Body Language
What your body communicates when your mouth isn't moving — and how to use it intentionally.
The Silent Message
Albert Mehrabian's oft-misquoted study doesn't actually say that 93% of communication is nonverbal. What it does show is that when verbal and nonverbal signals conflict, people trust the body over the words. If you say 'I'm thrilled to be here' while slumping with crossed arms, the audience reads: 'I don't want to be here.'
Posture
Stand with weight evenly distributed, shoulders back, chest open. This isn't about dominance — it's about signaling that you're present and engaged. Avoid the 'fig leaf' (hands clasped in front of your groin) or the 'parade rest' (hands behind your back). Both signal discomfort.
Gestures
Natural gestures reinforce meaning. Palms up = openness and invitation. Counting on fingers = structured thinking. Contained gestures (between waist and shoulders) read as controlled and credible. Avoid repetitive tics: touching your face, adjusting your glasses, clicking a pen. These distract.
Eye Contact
In Western contexts, sustained eye contact (3-5 seconds per person) creates connection and trust. Don't scan the room like a lighthouse. Pick one person, make a point, then move to another person. This creates the feeling of a personal conversation at scale.
In contexts where sustained direct eye contact may be culturally inappropriate (parts of East Asia, some Indigenous cultures), soften your gaze and distribute attention to sections of the room rather than individuals.
Movement
Purposeful movement > standing frozen > pacing nervously. Move when you transition between points — it signals to the audience that you're shifting to a new idea. Stand still when making your most important point. Steve Jobs was brilliant at this: he'd walk to set up context, then plant his feet for the reveal.
