s been found that people who moderate their pace when speaking to groups are thought to have greater credibility, and authority.
Pause – Consider well-placed pauses to emphasize information, and/or to give your audience a brief chance to absorb key information.
Ending a spoken sentence with a rising tone indicates a question or suggestion.
Ending a spoken sentence with a descending tone is generally interpreted as an order.
A flat intonation is used to indicate a statement.

View the following video, which expands on these vocal presentation tips.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal differs from verbal communication in a few ways.

Verbal communication uses one channel (words); non-verbal communication uses multiple channels (gestures, pauses/silence, environment, posture/stance, appearance).
Verbal communication is usually linear (sentences, discussions, and articles start, develop, and end); non-verbal communication is continuous (in constant motion and relative to context).
Verbal communication is conscious (you consider and choose your words); non-verbal communication can be both conscious and unconscious (you usually don’t make a conscious decision to smile or laugh, but you may make a conscious decision to dress a certain way).

Non-verbal communication – the information and cues you emit through your gestures, appearance, stance, and more – is just as important to consider as verbal communication when you present to an audience. When we first see each other, before anyone says a word, we are already sizing each other up. Within the first few seconds we have made judgments about each other based on what we wear, our physical characteristics, even our posture. Are these judgments accurate? That is hard to know without context, but we can say that nonverbal communication certainly affects first impressions, for better or worse. When a presenter and audience first meet, nonverbal communication in terms of space, dress, and even personal characteristics can contribute to assumed expectations. The expectations might not be accurate or even fair, but it is important to recognize that they will be present. There is truth in the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Since beginnings are fragile times, your attention to aspects you can control, both verbal and nonverbal, will help contribute to the first step of forming a relationship with your audience. Your eye contact with audience members, use of space, and degree of formality will continue to contribute to that relationship.

Non-verbal communication also factors into online, real-time and asynchronous presentations with pauses, silence, and/or background noise; the image you project with your identifying photograph; and your gestures, posture, appearance, and environment visible via the video option in conferencing tools.

The following videos illustrate important aspects of non-verbal communication for presentations.

One Big Presentation Tip

Practice. It really does help you become aware of how you come across to others in terms of look and language.

The following video discusses the importance of practicing and reviews oral presentation concepts, within the context of doing a presentation for a job interview (although the tips work for any oral presentation context).

[1] Meikle, Gavin. “ Six Elements of Vocal Variety and How to Master Them. ” Inter-Activ . 18 Jun 2017. Web. 25 Jun 2018.

some original content and content adapted from Business Communication Skills for Managers, Introduction to Communication, and Business Communication for Success; attributions below. Authored by : Susan Oaks. Project : Communications for Professionals. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
Delivery Techniques. Authored by : Nina Burokas. Provided by : Lumen Learning. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/delivery-techniques/ . Project : Business Communication Skills for Managers. License : CC BY: Attribution
video Vocal Delivery. Provided by : COMMpadres Media. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ha-KUArLWc . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
Differences Between Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication. Authored by : Scott T. Paynton and Linda K. Hahn. Provided by : Humboldt State Universtiy. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introductiontocommunication/chapter/differences-between-verbal-and-nonverbal-communication/ . Project : Introduction to Communication. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
11.1 Principles of Nonverbal Communication. Located at : https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/11-1-principles-of-nonverbal-communication/ . Project : Business Communication for Success. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
video Body Language for Presentations. Authored by : Alex Lyon. Provided by : Communication Coach. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmbQFWBvTtY . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
video Gestures - The Business Presentation Revolution . Authored by : Michael Rickwood and Rose Bloomfield. Provided by : Ideas on Stage. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P9C8xl4RPU . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
image man holding microphone and speaking in a business environment. Authored by : PhotoMIX-Company. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/photos/the-conference-lecture-lecture-hall-3248255/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
video How to Make an Interview Presentation. Provided by : Monster UK & Ireland. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCr7ZXNKz6A . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video

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Verbal Communications and Presentation Skills

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To be successful in this course, no specific skills are required. The course is open to anyone looking to improve verbal communication skills.

What you'll learn

Express ideas clearly and persuasively

Engage audiences effectively

Deliver impactful presentations

Develop effective speaking skills

Skills you'll gain

Communication
verbal communication
Public Speaking

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There is 1 module in this course

Welcome to the " Verbal Communications and Presentation Skills" course! Effective communication skills are vital in both professional and personal spheres. Imagine the confidence and comfort you would feel when communicating with colleagues, bosses, customers, prospects, or clients. This course empowers you to develop the necessary skills to become a proficient communicator.

Designed with hyper-efficient methods, this course equips you with all the essential tools to interact confidently with customers, clients, colleagues, and bosses in today's modern workplace. Within just 90 minutes, you will grasp the basics of communication skills, ensuring that you never feel awkward or uncomfortable in professional settings again. Whether you are conducting a meeting on Skype video or delivering a keynote presentation, this course enables you to exude confidence and ease, as if you were conversing with your best friend. It is designed for anyone seeking to communicate confidently and clearly in all business and personal situations. To fully participate in this course, you will need a cell phone, tablet, or computer with a webcam. Additionally, a willingness to practice speaking and communicating via video is crucial for enhancing your verbal communication skills. Embrace this opportunity to become a compelling and influential communicator in every aspect of your life.

Verbal Communication and Presentation Skills

Communication skills are essential in business and in life. Imagine yourself feeling comfortable and confident anytime you have to communicate with colleagues, bosses, customers, prospects, or clients. You can quickly walk and talk like someone who has experienced communication skills. This verbal communication course will give you all the tools you need to interact with customers, clients, colleagues, and bosses in the modern workplace. The course is designed with hyper-efficient methods so that you can learn all communication skills basics in 90min.

What's included

19 videos 3 readings 5 quizzes 1 assignment

19 videos • Total 79 minutes

Introduction to the course and the instructor • 0 minutes • Preview module
Quick Wins! The Secret to Using Speaker Notes Effectively • 1 minute
You Are In Great Company - Find Out Who • 2 minutes
Never Waste Time Starting a Presentation Again • 1 minute
You Will Be Motivating, Not Data Dumping • 4 minutes
Good news, the problems we think we have, aren't real • 5 minutes
Direct versus indirect communication • 2 minutes
Your Stories Will Make Your Ideas Unforgettable • 6 minutes
Your PowerPoint Will Create Engagement, Not Slumber • 6 minutes
Building an Ethical Cheat Sheet Just for You • 5 minutes
This Is The Do Or Die Moment For Your Speaking Improvement • 5 minutes
There Is a Perfect Test for Your Speech Or Presentation • 4 minutes
It's Easy to pass a Test when the Answer Is right in front of you • 4 minutes
You Are Normal to Fear Communicating In Some Circumstances • 3 minutes
The Power of the Positive • 5 minutes
Debunking the Myth of Charisma • 2 minutes
Never Fall for These Communication Gimmicks Again! • 5 minutes
Tips on how to Get Over Nervousness and Being Scared • 8 minutes
You have Now Mastered Basic and Beyond Communication Skills • 1 minute

3 readings • Total 30 minutes

Welcome to the Course • 10 minutes
Public Speaking Success by TJ Walker • 10 minutes
Secret to Foolproof Presentations by TJ Walker • 10 minutes

5 quizzes • Total 150 minutes

Beginning your communication skills journey • 30 minutes
Refining and testing your verbal skills • 30 minutes
Speech, presentation and testing • 30 minutes
More fundamentals, power of positive and myths • 30 minutes
Overcoming nervousness and beyond communication skills • 30 minutes

1 assignment • Total 60 minutes

Final Assessment • 60 minutes

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

Our purpose at Starweaver is to empower individuals and organizations with practical knowledge and skills for a rapidly transforming world. By collaborating with an extensive, global network of proven expert educators, we deliver engaging, information-rich learning experiences that work to revolutionize lives and careers. Committed to our belief that people are the most valuable asset, we focus on building capabilities to navigate ever evolving challenges in technology, business, and design.

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Reviewed on Sep 20, 2023

T J Walker is a master. Course developed by him is to the point and uncovers the common misunderstanding we have about preparation for a good presentation.

Reviewed on Nov 2, 2023

I really have a lot of him I hope I will attend another course with him also I will be grateful if he receive my comment.

Reviewed on Nov 16, 2023

GENIUS EXCELLENT TEACHER AND CLASS! you will gain confidence!

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Verbal Communication Skills

Verbal communication is the use of words to share information with other people. It can therefore include both spoken and written communication. However, many people use the term to describe only spoken communication. The verbal element of communication is all about the words that you choose, and how they are heard and interpreted.

This page focuses on spoken communication. However, the choice of words can be equally—if not more—important in written communication, where there is little or no non-verbal communication to help with the interpretation of the message.

What is Verbal Communication?

Verbal communication is any communication that uses words to share information with others. These words may be both spoken and written.

Communication is a two-way process

Communication is about passing information from one person to another.

This means that both the sending and the receiving of the message are equally important.

Verbal communication therefore requires both a speaker (or writer) to transmit the message, and a listener (or reader) to make sense of the message. This page discusses both parts of the process.

There are a large number of different verbal communication skills. They range from the obvious (being able to speak clearly, or listening, for example), to the more subtle (such as reflecting and clarifying). This page provides a summary of these skills, and shows where you can find out more.

It is important to remember that effective verbal communication cannot be fully isolated from non-verbal communication : your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions, for example.

Clarity of speech, remaining calm and focused, being polite and following some basic rules of etiquette will all aid the process of verbal communication.

Opening Communication

In many interpersonal encounters, the first few minutes are extremely important. First impressions have a significant impact on the success of further and future communication.

When you first meet someone, you form an instant impression of them, based on how they look, sound and behave, as well as anything you may have heard about them from other people.

This first impression guides your future communications, at least to some extent.

For example, when you meet someone and hear them speak, you form a judgement about their background, and likely level of ability and understanding. This might well change what you say. If you hear a foreign accent, for example, you might decide that you need to use simpler language. You might also realise that you will need to listen more carefully to ensure that you understand what they are saying to you.

Of course your first impression may be revised later. You should ensure that you consciously ‘update’ your thinking when you receive new information about your contact and as you get to know them better.

Basic Verbal Communication Skills: Effective Speaking and Listening

Effective speaking involves three main areas: the words you choose, how you say them, and how you reinforce them with other non-verbal communication.

All these affect the transmission of your message, and how it is received and understood by your audience.

It is worth considering your choice of words carefully. You will probably need to use different words in different situations, even when discussing the same subject. For example, what you say to a close colleague will be very different from how you present a subject at a major conference.

How you speak includes your tone of voice and pace. Like non-verbal communication more generally, these send important messages to your audience, for example, about your level of interest and commitment, or whether you are nervous about their reaction.

There is more about this in our page on Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice .

