Job Aid: Confident Body Language for Communicating

Purpose: Use this job aid to learn how to communicate confidently through body language.

Effective use of body language is as important to confident communication as your voice. It's a tool that helps you get your message across and tells your audience how you're feeling – including how confident you are – as you speak.

Following some simple body language guidelines can help you communicate confidently and effectively:

Stand or sit up straight and avoid fidgeting – Look and act like you're in control and belong in the room. Be relaxed but upright, with your feet slightly apart and your back straight. Avoid fidgeting, which indicates nervousness or a lack of confidence, and don't slouch or frequently shift your weight.

Make appropriate eye contact – Avoid looking at your notes, down, or to the side. Instead, connect with and acknowledge people in your audience by making direct eye contact as you talk.

Use bold, purposeful hand gestures – Don't overdo it, but generally use your hands to help emphasize and reinforce important points. Using hand gestures can also help you think and dispel anxiety. Avoid making fists; keep your hands loose and relaxed.

Keep your facial expressions in sync with what you're saying – Ensure that as you speak, your facial expressions reflect what you're saying. Depending on your message, show the appropriate concern, level of seriousness, or enthusiasm – and smile genuinely, at appropriate points.

Let's Review

[Video description begins] Topic title: Let's Review. The host is in the host space. [Video description ends]

HOST: Let's review what you've learned in this course. There are a wide range of techniques you can draw on to overcome nervousness and communicate with confidence in business settings. You can consciously decide what impression to make. Breathe properly, plan and structure what you'll say, and focus on being authentic and engaging. Then use your voice and body language to reinforce your message and convey confidence and authority.

Planning What You'll Say

[Video description begins] Topic title: Planning What You'll Say. Ali is in the presentation room. She is holding a number of index cards. [Video description ends]

ALI: These figures alone are pretty impressive. But further results from numerous independent studies have verified, have verified... um, something somewhere...

[Video description begins] Ali looks unassertive.[Video description ends]

I'm pretty sure...

[Video description begins] The host is in the host space. [Video description ends]

HOST: Effective communication – regardless of your audience – depends upon proper preparation. And that preparation starts with knowing what you want to communicate so that you can achieve an intended outcome.

[Video description begins] Ali and Cory are talking in the cafeteria. [Video description ends]

ALI: So how was the meeting? CORY: It was, um, awful. I started rambling on and on, and then James had to rush off to a meeting. I didn't even get around to asking. ALI: No raise again today, then.

[Video description begins] Cory looks skeptical. [Video description ends]

CORY: Heh. I'll get to it one of these days.

[Video description begins] Cory smiles. The host is in the host space. [Video description ends]

Probably.

[Video description begins] Cory smiles. The host is in the host space. [Video description ends]

HOST: But knowing what you want to achieve is only the first step. To get farther, you need to plan and structure what you want to say in order to achieve it. Planning puts you in control, ensuring you communicate exactly what you really mean to, and in the most effective way. Start by identifying no more than two to four key points and then flesh out the details from there.

If you need to, organize your thoughts by writing down the key points to cover rather than creating a full draft. This makes it easier to speak naturally and adapt based on your listeners' responses. Once you've organized your points, plan an introduction to hook the listeners' attention and give them a quick "roadmap," to let them know what you'll be talking about.

[Video description begins] Cory and James are talking at James’ workstation. [Video description ends]

CORY: Last year alone, I took on three new national accounts, and brought in 17% more revenue than the year before. And this year, I'm on track to exceed that.

[Video description begins] James smiles and nodes in acknowledgement. [Video description ends]

JAMES: You've been doing an amazing job. CORY: And so with both taking on a larger workload and bringing in more revenue, I think it's only fair that my base salary reflect my strong performance. JAMES: You make a solid case for yourself. And the job you're doing hasn't gone unnoticed. Frankly, I expected to have this conversation a couple of months ago. Let me speak with HR about your comp plan, to see what we can do. I'm pretty sure that we can work something out. CORY: That's what I was hoping to hear.

[Video description begins] The host is in the host space. [Video description ends]

HOST: Finally, keep your message clear, simple, and focused. Use straightforward, declarative sentences, and stay on topic. Digression ultimately leads to confusion and straying from your point. You know where you want to go, and have planned how to get there. Stay the course and end with a conclusion that summarizes and reinforces your points.