Non-verbal Communication

Module 6 * Part 2

There are different types of non-verbal communication methods, each one of which requires you to pay careful attention.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions refer to the way your face appears when you are giving a speech. Facial expressions can greatly enhance a presentation.

  • Use appropriate facial expression
  • Facial expression should complement your presentation and not be confusing
  • Always have a smile to make your presentation more attractive

    Gestures

    Gestures are the things you do when your hands when you are speaking. Gestures should be used because:

  • You don’t want to appear to be robotic and rigid
  • You want to show that you have passion for what you are talking about
  • You want to show that you are confident and you are speaking naturally
  • You want to use gesture to emphasize particular moments or points

    Take care to avoid gestures that are:

  • Too grand
  • Too undecisive / small
  • Too repetitive
  • Confusing and have no meaning

    Posture

    Posture refers to the way you stand in front of the audience or the camera. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

    • Always stand upright with a straight back
    • Stand facing your audience; never have your back to your audience
    • Stand with one foot slightly forward, and one slightly back to give yourself good anchorage
    • Don’t sway or lean on anything when you speak
    • Mentally keep yourself facing forward; there is a tendency for speakers who lack confidence to want to cower backward as if to hide

    Prop

    A prop is something you use to aid your presentation. Broadly speaking, this can include:

  • PowerPoint – some people want to use visual slides to enhance their presentation
  • A physical object – some people enjoy using a show-and-tell method, and the object can help to attract people’s attention
  • Graphics – similar to the PPT, some people want to use charts and other graphics to help their presentation
  • Models – in specific disciplines (e.g. Architecture), you may need to bring a model with you to show your design

    Whatever the object is, make sure you have full control over it, and you handle the object with care. The object should enhance your presentation, and not be a distraction.

    Eye Contact

    Eye contact refers to the direction of your gaze when delivering a presentation. There are a few things to note regarding eye contact:

    • Eye contact refers to actually looking into your audience’s eyes, so you need to be comfortable with looking at people
    • If you don’t feel confident, then look at the spot right above a person’s nose and between their eyes
    • When you are in a classroom giving a presentation, pick four people who are sitting in different locations. Look at them at different moments of the presentation. This will make the audience feel that you are not just staring at one location.
    • Do not stare at your audience members (that can be creepy)
    • Do not look at the ceiling when you are delivering your speech (this is what happens when people are memorizing their speeches)
    • When looking at the camera, look relaxed and remember to blink. Otherwise it looks a bit creepy and robotic