Active listening is an important skill. However, when we communicate, we tend to spend far more energy considering what we are going to say than listening to the other person.

Effective listening is vital for good verbal communication. There are a number of ways that you can ensure that you listen more effectively. These include:

Be prepared to listen . Concentrate on the speaker, and not on how you are going to reply.

Keep an open mind and avoid making judgements about the speaker.

Concentrate on the main direction of the speaker’s message . Try to understand broadly what they are trying to say overall, as well as the detail of the words that they are using.

Avoid distractions if at all possible. For example, if there is a lot of background noise, you might suggest that you go somewhere else to talk.

Be objective .

Do not be trying to think of your next question while the other person is giving information.

Do not dwell on one or two points at the expense of others . Try to use the overall picture and all the information that you have.

Do not stereotype the speaker . Try not to let prejudices associated with, for example, gender, ethnicity, accent, social class, appearance or dress interfere with what is being said (see Personal Appearance ).

There is more information in our pages on Listening Skills .

Improving Verbal Communication: More Advanced Techniques

There are a number of tools and techniques that you can use to improve the effectiveness of your verbal communication. These include reinforcement, reflection, clarification, and questioning.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is the use of encouraging words alongside non-verbal gestures such as head nods, a warm facial expression and maintaining eye contact.

All these help to build rapport and are more likely to reinforce openness in others. The use of encouragement and positive reinforcement can:

Encourage others to participate in discussion (particularly in group work);
Show interest in what other people have to say;
Pave the way for development and/or maintenance of a relationship;
Allay fears and give reassurance;
Show warmth and openness; and
Reduce shyness or nervousness in ourselves and others.

Questioning

Questioning is broadly how we obtain information from others on specific topics.

Questioning is an essential way of clarifying areas that are unclear or test your understanding. It can also enable you to explicitly seek support from others.

On a more social level, questioning is also a useful technique to start conversations, draw someone into a conversation, or simply show interest. Effective questioning is therefore an essential element of verbal communication.

We use two main types of question:

Closed Questions

Closed questions tend to seek only a one or two word answer (often simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’). They therefore limit the scope of the response. Two examples of closed questions are:

“Did you travel by car today?” and “Did you see the football game yesterday?”

These types of question allow the questioner to remain in control of the communication. This is often not the desired outcome when trying to encourage verbal communication, so many people try to focus on using open questions more often. Nevertheless, closed questions can be useful for focusing discussion and obtaining clear, concise answers when needed.

Open Questions

Open questions demand further discussion and elaboration. They therefore broaden the scope for response. They include, for example,

“What was the traffic like this morning?” “What do you feel you would like to gain from this discussion?”

Open questions will take longer to answer, but they give the other person far more scope for self-expression and encourage involvement in the conversation.

For more on questioning see our pages: Questioning and Types of Question .

Reflecting and Clarifying

Reflecting is the process of feeding back to another person your understanding of what has been said.

Reflecting is a specialised skill often used within counselling, but it can also be applied to a wide range of communication contexts and is a useful skill to learn.

Reflecting often involves paraphrasing the message communicated to you by the speaker in your own words. You need to try to capture the essence of the facts and feelings expressed, and communicate your understanding back to the speaker. It is a useful skill because:

You can check that you have understood the message clearly.
The speaker gets feedback about how the message has been received and can then clarify or expand if they wish.
It shows interest in, and respect for, what the other person has to say.
You are demonstrating that you are considering the other person’s viewpoint.

See also our pages on Reflecting and Clarifying .

Summarising

A summary is an overview of the main points or issues raised.

Summarising can also serve the same purpose as ‘reflecting’. However, summarising allows both parties to review and agree the message, and ensure that communication has been effective. When used effectively, summaries may also serve as a guide to the next steps forward.

Closing Communication

The way a communication is closed or ended will, at least in part, determine the way a conversation is remembered.

People use both verbal and non-verbal signals to end a conversation.

Verbal signals may include phrases such as: “Well, I must be going,” and “Thank you so much, that’s really helpful.”

Non-verbal conclusions may include starting to avoid eye contact, standing up, turning away, or behaviours such as looking at a watch or closing notepads or books. These non-verbal actions indicate to the other person that the initiator wishes to end the communication.

People often use a mixture of these, but tend to start with the non-verbal signals, especially face-to-face. On the telephone, of course, verbal cues are essential.

Closing an interaction too abruptly may not allow the other person to 'round off' what he or she is saying so you should ensure there is time for winding-up. The closure of an interaction is a good time to make any future arrangements. Last, but not least, this time will no doubt be accompanied by a number of socially acceptable parting gestures.

Only part of the picture

It is vital to remember that any communication is made up of the sum of its parts.

Verbal communication is an important element, but only part of the overall message conveyed. Some research suggests that the verbal element is, in fact, a very small part of the overall message: just 20 to 30%. This is still, however, significant, and it is worth spending time to improve your verbal communication skills.

Continue to: Effective Speaking Conversational Skills How good are your interpersonal skills? Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment

See also: Ladder of Inference How to be Polite Personal Development

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10 Simple Tips for a Great Presentation

January 10, 2022 - Dom Barnard

The way you speak to someone in private is not the same as addressing an audience during a presentation. Not least as that presentation may involve a diverse range of people, with differing interests and attention spans.

Nerves may take over, or at the very least you may realise that not everyone is listening, understanding or agreeing, and you need to work harder to engage them.

Elsewhere in our resources for effective business communications, we have stressed how important it is to either speak or write in a purposeful way. To be clear on your goals, whether that’s to inform, educate, seek approval/opinions, persuade, influence or sell. Communications can often have a mixture of those aims.

The only way to be purposeful and successful in presentations is to invest in the necessary communication skills. However, in this article, we list 10 simple tips for delivering a confident presentation, that achieves results.

1. See yourself as others see you. Hear yourself as others hear you

Visual elements of your presentation are crucial. Humans use visual references to process immeasurable amounts of information. We can reach opinions about a situation or person with a glance.

That makes it essential to focus on non-verbal communication.

To gain immediate credibility with your audience, think carefully about such factors as:

Is your body language positive ?
Are your presentation slides clear ?
Are you dressed appropriately for the situation?

What does positive body language look like? It’s things such as smiling and standing or sitting straight, with your arms resting on a lectern, table or by your side. Lean slightly forward and use as much eye contact as possible. No slouching, hands in pockets, crossed arms, or constantly looking down!

Also, consider how you sound to the audience:

Do you need to speak louder because the room is large?
Are the audience native English speakers?
Are you talking quickly because you are nervous?
Are you amplifying your breathing and mouth noises by being too close to the microphone?

2. Know your objectives

There’s a widely accepted principle of presentations:

Tell them what you are going to say
Remind them what you just said

This is an oversimplification. However, it indicates how important it is to be 100% clear on what response you want from your audience and to communicate your desired outcome brilliantly.

If your presentation has no core purpose or ‘call to action’, it’s just a random string of words. Think about:

What would a positive outcome be for you?
Are you looking for new clients or funding?
What message do you want your audience to take away with them?

Much depends on the nature of your audience of course. Take time to consider who you are talking to. Think about what is most likely to influence their behaviour and decision-making, and whether that are facts, figures or even words and phrases that support your presentation objective.

Also, to get the best results from presentations, consider what your audience will need to know about you. What expertise and insights should you mention, adding weight to your credibility?

3. Have an overall picture in mind before starting on details

Once you have focused on your audience and the purpose of your presentation, the planning continues. That’s because successful presentations rely on extensive preparation.

Planning would need to include the nuts-and-bolts aspects of this task, such as:

How long does the presentation need to be?
What is the audience size and demographic?
The audience size and demographic
Are you part of a panel, solo or some other format?
Is there a Question and Answer session at the end?
Would it be better to have questions throughout?
What technology will you need?

4. Work out the framework for your presentation

That doesn’t mean hammering away on your keyboard and wildly jotting down everything you want to say though. The best presentations are succinct, well structured and hold the audience’s attention by design (more on this below).

You could start by considering factors such as:

What three things do you want your audience to remember?
How can you design your presentation around these points?
How can you explain these points in the introduction and conclusion
Should you cover the three points together or in a logical order?

5. Lead the audience along with you

You need to make sure your audience is engaged throughout your presentation. You are talking to them, not over or around them. The central pillar of this is effective presentation content that speaks directly to them , and which is varied and interesting.

Keep facts, figures and technical jargon to a minimum, and explain it (never assume they understand). Weave in storytelling techniques , anecdotes, audience questions and pauses to ‘punctuate’ your presentation.

Visual aids are a superb way to hold attention during presentations and can add to your confidence and flow. When used correctly!

They should not contain a massive amount of detail, especially information that expands on what you are saying. If your audience is trying to read and understand your media content or handouts, they are not listening to you.

You can use presentation folders or follow-up emails and website links to add more information. For now, use slides/handouts to structure your content and move your audience from topic to topic.

Or, to reinforce especially important messages.

Breaking up the presentation into a small number of sections – with the current section stated on each slide – helps you to stay focused too.

The following tips will help:

Whether to include a table of contents to help the audience follow along?
Breaking up the presentation into a small number of sections, with the current section stated on each slide
After each section, show which sections have been completed and which are coming up
How much time will you leave for questions? Will you allow questions throughout the presentation or only at the end?

6. Rehearse aloud and get feedback

Practice is the key to a great presentation.

If possible, rehearse with a colleague or friend. This can be in person, using video conferencing simulator or online meeting tools. Ask them for honest feedback.

Practice Exercises for Presentations

At the very least, record yourself using your preferred technology, so you can play it back and look for ways to improve your presentation skills.

When you practice, avoid distractions that could throw you off, and do it as realistically as possible, including any time constraints.

Things to look for include:

Content that is complex and trips you up. Can you simply it?
Places where you ad-lib too much and go off track
Lack of clarity on your purpose and call to action
Visual materials that don’t synch with your spoken content
Physical habits that can be distracting, such as rocking, touching your face or filling hesitations with errs and umms

7. Win hearts then minds

The reason that eye contact is important in presentations is that it creates a vital connection between you and your audience. This is also reinforced by asking rhetorical questions, pausing to look around, smiling when appropriate and adding the human touch to your content.

This links to the contemporary emphasis on emotional intelligence – showing understanding and empathy, staying calm and positive and managing your own reactions. Both your verbal and non-verbal communications should be warm, responsive and sincere.

This includes valued gestures in the art of presentations. Such as:

Greeting your audience and introducing yourself with humility.
Thanking them for their attention.
Making yourself available for questions or post-presentation discussions.
Using your hands in a controlled way for non-verbal communications.
If you are standing, move around the stage to engage all areas of the presentation space.

It also means that you should be polite when answering audience questions, no matter how hostile they are.

8. Keep it simple

When drafting and practising a successful presentation, put yourself in the audience! This connects to the empathy mentioned above, and the need to choose impactful content to create the right outcome. If you were listening to this presentation, would you be engaged and informed?

No matter how complex your presentation is, use words and analogies everyone in the audience will understand.

Keep to the following:

Clarity of narrative with an easy-to-understand presentation structure
No (or few) acronyms or technical terms if possible
Explain your visual aids, especially diagrams and graphs

However, keep an eye on your audience too. Do they look like they are losing attention or getting confused? You may need to go back over something, or even ask for a show of hands to indicate something that needs additional explanation.

Try to read body language without losing the thread of your presentation. This is especially relevant if you are addressing smaller groups, and you can see a decision-maker slumping, checking the time or looking blank. You may need to address a question directly to them or highlight something that draws their attention back.

9. Be enthusiastic

If you’re not interested in your own speech, why should the audience be?

It’s particularly important to start and end with a flourish. So, make sure when you prepare that you really focus on your introduction and conclusion, finishing with a strong call to action.

Also, modulate your tone and emphasis regularly. A monotone voice can send an audience to sleep even when the content is outstanding!

Sustain energy throughout the speech, but don’t race through your presentation. Pauses help you keep on track, boost audience attention and make the flow more natural.

10. Be yourself

That may seem like a long list of ways to make presentations more successful and productive.

However, it can all be summed up by doing as much preparation and planning as possible, so you feel confident and relaxed.

Especially focusing on:

Where you are
What you are doing
Why you are saying what you are saying
Why the audience needs to hear what you are saying

If you follow these simple tips for a great presentation, you should be able to deliver your spoken communication in a responsive and effective way.

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When Delivering a Presentation, Look at Both Sides of Nonverbal Language

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.

Part of the “how” is nonverbal language.

When you deliver a presentation, people observe two things: Your verbal language – the words you use – and your nonverbal language – what your body language says about you.

In this article, I will present nonverbal language from two different perspectives: Your own nonverbal language that you use while delivering a presentation to others and the nonverbal language that your audience shows to you while you’re presenting. Both forms of communication are beneficial to you as you prepare, deliver and improve upon your presentation style.

First, let’s talk about you, the presenter.

Be Aware of Your Nonverbal Behavior as a Presenter

The most powerful nonverbal cues that you can give to your audience are these:

Walk with confidence. Have good posture. Stand tall. Walk confidently to the presentation area.

Engage in direct eye contact. Look into the eyes of your audience. Don’t look at the walls, floor or ceiling. Definitely do not read your notes to the audience. That will disconnect you from the audience.

Use hand gestures to reinforce your message. This is an important one. When using hand gestures, make sure they look natural. When they are natural, you appear to be authentic, genuine and real. I have seen speakers over-rehearse their hand gestures. It sounds silly, doesn’t it? Yet it happens to be true. Over-rehearsing gestures creates a speaker who is artificial and robotic. Gestures, when they come from the heart, are interpreted as being true and honest. With that said, be careful of a few things: Don’t over-exaggerate. If the fish was just this big, then don’t say it was THIS BIG! Don’t use repeated gestures because they can distract the audience from your message. An example: If you have a tendency to “roll” your right hand when you are talking, then you don’t want to continue rolling and rolling and rolling. Pretty soon, the audience looks at your rolling hand gesture and doesn’t listen to your message.

Move a little. Movement is good for presenters. Too much movement is distracting. If you walk from the front of the room to the back of the room, that’s fine. If you move all around the entire room during your entire presentation, your audience will get tired of adjusting their necks or their chairs. A little movement is fine. Avoid repetitive movement. An example: Pacing. When you begin to pace, it creates a rhythm that has an almost hypnotic effect. Think of your pacing body as a pendulum, “you’re getting sleepy, very sleepy.” Before you know it, your audience will be anticipating your next pivot or turn to return to the other side of the room rather than listening to your message. Robotic pacing is a death knell to any presenter.

Express yourself! With more than 100 muscles in your face alone, you have the amazing capacity to share six primary emotions (fear, joy, love, sadness, surprise and anger) and more than 60 emotional expressions. All of that power comes from less than one square foot of space! What are you doing with it? If you are sharing declining numbers, show it. If you are delighted that you exceeded year-end quotas, show it. If you are sharing a sad story, show it. Your facial expressions reinforce your message. Just make sure that they are not in conflict with your message. If you say, “I’m delighted to be here today to deliver this presentation” and your face shows no emotion, your audience will believe your face. They will say, “She’s not really delighted. She looks angry.”

Enhance your image. Your appearance is the first thing people notice when you enter a room. It speaks volumes about who you are as a person and about your level of professionalism. Take a long, hard look at your professional attire. Are you wearing the same suits that you have been wearing since the 1980s? If so, throw them out! Nobody wants to see someone with larger-than-life padded shoulders (just think of the suits that David Byrne of the rock group The Talking Heads wore in the 1980s). Look at the colors you wear. You want to look current, not dated.

A few years ago, I was asked to coach a man on his professional style. The moment he walked into the room, my first impression was set. After we chatted a while, I shared with him those initial thoughts. You see, he was a “mousy” man and everything about him was “mousy.” He wore glasses, a light beige pullover sweater, a light beige shirt and brown pants. His communication style was on the quiet, shy side. Nothing about him stood out or communicated power. He was essentially invisible. I recommended navy blue as a more professional base color for him. Now when he walks into a room, he looks more businesslike and commands attention. A simple wardrobe adjustment has tremendous impact on how others see you.

Pause and be silent. Effective pausing, or silence, is one of the most powerful nonverbal cues that you can use while presenting. Yet, most Americans are accustomed to filling every second with sound. Within a presentation, there are certain portions that you want to emphasize. Let silence help you. You have the option of either saying “Our year-end sales were up 25%” OR “Our year-end sales (pause) were up (pause) twenty (pause) five (pause) percent .” This is much more powerful.

As you can see, your nonverbal language communicates a great deal to your audience.

The more you present, the more confident and comfortable you will feel.

Now, let’s talk about the nonverbal cues of your audience.

Analyze Your Audience’s Nonverbal Language

There is nothing more unnerving to a presenter than standing in front of a group of people for the first time. It could be 50, 500 or 1,000 people. What’s different is that you are often put outside your comfort zone. So why not treat that presentation to a larger group just like you would a one-on-one conversation?

Here are some nonverbal cues for you to be aware of during your presentation that could help improve your future presentations:

The energy level in the room drops. You have a feeling that your audience isn’t energized by your content. Unfortunately, sometimes a presenter can begin to lose energy or interest in his or her own presentation because of how they are interpreting the audience’s behavior. Now would be a good time to use a different approach. Share a short anecdote. Tell a story. Ask a powerful, thought-provoking question. Give a startling statistic. Anything that shakes up your audience will do. If they were with you all along, they’ll be with you even more. If they weren’t with you, they certainly will be now. The more energy you put out to your audience, the more energy they will return to you. It all begins with you.

One person in the audience is distracting you. What happens when you begin focusing on one person who you think is not interested in what you have to say? You make that judgment as a presenter rather quickly. The person’s nonverbal language is “speaking” to you. Sometimes you are right. And sometimes you are wrong. Don’t get distracted by that one person…who may have been up all night with a colicky baby and is falling asleep because of that rather than your content. Here’s my personal experience:

Several years ago, while delivering a full-day training program, I noticed a woman who – to me – seemed disengaged. She was looking down a lot. She wasn’t smiling or laughing at my humor. I was convinced that she wasn’t enjoying my program. (This is what we call “negative self-talk”). After the program ended, as I reviewed the evaluation sheets, I came across hers. I was fully expecting her to give me a 1 or 2 out of 5 points. Instead, she gave me all 5’s and added the comment, “I would attend any future programs facilitated by Christine.” Whoa. That was not the response I expected. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. When we try to read other people’s nonverbal cues, sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong. Remember that the next time you try to read one person in your audience.

You are seeing a bored look on everyone’s faces. If you are using a PowerPoint presentation to accompany your remarks, click on the B button on your computer to go to black screen. That alone will get your audience’s attention. What going to black screen allows you to do is focus on a conversation with your audience. There is no other distraction. PowerPoint images, which are visually interesting to look at (sometimes) can also lull your audience to sleep! Take a break. Have a conversation with your audience about your topic for a few minutes. Then eventually click on the B button again to return to your slide presentation. This simple trick provides a simple visual mental shift. Now, if people truly are bored by your presentation, then it’s time for you to give that presentation a complete overhaul.

The next time you prepare for and deliver a presentation, think carefully about your own nonverbal cues and the nonverbal cues you are picking up from your audience. Being aware of both could mean the difference between delivering an average presentation or a stellar one.

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Verbal Communication: Understanding the Power of Words

Categories Social Psychology

As human beings, we rely on communication to express our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Verbal communication, in particular, involves using words to convey a message to another person. It is a fundamental aspect of human interaction and is crucial in our daily lives and relationships.

In this article, we will explore the importance of verbal communication, the different types of verbal communication, and some tips on improving your verbal communication skills.

Table of Contents

Importance of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is essential because it is the primary means of interacting with others. It lets us express our thoughts and feelings, convey information, and build relationships. It is a powerful tool for connecting with others and forming social bonds.

By communicating meaning verbally, others are able to understand your needs, interests, and beliefs.

Effective verbal communication is essential in many contexts, including personal relationships, social interactions, and professional settings. In personal relationships, it can help build trust, foster intimacy, and resolve conflicts. Lack of communication can lead to serious problems, including conflicts and the breakdown of relationships.

Social interactions can help establish common ground, build rapport, and create a sense of community. For example, discussions can help people with different needs understand one another and find ways to ensure each person achieves their goals.

In the workplace, it can help to convey ideas, influence others, and achieve goals.

Types of Verbal Communication

There are two main forms of verbal communication: spoken and written communication.

Spoken Communication : Spoken communication is the most common form of verbal communication. It involves using words, tone of voice, and body language to convey a message. Spoken communication can take many different forms, including conversations, speeches, and presentations.
Written Communication : Written communication is using written words to convey a message. It includes emails, letters, memos, and reports. Written communication is often used in professional settings to document information and convey messages to others.

There are four main types of verbal communication, each with its own unique characteristics and purposes:

Intrapersonal communication : Intrapersonal communication is the process of talking to oneself, either out loud or internally. This type of communication is often used for self-reflection, problem-solving, and decision-making. Intrapersonal communication can help us better understand our own thoughts and feelings, and can be a valuable tool for personal growth and development.
Interpersonal communication : Interpersonal communication is the process of communication between two or more people. This type of communication is often used for social interaction, relationship-building, and collaboration. Interpersonal communication can involve a range of verbal communication modes, such as face-to-face communication, telephone communication, and video conferencing.
Small group communication : Small group communication involves communication between three to ten people, typically in a group setting such as a meeting or a discussion. This type of communication is often used for decision-making, problem-solving, and brainstorming. Small group communication requires effective listening and speaking skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with others.
Public communication : Public communication is communicating to a large audience, typically through a speech or a presentation. This type of communication is often used for persuasive purposes, such as advocating for a cause or presenting information to an audience. Public communication requires effective public speaking skills, including the ability to engage and connect with the audience, use effective visual aids, and communicate ideas clearly and persuasively.

Other Types of Communication

In addition to verbal communication, other important forms of communication can convey meaning, including:

Nonverbal communication : Nonverbal communication is the use of body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to convey a message. It can be used to emphasize a point, show emotion, or convey meaning. Nonverbal communication can be just as powerful as spoken communication and can often convey a message more effectively than words alone.

Visual communication : Visual communication is the use of images, charts, and graphs to convey a message. It is often used in professional settings to present data and information in a way that is easy to understand.

Components of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a complex process that involves not only the words we use, but also how we say them. Tone of voice, inflection, and other vocal cues can greatly impact the meaning of our message. Here are some important aspects of verbal communication and how they convey meaning:

Tone of voice : Tone of voice refers to the way we use our voice to convey meaning. It can be described as the emotional quality of our voice. For example, a sarcastic tone of voice can convey that the speaker is not being sincere, while a warm and friendly tone can convey that the speaker is approachable and trustworthy.
Inflection : Inflection refers to the rise and fall of our voice as we speak. It can convey emphasis and emotion. For example, a rising inflection at the end of a sentence can indicate a question, while a falling inflection can indicate a statement.
Volume : Volume refers to how loudly or softly we speak. It can convey confidence, authority, and assertiveness. For example, speaking loudly can convey confidence and authority, while speaking softly can convey intimacy and vulnerability.
Pace : Pace refers to the speed at which we speak. It can convey excitement, urgency, and impatience. For example, speaking quickly can convey excitement and urgency, while speaking slowly can convey thoughtfulness and deliberation.
Intensity : Intensity refers to the level of emotional energy that we put into our words. It can convey passion, enthusiasm, and conviction. For example, speaking with intensity can convey a strong belief in something, while speaking with low intensity can convey ambivalence or lack of interest.
Pitch : Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of our voice. It can convey age, gender, and emotion. For example, a high-pitched voice can convey youthfulness or excitement, while a low-pitched voice can convey authority or seriousness.

It’s important to note that these aspects of verbal communication can vary greatly depending on context, culture, and personal preference. What may be considered a confident tone of voice in one culture may be perceived as aggressive in another.

Understanding these nuances is essential for effective verbal communication. By paying attention to these aspects of verbal communication, we can convey our message more effectively and avoid misunderstandings.

Modes of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication can occur through different modes, each with their own unique features and advantages. Here are some of the different ways verbal communication may occur:

Face-to-Face Verbal Communication

Face-to-face communication occurs when two or more people are in the same physical space and communicate verbally. This mode of communication allows for the use of nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, which can help convey meaning and emotion. It also allows for immediate feedback and clarification of misunderstandings.

Telephone Communication

Telephone communication occurs when two or more people communicate verbally over a telephone line. This mode of communication allows for immediate verbal communication over long distances but does not allow for the use of nonverbal cues, which can sometimes make it difficult to convey meaning and emotion.

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing occurs when two or more people communicate verbally over a video conferencing platform, such as Zoom or Skype. This mode of communication combines the benefits of face-to-face and telephone communication, allowing for the use of nonverbal cues and immediate verbal communication over long distances.

Public Speaking

Public speaking occurs when one person communicates verbally to a large audience. This mode of communication requires careful planning and preparation, as well as the ability to engage and connect with the audience through the use of tone of voice, inflection, and other vocal cues.

Group Discussion

Group discussion occurs when a group of people communicate verbally to exchange ideas, solve problems, or make decisions. This mode of communication requires active listening skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.

Written Communication

Written communication occurs when ideas, thoughts, and information are conveyed through written words, such as emails, letters, or memos. This mode of communication allows for careful consideration and editing of the message, but can sometimes lack the immediacy and personal connection of verbal communication.

It’s important to note that each mode of verbal communication has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some modes may be more appropriate for certain contexts than others.

For example, face-to-face communication may be more effective for resolving conflicts, while written communication may be more appropriate for conveying complex information or instructions.

Tips for Improving Verbal Communication Skills

Effective verbal communication requires more than just speaking clearly and articulately. It involves listening actively, empathizing with others, and adapting your communication style to different situations. Here are some tips for improving your verbal communication skills:

Listen actively : Effective communication requires active listening. This means paying attention to what the other person is saying, asking questions, and clarifying misunderstandings.
Use appropriate body language : Your body language can convey as much meaning as your words. Use appropriate gestures and facial expressions to emphasize your message and convey your emotions.
Speak clearly and confidently : Speak clearly and confidently to ensure that your message is understood.
Empathize with others : Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It is an important communication skill because it helps build trust and understanding.
Be adaptable : Adapt your communication style to different situations and audiences. Use appropriate language for the context and audience, and be mindful of cultural differences.

Public Speaking: The Verbal & Non-Verbal

Public speaking is all about organized communication to a group to persuade, inspire or influence. It follows the same fundamental skills that any other communication task requires. It demands we are on point with our content, use proper body language and relevant body language. Any incongruence in our message on our body language, voice or verbal message will cause our audience to immediately doubt our message. Audiences would doubt us in these occasions because we have one of the top 3 aspects of our message out of sync with our speech, presentation or communication.

Public Speaking & Mehrabian’s Research

Psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s did groundbreaking research on human communication. His research focused on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages in human communication. He found what is now used as a truism or rule in the world of public speaking. Mehrabian’s general rule on the relative importance of visual (our body language), vocal (our voice and how we use it) and the content (the words we use). His scientific studies showed a hierarchy of importance in human communications as detailed below:

Mehrabian’s Rule

55% = Visual – Your Body Language
38% = Vocal – Your Voice
7% = Verbal – Words you use

This research is often erroneously misinterpreted as a call to use copious body language and voice tone beyond all else, but this is a myopic understanding of the research. It is important to note that Mehrabian highlights that his studies pointed to these 3 communication attributes are important but what is even more important is that one’s communication is congruent across all 3, body language, voice/tone, and verbal.

Congruence Is Key

Many public speaking coaches fail to understand what this research actually represents. Albert Mehrabian himself has clarified this research isn’t singularly about any single aspect of human communication being of greater importance than another but instead about congruence. Congruence is the notion of the message matching on both verbal, non-verbal and content. For example, if you are speaking to a executive about your new strategic plan while doing the following:

Incongruence in Action

Visual/Body Language – Hold your head low, cross your arms and look away. Vocal/Tone – Your tone is upspeak/HRI (High Rising Intonation) and points to your lack of confidence. Verbal/Words – You say – This plan may will work.

In this scenario it is clear that your verbal, non-verbal and chosen words are not all in alignment. As a result any audience member would key in on the fact that you don’t believe in your plan because any one of these variables isn’t correct. Congruence in action would look something like the following:

Congruence in Action

Visual/Body Language – Hold your head up, open stance, palms up and making eye contact w/ audience.
Vocal/Tone – Your tone is positive and firm and speaks to your confidence.
Verbal/Words – You say – We will deliver the results outlined in our strategic plan.

In this scenario it is clear that your verbal, non-verbal and chosen words are in alignment. As a result, leadership will most likely be persuaded by your communication and endorse your plan.

Takeaway Mehrabian Rule

What people ought to take away from his research is:

Communication isn’t just about the words we say but also the non-verbal or body language we use.
Body language is a vital aspect to effective presentations and speeches. Your body speaks volumes to an audience, therefore your body language should match up with your content.
The verbal aspect of communication cannot be ignored. The way we use our voice adds much value to the content itself. Effective use of our voice can amplify our message making us ever more effective.
No single aspect of these attributes alone is critical but all of them together yield better speeches, communications and presentations.
Congruence among all of these facets is critical. All 3 (among others) of these communication aspects should be in alignment with our message as I outlined above.

Beyond Mehrabian

Is Mehrabian the end of the study of the field of verbal and non-verbal communication. Most definitely not. Many continue to explore this field and offer great insights for budding speakers. In later blog posts we will explore more recent research in body language, verbal and non-verbal communication. However, his research does make a very good point about the key aspects of human communication and the immutable notion of congruence.

Wishing you luck in your speaking endeavors!

About The Author

Joseph Guarino

5 thoughts on “public speaking: the verbal & non-verbal”.

I’ve been introduced to Mehradian’s rule before and I too assumed that my main focus should be on my body language and tonality. However, even in practice I’ve come to find that the best way to convey any message to an audience is through combining all 3 aspects to form congruence, which appears authentic and trust worthy. I still need to improve on my current ability to utilise all 3 to my advantage, but I’m happy to say that through reading some of your posts on the topic, I feel that I’m becoming ever-more informed.

I am confident you are on the right path to public speaking success. =)

I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topic of public speaking (and speaking in general) and I’ve found that congruence is basically everything. If you sound confident, present yourself as if you believe in what you’re saying and say convincing things then people will be naturally inclined to believe in what you’re saying. For me the process of adopting congruence has been challenging, but more than worth it in the long run!

Mehrabian’s rule is by no means limited to just public speaking. I think that this rule applies to speaking in general, whether it be in-front of large audiences or simply to a love interest or family member. Congruence is the essence of appearing as if you truly have something of worth to say, If you watch many of the greatest speeches of all time, you will see just how congruent the speakers are when talking. I have a lot of different speeches recorded so that I can review them in my spare time, and this feature has been abundantly clear.

Every time I spend most of my time to prepare my speech rather than my voice and body language. After reading this article I understand the point that your body language and the firmness of your voice actually help you to deliver your best.

+1 (603) 932 7897

[email protected].

8 Nonverbal Tips for Public Speaking

Last modified 2024-03-29
Published on 2021-05-14

Nonverbal tips help students significantly in communication because nonverbal communication and verbal communication are the two core components of public speaking. While verbal communication can be improved with extensive practice, nonverbal communication directly impacts the audience’s ability to comprehend the message. Every gesture, from the movement of your hands to eye contact, will send different signals to the audience about your capabilities and understanding of the subject. Imagine, if you see a public speaker who delivers their point coherently and comprehensively, what will you think if they keep looking down or sideways, and put their hands behind their back?

Albert Mehrabian once wrote about the importance of verbal and non-verbal messages. He found out about the 7-38-55 rule : our words convey 7% of the meaning, our tone 38%, and our body language provides 55% of what the audience will remember.

Nonverbal language is hard to control, especially when you are too focused on presenting. Therefore, to help you be aware of your nonverbal cues and improve your body language and eye contact for future group presentations, here are eight nonverbal tips for you. We will discuss nonverbal communication in two forms: body language and tone.

Body language

1. the power pose by amy cuddy.

Amy Cuddy, the US social psychologist, suggests the “powerful pose” – spreading your arms wide and looking confident – to help people feel more powerful. According to her research with Harvard University, “ those who sat on the high-power pose, felt more powerful and had performed better in mock interviews than those who had not .” Our body influences our mind; therefore, by making the power pose, we feel more powerful and become more confident.

2. Maintain consistent breathing

The second nonverbal tip is focused on breathing. Breathing is essential in the public speaking setting. Breathing is often an undervalued and underrated method in public speaking, even though proper breathing will help you with your vocal control, pitch, and tone. For many people who have a fear of public speaking, research indicates breathing is correlated with speech anxiety. Speech anxiety causes shallower breathing: the less air we inhale, the shorter we can talk, and the less effective the presentation will be.

Before starting to speak, remember to take a deep breath by inhaling and exhaling for a quick second. This nonverbal tip allows the audience to have a short mental break before listening to your following sentence. There are multiple breathing exercises on the internet, such as from Harvard Business Review , to help you control your breathing while speaking as well.

3. Use proper hand gesture to enhance your message and improve confidence

Pay attention to where your hands are and what you are doing with them . Besides PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, and other presentation tools, your hands are a great way to communicate and illustrate your point of view to the audience. Using hand gestures communicates with the audience and helps them memorize better.

4. Movement - Moving your body around the stage

5. make eye contact with everyone in the audience, 6. control your voice with proper breathing, 7. consistency in public speaking.

8. Having a variety of vocal

According to research , TED speakers delivering the most popular talks had 30.5% higher vocal variety. Having vocal variety will help you speak in an expressive and energized way, while helping the audience maintain interest for the whole speech. Memorizing a script and speaking like a script will turn the audience off and make them lose interest, because monotone = boring. We suggest you remember the main points of your speech, then allow for some spontaneity and flexibility in your actual presentation. In addition, depending on the environment of the stage or the amount of audience, have a higher vocal variety because the audience may have a hard time hearing you.

Practice public speaking with Aralia College Accelerator Program

Aralia College Accelerator Program offers a diverse range of public speaking classes designed to nurture profound interests and improve their public speaking skills. Our classes cover various aspects of effective communication, including persuasive techniques, audience engagement strategies, and speech delivery mastery.

The accent reduction course focuses on understanding and strengthening the unique sounds and structures that make up the “neutral” dialect. While there are many dialects throughout America, it is the neutral accent commonly practiced by public speakers and officials. Radio DJs, TV news anchors, and even most Hollywood movie actors use the neutral accent to convey their message to the largest group of Americans possible. By eliminating accents in communication, we can more easily connect to our audience and erase any misunderstandings or unconscious bias from a foreign dialect, whether domestic or international.

In this English Speaking course, each class will focus on different topics: sports, volunteer experience, current affairs, politics, culture, education, literature, technology, and the environment. These various themes are based on real situations that students will encounter when they come to the United States. Learning to discuss these topics will be very useful when interacting with native English speakers. Students will build a solid foundation in oral expression and learn how to express themselves confidently and clearly in English.

This Public Speaking and Debate class will offer the opportunity to speak and listen to others talk only as much as possible. We will alternate between learning the structure of different types of speeches and making presentations by one student to the rest of the class. After each speech by students, we will have a critique from the peers, and the teacher. They will also be required and coached on how to participate in the discussion and to critique their peers.

Academic Tips , Public Speaking

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Aralia Education is an innovative online education platform for ambitious middle and high school students worldwide. Aralia’s instructors propel students forward by helping them build a strong foundation in traditional academic courses. They also actively engage and guide students in exploring personal interests beyond their school curriculum. With this holistic approach, Aralia ensures its students are well-prepared for college and equipped for success in their future careers.

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Presentations are crucial for effective communication, and this blog offers ten tips to make them more engaging. Suggestions include structuring your presentation like a story, using clear visuals and icons, and incorporating music and audience activities. By following these ideas, you can create memorable presentations that educate, motivate, and deeply resonate with your audience.

Presentations are the heartbeat of communication, pulsating with energy in classrooms, boardrooms, and beyond. But who wants a lackluster presentation that leaves the audience yawning? The great news is that it doesn’t have to be that way! A mesmerizing presentation has the ability to educate, motivate, and deeply resonate with your audience.

This blog is brimming with creative ideas to transform your presentations from forgettable to phenomenal. From storytelling techniques to interactive elements, get ready to turn your next presentation into a captivating experience for any audience.

10 Ideas to Keep Your Audience Engaged During a Presentation

Presentations can be powerful tools, but a dull one can quickly lose the audience. This guide equips you with 10 creative ideas to grab attention and engage any audience!

Structure your presentation like a story: Structuring presentation like story by crafting a narrative starting with a captivating hook. Take your audience through your topic, and connect your message with real-world stories to make it resonate. This emotional connection helps them remember your key points.
One Topic per Slide: Focus on clarity and avoid overwhelming your audience with information overload. Dedicate each slide to a single clear and concise point. For truly innovative presentations ideas state clear points to keep your audience engaged and ensure they grasp your message effectively,
Use contrasting colors: Don’t be afraid to play with color! Incorporate contrasting colors in your creative presentations to make text pop off the screen and highlight key points. This vibrant approach grabs your audience’s attention and keeps them visually engaged. Think bold text against a light background, or vice versa. Avoid dull color palettes and experiment to find combinations that complement your topic and brand.
Add music to your presentation: Adding music to your presentation can improve audience engagement and maintaining their interest. Carefully select music that complements your content and matches the tone of your message. Use instrumental tracks for professional settings or upbeat music for more informal contexts. Ensure the volume is balanced so it doesn’t overpower your voice, and strategically place music during transitions, intros, and outros for a polished, impactful delivery.
Use icons for every pointer: Replace the bullet points in your text with simple and easily recognizable icons. Using icons can make your message more visually appealing and easier to understand and remember, as they are visually engaging and instantly recognizable.
Visualize your data with engaging graphics: Presenting intricate and comprehensive data in visually engaging and easily understandable formats, such as interactive charts, detailed graphs, and compelling infographics, has the potential to significantly enhance the audience’s capacity to comprehend the information and retain it for extended periods.
Enter a new dimension with 3D graphics: For fun presentation ideas , add another dimension by considering using 3D graphics to add depth and dimension to your presentation, making it even more visually engaging and impactful.
Engage your audience with activities: Don’t forget to incorporate audience participation. You can engage your audience by using polls, hosting Q&A sessions, or even incorporating hands-on activities suitable for the setting. This will help to keep your audience actively involved and interested in your presentation.
Bind people using emotions : Craft your presentations to resonate with your audience emotionally by incorporating compelling stories that evoke strong feelings. By establishing an emotional connection, your presentations are more likely to leave a lasting impact and be remembered by your audience.
Share your slide deck for reference after the presentation: It’s a great idea to offer your audience access to your presentation slides after delivering your presentation. Doing so provides them with a valuable reference tool they can revisit at their convenience. This allows them to reinforce their understanding of the key points and takeaways from your presentation, and it can leave a lasting impression of your professionalism and willingness to help them continue learning.

By incorporating these creative ideas, you can transform your next presentation into a captivating experience that informs, inspires, and truly connects with your audience. Remember, your passion and enthusiasm are contagious, so embrace your creativity, practice your delivery, and get ready to deliver a presentation that will leave a lasting impression!

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Delivering your speech: the power of nonverbal communication

When I say “public speaking” what comes to mind? Dread? Nervousness? Excitement? “Public speaking” often brings uneasy feelings to first year students, as standing in front of a classroom ranging from first year to fourth years may seem a lot more intimidating than one full of your long-time high school classmates. You have a well-written and researched speech and you have already sought out a peer review from the Writing and Communication Centre, but the easy part is over. Delivering your speech involves more than a professional tone and a confident voice; you will convey the real impact of your message through nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is the communication we engage in that isn’t written or spoken language, but still creates meaning.

Eye contact, one of the most important nonverbal cues, keeps your audience engaged, makes you believable, and opens up communication. Looking at individual members of the audience establishes an interpersonal connection with them. While maintaining eye contact is important, gestures are useful when emphasizing certain points. Gestures are an excellent way to channel your nerves into movement, as long as you ensure they are not repetitive or taking away from your message. Using immediacy behaviours, that is, literally or psychologically making your audience members feel closer to you, can establish more relationships as a speaker. Moving closer to your audience or smiling are simple ways to create a closer relationship between you and your listeners.

The audience sees your face before they are going to hear your voice and thus, you have the opportunity to set an emotional tone before you even start speaking. As a speaker, you can decide how your facial expression can alter the atmosphere of your speech in a meaningful way. In many instances, audience members will mimic your emotions, so if you want your audience to feel a certain emotion, its best to express that emotion yourself. Although your face and voice play a major role in communicating a specific emotion, your posture will communicate the intensity of that emotion.

You might be overwhelmed at the long list of unconscious habits to consider when delivering a speech. Delivering a hard hitting, persuasive or informative speech is not easy, but it is an important and useful skill for your post-secondary education and beyond. If you need ideas, feedback, or strategies in creating and delivering a speech, the Writing and Communication Centre is a hub for practice, development and collaboration that can work with you to help develop your individual voice in your academic work. With practice, knowledge and a bit of help, public speaking does not have to be a daunting task, but an opportunity to share your ideas and leave a memorable impression as a speaker.

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Strengthen presentation skills with Speaker Coach

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Concise and clear speaking is an essential communication skill that employers value. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers , approximately 96 percent of businesses view oral and written communication as an essential competency but only 42 percent of employees are proficient at these skills. In classrooms there is always someone presenting information. Whether students are engaging in discussion or giving reports, or educators are presenting new material or conferencing with students, presentation skills are critical.

Speaker Coach , a Microsoft Learning Accelerator , enhances both foundational and workplace skills. With a focus on public speaking, Speaker Coach uses innovative technology that automatically analyzes a speaker’s communication style and helps them present information more effectively. Whether they are a native speaker or an English Language Learner, any student will benefit from the practical feedback and custom reports that highlight areas of strength and ways to improve delivery. Speaker Coach helps students not only build critical skills, but they also develop confidence in their speaking abilities while practicing.

Designed for student-driven learning and educator freedom

Intelligent, automatic help is one of many reasons why educators choose to use Speaker Coach with their students. Like other Learning Accelerators, Speaker Coach offers:

Real-time coaching: Immediate personalized coaching and practice for students
Inclusive design: Students can practice where they feel most comfortable and use built-in accessibility tools that increase access
Time-saving efficiency: Learning Accelerators are built into Microsoft 365 and offer technology-assisted learning instead of teacher-directed instruction
Actionable insights: Help track progress, display where students are challenged and excelling, and provide a more holistic view of student progress

More importantly, Speaker Coach incorporates good pedagogy. Students oversee their own learning by following detailed, pragmatic feedback that can be applied to the task at hand: improving communication clarity and enhancing public speaking skills. The analysis also enables students to learn whenever and wherever it is most convenient without needing someone else to participate.

From individual support to following a curriculum pacing guide, educators have more teaching commitments than time to complete all that is required of them. That makes Speaker Coach a valuable tool for educators; it frees time for other tasks because students can use Speaker Coach’s automatic feedback instead of direct teacher intervention. Mike Thomas, Senior Digital Learning Analyst for Springfield Public Schools, believes that Speaker Coach and other Learning Accelerators positively impact teaching in his district:

School is 180 days at six hours a day, and we must prioritize what is being taught. By having these tools available, it puts less focus trying to always deliver. It gives students the ability to learn for themselves. With tools like Reading Progress, Immersive Reader, and now Speaker Coach, I think we can take that student empowerment to the next level.” Mike Thomas, Senior Digital Learning Analyst for Springfield Public Schools

Perfect your next PowerPoint presentation

Get feedback on your presentation

Speaker Coach in PowerPoint provides suggestions while a student speaks, and it delivers a tailored, final report that is packed with ways to improve their delivery. Using a computer’s camera and microphone, Speaker Coach analyzes key qualities of effective communication:

Pace: Monitor speed and receive pacing suggestions that increase audience recall and comprehension
Filler Words: Highlight frequently used filler words like “um” and “you know”
Pitch: Listen for monotone pitch that can negatively affect messaging
Pronunciation: Isolate indistinct pronunciation or mispronunciation
Originality: Call out instances when reading directly from a slide
Inclusiveness: Discover when language is not inclusive in areas like disability, gender, and race
Speech Refinements: Spot speech problems like wordiness and euphemisms
Repetitive Words: Count words and phrases that are repeatedly spoken
Body Language: Analyze physical mannerisms, posture, and eye contact

In addition to automatic, real-time suggestions while practicing, Speaker Coach generates a personalized report that can be used as a learning tool. Each report is customized to the speaking session, contains interactive feedback and analysis, and is privately shared so that students can securely review suggestions without the pressure of having another person listen and critique.

Rehearsal report summarizes your performance and provides actionable feedback

Because Speaker Coach automatically listens and analyzes multiple aspects of a presentation, students can use it at school or at home without someone else participating. Speaker Coach is like a teaching assistant who is always available and willing to offer constructive feedback in a judgement-free environment.

Students in Spring Public Schools in Springfield, MA have been using Speaker Coach to practice and prepare for classroom presentations. Educators are already seeing improvements in how ideas are communicated.

Speaker Coach is giving the students the confidence to be able to present in front of others and share their voice.” Melissa Zeitz, Digital Literacy and Computer Science Teacher for Springfield Public Schools

Rehearse with Speaker Coach

To start using Speaker Coach in PowerPoint:

Open PowerPoint
Add information to the slide show
Go to Slide Show in the ribbon
Select Rehearse with Coach
Allow PowerPoint to use the camera and microphone

Coaching suggestions during live meetings

Students and educators can also use Speaker Coach during scheduled Teams meetings and live events. The Teams integration delivers private speaking suggestions and guidance during roundtable discussions or while sharing content from a PowerPoint or Word Document. Unobtrusive tips appear at the top of the Teams window and are only visible to the speaker. When you leave the meeting, Speaker Coach generates a timestamped report with actionable insights for improving speaking clarity, word choice, inclusiveness, and information. This report lives inside of Teams and is available to review and compare over time or throughout the year.

Follow a few simple steps to use Speaker Coach in Teams for Education:

Schedule a Teams Meeting with a peer or colleague. Speaker Coach is unavailable in Meet Now meetings.
Select More .
Select Turn on Speaker Coach and follow any additional prompts. Contact your IT Administrator if you do not see this option as some clients need preview features enabled .

What are you waiting for? Say goodbye to standing in front of a mirror and talking to yourself. Instead, let Speaker Coach analyze your communication skills and reduce anxiety associated with public speaking.

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The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

Speaking tips , Presentations , Psychology

Public speaking is more than just the words you say. It’s about how you say them, how you connect with your audience, and the messages you convey through your nonverbal communication.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the significance of nonverbal communication , the key elements that make up nonverbal cues, and practical strategies to harness this power to become a more effective and persuasive public speaker .

nonverbalcommunication1 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

The Silent Language

Nonverbal communication, often referred to as “the silent language,” encompasses all the ways we convey information without using words. It’s a potent form of communication because it operates on a subconscious level, influencing how our message is received and interpreted by our audience.

This encompasses a wide range of cues, including:

Body Language : Your posture, gestures and physical movements.
Eye Contact : The way you make and maintain eye contact with your audience.
Proximity : How close or far you are from your audience or other individuals on the stage.
Appearance : Your clothing, grooming, and overall appearance, which can influence your audience’s perception.
Use of Space : How you move around the stage or speaking area, including gestures and body positioning. This even includes how you use the frame on camera if you’re speaking online.
Silence : The pauses and moments of silence in your speech, which can convey meaning and emphasis.
Facial Expressions: We often have a poker face which does’t do much to enhance the message we’re aiming to convey. Facial expressions that go with the message can amplify your impact.

nonverbal communication 2 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

Photo by Natasha Hall on Unsplash

The Impact of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication plays a critical role in public speaking for several reasons:

1. Conveys Emotion and Authenticity

Your facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice allow you to express emotions authentically. When your nonverbal cues align with your message, it adds depth and authenticity to your talk. For example, a smile can convey warmth and approachability, while a furrowed brow may signal concern or seriousness.

2. Enhances Message Clarity

Nonverbal cues can clarify your message, making it easier for your audience to understand and remember. Hand gestures can illustrate key points, and vocal variations can emphasize critical information. These cues act as signposts that guide your audience through your speech.

Pro-tip: if you over-do hand gestures or use repetitive ones, they can be distracting and damage your impact instead of enhancing it.

3. Builds Connection

Effective nonverbal communication helps you establish a strong connection with your audience. Maintaining eye contact, for instance, fosters a sense of engagement and rapport. A speaker who appears confident and approachable through their body language is more likely to connect with the audience .

nonverbal communication 3 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

4. Captures Attention

Engaging nonverbal cues can capture and maintain your audience’s attention. Movement, gestures, and vocal changes can add dynamism to your speech, preventing your audience from becoming disengaged or bored.

In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with notifications and urgent tasks, gaining attention is the real currency.

5. Demonstrates Confidence

Confidence is a quality that every public speaker should exude. Nonverbal cues such as upright posture, steady eye contact, and controlled body movements convey confidence to your audience. When you appear confident, your audience is more likely to trust and respect your message.

Key Elements of Effective Nonverbal Communication

To harness the power of nonverbal communication in public speaking, it’s essential to focus on specific elements and techniques. Let’s explore these key elements:

1. Body Language

Our posture, movements, and gestures are like an open book, revealing our emotions, confidence level, and authenticity. Here’s how body language can enhance or hinder your public speaking:

Posture : Stand or sit upright with your shoulders back. Good posture exudes confidence and presence. Conversely, slouching or crossing your arms can signal insecurity or defensiveness.

Gestures : Use purposeful hand gestures to emphasize points or convey information. Avoid excessive or distracting movements.

Movement : Move purposefully and with intent. Don’t pace nervously, but rather use movement to engage different sections of the audience or transition between points. Moving purposefully and making eye contact with your audience conveys that you’re fully engaged and interested in their response.

Note for speaking online : people often ignore movement and body language when speaking on camera. But in this context, it’s even more important to be more active and confident as the audience receives less information about your presence.

Enhance your on-camera body language by being aware of the frame, using gestures that are within the frame and being intentional with the frequency and variance of your gestures.

Credibility : Avoiding distracting movements, such as fidgeting, pacing excessively or swinging in your chair. This enhances your credibility as a speaker and shows that you’re grounded (literally!).

nonverbalcomunnication 4 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

2. Eye Contact

Maintain Connection : Make eye contact with individuals throughout your audience to create a sense of connection and engagement. This is possible to do online as well – look into the camera instead of looking at yourself or your presentation.

Avoid Staring : Don’t fixate on one person or object for too long, as it can make your audience uncomfortable. Instead, distribute your gaze evenly.

Use of Notes : If using notes or slides, ensure you don’t rely on them excessively. Maintain eye contact while referencing your materials. Pro-tip: Don’t have full sentences on either your slides or your scripts. Have keywords instead and string together the sentences on the spot- this enhances improvisation and makes you sound fresh and natural.

3. Proximity

Your proximity to the audience and your use of personal space can create a sense of intimacy or formality:

Close Proximity: Stepping closer to the audience during a compelling point can create a feeling of closeness and connection.

This works in the online context as well – you’ll notice how the audience reacts when you lean in or when you sit back.

4. Appearance

Dress Appropriately : Your attire should align with the formality and expectations of your audience and the occasion. Dressing well can enhance your credibility.

When in doubt, go a bit more formal vs casual as a rule of thumb.

5. Use of Space

Stage Presence : Occupy the stage with confidence. Move with purpose, and use the space to engage different parts of the audience.

Avoid Excessive Movement : While movement is essential, avoid excessive pacing or aimless wandering, which can distract from your message.

useofspace8 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

Photo by Igreja Dimensão

Strategic Pauses : Incorporate strategic pauses into your speech to allow your audience to absorb information and emphasize key points.

There is a lot of power in the pause – use it liberally throughout your talk, presentation or podcast.

Control Filler Words : Minimize the use of filler words like “um,” “uh,” or “like.” Silence is preferable to fillers and indicates thoughtfulness.

7. Facial Expressions

Your face is a canvas of emotions, and your audience is keenly observing it. Expressions can either reinforce or contradict your spoken words:

Smiling : A genuine smile can instantly connect you with your audience and convey warmth and approachability.
Micro-expressions: You can say a lot with your expressions. Train your face to express emotions intentionally instead of leaving it up to the audience to insert their own emotions.
Expressive Eyes : Your eyes can express enthusiasm, surprise, or concern, adding depth to your message.

facial expressions9 The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

Practical Strategies for Harnessing Nonverbal Communication

Now that we’ve explored the key elements of nonverbal communication, let’s dive into practical strategies for harnessing this power in your public speaking:

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

Effective nonverbal communication requires practice. Rehearse your talk or presentation multiple times, paying attention to your body language, tone of voice, and eye contact. Recording yourself can provide valuable feedback.

2. Audience Analysis

Consider your audience’s expectations, cultural norms, and preferences when it comes to nonverbal cues. Tailor your approach to resonate with your specific audience.

3. Get Feedback

Seek feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or speech coaches. They can offer insights into how your nonverbal cues are perceived and provide guidance for improvement.

behindthesceneslaraacosta The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

Nausheen working with top female LinkedIn influencer Lara Acosta , giving feedback on her talk.

4. Use Visualization

Before your talk, visualize yourself delivering it with confidence and impactful nonverbal communication. Visualization can help reduce anxiety and boost your performance.

5. Mindfulness

Stay present and mindful while speaking. Be aware of your nonverbal cues and their alignment with your message. Correct any unintentional cues that may undermine your message.

6. Rehearse Transitions

Pay special attention to transitions in your speech. Smooth transitions with appropriate nonverbal cues can maintain your audience’s engagement and guide them through your message.

7. Record and Review

Record your speeches or presentations whenever possible. Reviewing the footage allows you to identify areas for improvement in your nonverbal communication. Build this as a part of your speaking and practice routine and you’ll grow your speaking skills exponentially.

recordandreview The Power of Nonverbal Communication in Public Speaking

8. Seek Role Models

Study accomplished public speakers and observe how they use nonverbal communication to enhance their message. Emulate their effective techniques.

Body language is underrated and super powerful as a tool in making you an impactful and memorable speaker.

Great non verbal communication can elevate your message and captivate your audience.

By mastering the key elements of body language , tone of voice, eye contact, appearance, use of space, and silence, and by implementing practical strategies for improvement, you can become a more effective and persuasive speaker.

Remember that nonverbal communication is not just an afterthought – it’s an integral part of the message itself. Embrace this power, and you’ll find that your impact as a public speaker transcends the spoken word alone.

If you want to work with an amazing coach who can guide you through this process of overcoming your stage fright , might I recommend myself? Find out how you can work with me and take advantage of my 10,000+ hours on stage and on camera to become a better speaker.

Nausheen I. Chen

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Nonverbal Communication Skills: 19 Theories & Findings

In it, he introduces the concept of dramaturgy, which compares everyday social interactions to actors’ portrayals of characters, suggesting that one’s social interactions are analogous to a string of varying performances (Ritzer, 2021).

Goffman’s work also included the concept of impression management. The key to impression management includes appearance; your manner of interacting; and the attitudes conveyed through gestures, facial expressions, and nonverbal skills (Ritzer, 2021).

William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage.”

I’m not a trained actor, but teaching public speaking courses has made me aware that audiences seem to prefer speakers who use a variety of hand gestures. These gestures signify the speaker as “warm, agreeable, and energetic” (Goman, 2021).

Just that nugget of information has taught me to incorporate hand gestures to develop my public speaking skills.

What other nonverbal communication skills enhance daily interactions?

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What is nonverbal communication, 9 types of nonverbal communication skills, is nonverbal communication important, 2 psychology theories and models, 8 fascinating research findings, importance in counseling and healthcare, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Nonverbal communication is a way to convey information “achieved through facial expressions, gestures, touching (haptics), physical movements (kinesics), posture, body adornment (clothes, jewelry, hairstyle, tattoos, etc.), and even the tone, timbre, and volume of an individual’s voice (rather than spoken content)” (Navarro & Karlins, 2008, p. 2–4).

In this YouTube video, Joe Navarro explains several nonverbal communication cues, exposes some myths, and discusses his work with nonverbal communication in law enforcement.

Marco Iacoboni (2008, p. 81), author of Mirroring People , takes it a step further, stating that “gestures accompanying speech have a dual role of helping the speakers to express their thoughts and helping the listeners/viewers understand what is being said.”

To competently read body language, Navarro and Karlins (2008) provide suggestions such as rigorous observation and a familiarity with the person’s baseline behaviors. They also recommend watching for changes, or ‘tells.’

Navarro and Karlins (2008) advise becoming familiar with universal behaviors and contextualizing nonverbal cues. However, cultural norms could inhibit rigorous observation.

Characteristics of nonverbal communication

The United States is considered a low-context communication culture (MacLachlan, 2010). This means that much of the information in a message comes directly from words rather than through implication or body language.

This style of communication involves lots of verbal detail so as not to confuse listeners. Low-context cultures rely less on nonverbal communication, which can obscure or censor portions of the message.

Nonverbal communication is culturally determined, and it is largely unconscious. It indicates the speaker’s emotional state. When nonverbal cues conflict with the verbal message, it may convey confusion or deception (Navarro & Karlins, 2008).

Finally, nonverbal communication varies by gender and displays power differentials, information effective leaders can use to influence others (Hybels & Weaver, 2015; Henley, 1977).

Nonverbal communication of successful leaders

It’s essential for leaders to read body language, also known as decoding. Deciphering between engagement (e.g., nodding, tilting the head, open body postures) and disengagement (e.g., body tilting away, crossed arms and legs) can be the difference between success and failure (Goman, 2021).

Successful actors could be considered professional first-impression artists. Like actors, leaders often find themselves center stage; they must learn the art of creating first impressions.

Subjective awareness and the ability to express yourself nonverbally are known as encoding – crucial for positive first impressions. Advice from professional actors includes a maintaining a pleasant facial expression, good posture, pausing, breathing, relaxing, and avoiding hiding your hands (Shellenbarger, 2018).

This video , 8 Things Successful People Do to Look Confident , provides quick tips for confident body language even if you’re not feeling confident.

First impressions are said to be formed in less than seven seconds (Goman, 2021). In this short time, others formulate labels such as “powerful,” “submissive,” or “trustworthy.” Evolved leaders incorporate mindfulness to help.

Naz Beheshti (2018) states, “Evolved leaders… use nonverbal tools mindfully and deliberately to reinforce their message.” She goes on to say, “this lifts the value of your communication and your value as a leader” (Beheshti, 2018).

Awareness of self, others, and the situation (mindfulness) allows us to ensure that our gestures and body language align with our spoken words. This creates congruence and generates trustworthiness (Beheshti, 2018; Newberg & Waldman, 2013).

This means we are analyzing several, simultaneous nonverbal cues. A frustrated person may tap their foot, cross their arms, and tightly squeeze their biceps (Jones, 2013). These clusters may cross over and include a variety of nonverbal categories, summarized below.

1. Kinesics

Kinesics is the study of how we move our body, specifically the head, hands, body, and arms (Jones, 2013). This includes sending messages through facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and posture.

Haptics is the study of touch or coming into physical contact with another person (Hybels & Weaver, 2015). Throughout history, touch has been surrounded by mystery and taboo. We are perplexed by healing touch and riveted by stories of infants who perished due to lack of touch. Touch can denote relationship, status, power, and personality (Henley, 1977).

Cultural norms dictate guidelines regarding touch. Mindfulness regarding social and environmental settings is prudent. We greet a friend at an informal party differently than we would greet a boss or coworker in a professional setting.

3. Proxemics

The study of space and distance is called proxemics, and it analyzes how people use the space around them (Hybels & Weaver, 2015).

This YouTube video is a fun demonstration of students completing a school project on personal space and the discomfort felt by both humans and animals when social norms are violated.

4. Territory

Territory is often used to display power or reveal a lack thereof.

“'[P]osture expansiveness,’ positioning oneself in a way that opens up the body and takes up space, activated a sense of power that produced behavioral changes in a subject independent of their actual rank or role in an organization” (Goman, 2021).

Expansiveness conveys power.

5. Environment

Environment includes objects we use to adorn ourselves and the artifacts we surround ourselves with in order to create an impression. These objects provide nonverbal cues that help others form impressions (Jones, 2013).

6. Paralinguistics

Paralinguistics, also known as vocalics, is the study of how we speak and involves pitch, volume, rate of speech, tone, quality, tempo, resonance, rhythm, and articulation to help determine the context of the message (Jones, 2013).

7. Chronemics

Chronemics is the study of time, including how it is used. Nancy Henley (1977, p. 43), author of Body Politics: Power, Sex & Nonverbal Communication , asserts “Time is far from a neutral philosophical/physical concept in our society: it is a political weapon.”

Henley (1977, p. 47) describes the concept of “ritual waiting,” stating, “The more important the person, the longer we will ungrudgingly wait for the service or honor of attention.”

8. Attractiveness

The power of drawing attention to oneself doesn’t rely on physical appeal alone. Although facial symmetry and fashion of adornment are important (Jones, 2013), people who master good eye contact, have a lively face, offer encouragement, and use open gestures are also considered attractive (Kuhnke, 2012).

9. Olfactics

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Nonverbal communication is very important, as you could reveal unintentional information, as well as cause your communication to be misinterpreted.

Leakage: Unintentional messages

Teaching social–emotional skills to incarcerated people provided me with a powerful lesson about the nuances of nonverbal communication. On a particularly challenging day, I thought it wise to meditate and center myself prior to entering the jail. However, upon seeing me, the people inside began inquiring what was going on with me. What did they detect?

Nonverbal leakage can be shown through micro-expressions, which are “very fast facial movements lasting 1/25 to 1/5 of a second” and indicate a person’s real feelings (Ekman, 2003, p. 214).

This YouTube video is the opening scene of the series Lie to Me , based on the work of Paul Ekman regarding micro-expressions.

Varying statistics on the value of nonverbal communication may cause concern for those less practiced, but which statistics are accurate?

Crossed messages

The original research from Mehrabian and Ferris (1967) regarding nonverbal communication is widely interpreted. Elizabeth Kuhnke (2012, p. 10), author of Body Language for Dummies , interprets the study, saying, “55% of the emotional message in face-to-face communication results from body language.”

A nonverbal communication formula often cited is 7–38–55, which indicates 7% of the message comes from words, 38% vocal, and 55% facial. However, Lapakko (2007) believes this formula is reckless, faulty, and misleading. Sometimes the nonverbal elements of a message, such as gestures with directions, are incredibly important, and at other times incidental.

In addition, what something “means” in communication is connected to such variables as culture, history of the relationship, people’s intentions, personal experiences, time of day and specific words used. It would be naive to suggest all these nuances could be neatly quantified, and therefore attributing a precise formula to nonverbal communication is flawed in many ways.

So regardless of statistics and formulas, we know that nonverbal communication is essential and that people skilled at both reading and interpreting body language tend to enjoy greater success in life than those not skilled (Goleman, 1997).

Basic emotion theory

Basic emotion theory (BET) posits that emotions are a “grammar of social living” that situate us in the social and moral order of society (Keltner, Sauter, Tracy, & Cowen, 2019, p. 133). In addition, emotions structure interactions, particularly in relationships that matter. BET is integral to emotional expression.

Foundational to BET is the assumption that emotional expressions coordinate social interactions in three ways:

Through rapid conveyance of important information to aid in decision making
To evoke specific responses
To serve as incentives for others’ actions

This is accomplished through reward systems such as parents smiling and caressing a child who exhibits specific behaviors (Keltner et al., 2019).

BET initially focused on six basic emotions. Literature reveals there are over 20 emotions with distinct, multimodal expressions, providing a deeper structure and highlighting the advancing nature of emotional expression (Keltner et al., 2019).

Neural resonance

Two people who like each other will mirror each other’s facial expressions, gestures, postures, vocalics, and movements. This is known as neural resonance, and it aids the accurate transfer of information from one person to another (Newberg & Waldman, 2013).

To fully understand what another is saying, “you have to listen to and observe the other person as deeply and fully as possible” (Newberg & Waldman, 2013, p. 81). Neural resonance uses mirror neurons to create cooperation, empathy, and trust.

Studying nonverbal communication is revealing and intriguing. Most experts will include aspects such as eyes, facial expressions, and hands, but digging deeper reveals less-acknowledged nonverbal nuggets.

1. The benefits of yawning

Yawning is one of the fastest and simplest ways to lower mental stress and anxiety (Waldman & Manning, 2017). Social norms dictate that we refrain from yawning in specific settings, but yawning has many benefits. Did you know that snipers are taught to yawn before pulling the trigger (Waldman & Manning, 2017)?

According to Waldman and Manning (2017), yawning stimulates alertness and concentration; optimizes brain activity and metabolism; improves cognitive functioning; increases recall, consciousness, and introspection; decreases stress and relaxes the upper body; recalibrates a sense of timing; enhances social awareness and empathy; and increases sensuality and pleasure.

2. Feet don’t lie

According to Navarro and Karlins (2008), the most honest part of our body is our feet, as demonstrated by small children who dance with happiness or stomp in frustration. Many people look to the face for truth; Navarro and Karlins take the opposite approach:

“When it comes to honesty, truthfulness decreases as we move from the feet to the head” (Navarro & Karlins, 2008, p. 56), reasoning that emotions are suppressed through fabricated facial expression.

3. Gestures that help

Gestures improve memory and comprehension skills. Gestures may convey information that can influence how listeners respond, depending on the hand being used. “We tend to express positive ideas with our dominant hand and negative ideas with the other hand” (Newberg & Waldman, 2013, p. 44).

4. The eyes have it

“Social network circuits are stimulated through face-to-face eye contact, decreasing cortisol, and increasing oxytocin. The result is increased empathy, social cooperation, and positive communication” (Newberg & Waldman, 2013, p. 135).

Eyes reveal a lot about us. When we are aroused, troubled, concerned, or nervous, our blink rate increases. Once we relax, our blink rate returns to normal (Navarro & Karlins, 2008).

5. Power posing for success

Body language affects how others see us and how we view ourselves. In this YouTube video, Amy Cuddy discusses her research on power posing and how it affects success.

Amy Cuddy’s book is also discussed in our article listing books on imposter syndrome .

6. Fingers crossed

One explanation of the origin of crossing fingers for good luck comes from early beliefs in the power of the cross. The intersection of the digits, epitomizing the cross, was thought to denote a concentration of good spirits and served to anchor a wish until it came true (Keyser, 2014).

7. Fake positivity is harmful

Positivity that doesn’t register in your body or heart can be harmful. According to Barbara Fredrickson (2009, p. 180), “fake smiles, just like sneers of anger, predict heart wall collapse.” To truly benefit from a smile, touch, or embrace, you need to slow down and make it heartfelt.

8. Stand up straight

Poor posture can reduce oxygen intake by 30%, resulting in less energy (Gordon, 2003). Stooping over can make us look and feel old and out of touch. By straightening up, we can make significant differences in how we think and feel. The effect is bi-directional; attitude influences posture, just as posture influences attitude.

Good rapport between clients and practitioners stems from mirroring and synchronicity associated with neural resonance (Finset & Piccolo, 2011; Newberg & Waldman, 2013).

Carl Rogers’s Client-Centered Therapy is based on an empathetic understanding of clients. Nonverbal communication provides valuable information for both the client and the therapist. Showing you like and accept a client may be the most important information a therapist can convey (Finset & Piccolo, 2011).

Nonverbal patterns in therapy evolve over time. Specific behaviors that further the therapeutic process include “a moderate amount of head nodding and smiling; frequent, but not staring, eye contact; active, but not extreme, facial responsiveness; and a warm, relaxed, interested vocal tone” (Finset & Piccolo, 2011, p. 122).

Conscious awareness of nonverbal cues can aid in rapport building. Leaning toward the other signals comfort, whereas leaning away or crossing your arms signals discomfort (Navarro & Karlins, 2008).

Torsos and shoulder blades seem innocuous; however, blading away (turning slightly) from another person shows discomfort, while blading toward or facing another squarely shows a level of comfort (Navarro & Karlins, 2008).

Open palms are an ancient sign of trustworthiness that help establish rapport and are considered nonthreatening (Kuhnke, 2012). Hidden hands (placed in pockets or behind backs) signal disconnection and reluctance to engage. To display respect, keep an open posture with your muscles relaxed and weight evenly distributed.

Mirroring and matching go a long way to show synchronicity. Be careful to avoid mimicry, which signals disrespect (Kuhnke, 2012). Too much of a good thing can jeopardize credibility. An extended, fixed gaze into another’s eyes or effortful smiling can seem awkward, or worse.

This short YouTube video explains the dynamics of fluctuating facial expressions, based on the work of Charles Darwin and Paul Ekman.

This Silent Connections worksheet is an exercise for groups that combines mindfulness and nonverbal communication to build connections.

Someone who lacks the ability to make eye contact during conversation can be easily misinterpreted. To overcome this nonverbal communication issue, our Strategies for Maintaining Eye Contact can be very useful.

Our blog post 49 Communication Activities, Exercises, and Games includes six nonverbal communication activities for adults and three nonverbal exercises that work for families and children.

The blog post What Is Assertive Communication? 10 Real-Life Examples includes nonverbal qualities that complement and enhance assertive statements. Hints for eye contact, facial expressions, and posture can be found throughout.

In the blog post Cultivating Social Intelligence : 3 Ways to Understand Others , we discuss characteristics of social intelligence, including body language.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others communicate better, this collection contains 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners. Use them to help others improve their communication skills and form deeper and more positive relationships.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

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Nonverbal communication is an essential communication skill. Nonverbal expertise aids in delivering clear messages and forming positive impressions. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture to make a difference. Gently stroking the hand of a grieving friend speaks volumes.

Viewing life as a series of dramatic performances, as implied by both Shakespeare and Goffman, can add a sense of intrigue and adventure to enhancing nonverbal communication. These essential skills will help us achieve goals.

Just as the highly motivated thespian will study and polish their craft, anyone wanting to succeed in their career or interpersonal relationships can study and practice the nuances of nonverbal communication.

Actors and public speakers often practice their craft in front of a mirror or videotape themselves to reflect on strengths and weaknesses.

This article includes a myriad of resources to help improve nonverbal communication skills with many additional resources available.

By starting with something as simple as posture, we exit stage right, headed toward the competency of center stage. Break a leg!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

Beheshti, N. (2018, September 20). The power of mindful nonverbal communication. Forbes . Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2018/09/20/beyond-language-the-power-of-mindful-nonverbal-communication/?sh=6f40b3d71501
Ekman, P. (2003). Emotions revealed: Recognizing faces and feelings to improve communication and emotional life . Holt Paperbacks.
Finset, A., & Piccolo, L. D. (2011). Nonverbal communication in clinical contexts. In M. Rimondini (Ed.), Communication in cognitive-behavioral therapy (pp. 107–128). Springer Science + Business Media.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2009). Positivity . Crown Publishing Group.
Goffman, E. (1956). The presentation of self in everyday life . University of Edinburgh.
Goleman, D. (1997). Emotional intelligence . Bantam Trade Paperback.
Goman, C. K. (2018, August 26). 5 Ways body language impacts leadership results. Forbes. Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2018/08/26/5-ways-body-language-impacts-leadership-results/?sh=5c1b235c536a
Gordon, J. (2003). Energy addict: 101 Physical, mental, & spiritual ways to energize your life . Berkley Publishing Group.
Henley, N. M. (1977). Body politics: Power, sex and nonverbal communication . Simon & Schuster.
Hybels, S., & Weaver, R. L. (2015). Communicating effectively . McGraw-Hill Education.
Iacoboni, M. (2008). Mirroring people: The new science of how we connect with others . Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Jones, R. (2013). Communication in the real world: An introduction to communication studies . University of Minnesota Libraries.
Keltner, D., Sauter, D., Tracy, J., & Cowen, A. (2019). Emotional expression: Advances in basic emotion theory. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior , 43 (3), 133–160.
Keyser, H. (2014, March 21). Why do we cross our fingers for good luck? Mental Floss . Retrieved May 27, 2021, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55702/why-do-we-cross-our-fingers-good-luck
Kuhnke, E. (2012). Body language for dummies . John Wiley & Sons.
Lapakko, D. (2007). Communication is 93% nonverbal: An urban legend proliferates. Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal , 34 (2), 7–19.
MacLachlan, M. (2010, February 12). Cross-cultural communication styles: High and low context. Communicaid. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/high-and-low-context/
Mehrabian, A., & Ferris, S. R. (1967). Inference of attitudes from nonverbal communication in two channels. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 31 (3), 248–252.
Navarro, J., & Karlins, M. P. (2008). What every body is saying . Harper-Collins.
Newberg, A. M., & Waldman, M. R. (2013). Words can change your brain . Avery.
Ritzer, G. (2021). Essentials of sociology (4th ed.). SAGE.
Shellenbarger, S. (2018, January 30). The mistakes you make in a meeting’s first milliseconds. Wall Street Journal . Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-mistakes-you-make-in-a-meetings-first-milliseconds-1517322312
Waldman, M. R., & Manning, C. P. (2017). NeuroWisdom: The new brain science of money, happiness, and success . Diversion Books.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

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15 Essential Presentation Techniques for Winning Over Any Audience

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Mastering Presentation Techniques for Impactful Delivery

Elements of an Effective Presentation

Strategies for Delivering a Successful Presentation

Engaging Your Audience with Nonverbal Communication

The Power of Eye Contact, Body Language, and Facial Expressions

Designing Compelling Presentation Materials

Tips for Creating Effective Slides

Handling Questions and Interactions Professionally

Preparing for Audience Questions and How to Address Them Effectively

Techniques for a Memorable and Effective Presentation

Incorporating Storytelling into Your Presentation

Using Humor to Connect with the Audience

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

Techniques to Manage Stage Fright and Boost Confidence

Using Different Presentation Methods to Engage Your Audience

Essential Tips for First-Time Presenters

Dress Appropriately

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Making Presentation Time Count

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