​Nonverbal Aspects of Delivery

While we are focusing on online delivery in this course, you must consider the same aspects as you would for a face to face delivery. We will discuss these aspects generally first, then address any differences for online delivery as necessary.

Nonverbal cues account for much of the content from which we form initial impressions, so it’s important to know that people make judgments about our identities and skills after only brief exposure. Our competence regarding and awareness of nonverbal communication can help determine how an interaction will proceed and, in fact, whether it will take place at all. People who are skilled at encoding nonverbal messages are more favorably evaluated after initial encounters. This is likely due to the fact that people who are more nonverbally expressive are also more attention getting and engaging and make people feel more welcome and warm due to increased immediacy behaviors, all of which enhance perceptions of charisma.

Personal Appearance

Body Language

Your overall movement is integral to successful speech delivery. Body stance, gestures, and facial expressions can be generally categorized as body language. Body language should be relaxed and natural, and purposeful. How you use body language takes practice. Some people are naturally more expressive with body language when they speak. This can be helpful but anyone can learn how to use your body language effectively.

Posture

“Stand up tall!” I’m sure we’ve all heard this statement from a parent or a teacher at some point in our lives. The fact is, posture is actually quite important. When you stand up straight, you communicate to your audience, without saying a word, that you hold a position of power and take your position seriously. If however, you are slouching, hunched over, or leaning on something, you could be perceived as ill prepared, anxious, lacking in credibility, or not serious about your responsibilities as a speaker. While speakers often assume a more casual posture as a presentation continues (especially if it is a long one, such as a ninety-minute class lecture), it is always wise to start by standing up straight and putting your best foot forward. Remember, you only get one shot at making a first impression, and your body’s orientation is one of the first pieces of information audiences use to make that impression.

Posture can convey information about confidence and openness. Open and closed body positions communicate different messages to the audience and can be desirable or undesirable based on the type of visual delivery that is desired.

Closed: Closed posture often gives the impression of detachment, disinterest, and hostility.

• Arms crossed on the chest or abdomen, hands clasped in front of the body, and crossed legs.
• Showing the back of hands or clenched fists can represent a closed posture.
• Hands clasped behind the back may also signal closed posture even though the front is exposed because it can give the impression of hiding something or resisting closer contact.
• A stiff and unnatural looking posture can distract the audience from your message.

Open: Open posture communicates a friendly and positive attitude.

• The feet are spread wide and the head is straight and raised, looking at the audience.
• Showing the palms of the hands can be a signal of open posture, especially if the hand is relaxed.
• Relaxed, yet professional body and head positioning can give the perception of confidence.

Pro Tips:

• Practice open body posture in front of a mirror so you can see what the audience will see.
• If you are presenting online, use the camera to practice open body posture so you know what the audience will see.

Movement

Unless you are stuck behind a podium because of the need to use a nonmovable microphone, you should never stand in one place during a speech. However, movement during a speech should also not resemble pacing. As speakers, we must be mindful of how we go about moving while speaking.

Movement that supports your delivery:

• Upper body toward the audience – Leaning into your audience slightly helps to make a connection with them.
• Transition steps – take a few steps any time you transition from one idea to the next. By only moving at transition points, not only do you help focus your audience’s attention on the transition from one idea to the next, but you also are able to increase your nonverbal immediacy by getting closer to different segments of your audience.
• Stand still without movement – If you are listening to a question, you can stand still without movement to show your interest.
• Moving toward your visuals – you can move toward your visual (or away) to focus audience attention where you want it.

Unnecessary movement that can distract from your delivery:

• Swaying back and forth
• Pacing from one side to another
• Moving a hand repetitively without purpose.

Pro Tips

• Have a friend observe or record yourself while you speak. Review the recording for distracting, repetitive movements.
• Remember to strive for natural movements of the body. Body movements that are planned and mechanical will call undue attention to you and distract the audience’s attention.
• If you are having difficulty focusing while speaking you might consider mind-body exercises which combine body movement with mental focus and controlled breathing.

Gestures

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages. Effective gestures are purposeful and natural. They should add to not distract from, your vocal delivery.

Gestures that support your message:

• Emblems are gestures that have a specific agreed-on meaning. These are often used to substitute for verbal communication such as waving goodbye. You may use them while telling a story as support or trying to make a dramatic point during your speech.
• Illustrators help emphasize or explain a word. Illustrators are the most common type of gesture and are used to illustrate the verbal message they accompany. For example, you might use hand gestures to indicate the size or shape of something during your speech.
• Affect displays show feelings and emotions. Consider how you would use gestures to convey “I give up” or “we will be victorious!”
• Regulators are gestures that help coordinate the flow of conversation. If you would like your audience to answer a question you may use a head nod toward them or a hand movement indicating that you are handing over the “speaker” roll to them.

Gestures that distract from your delivery:

• Repetitive gestures: If you are using the same hand movement over and over throughout the speech, it will distract from your message.
• Contradictory: If you are using gestures that contradict your message, you may confuse your audience.
• Wild or erratic: Wild gesturing can draw the audience attention away from your message and have them wondering what you are trying to communicate.

Pro Tips

• Make sure that the audience can see your hands. This applies in person and online. Your audience should be able to see your gestures fully and easily.
• While practicing your speech note places you can use purposeful gestures. Are you talking about something big? How can you use nonverbal communication to accompany your description?
• Keep your hands free. This will give you more opportunities for spontaneous gesturing.

Gestures should be natural, not overdramatic nor subdued. At one extreme, arm-waving and fist-pounding will distract from your message and reduce your credibility. At the other extreme, refraining from the use of gestures is a waste of an opportunity to suggest emphasis, enthusiasm, or other personal connection with your topic.

 

Facial Expressions

The face as a whole indicates much about human moods. Specific emotional states, such as happiness or sadness, are expressed through a smile or a frown, respectively. There are seven universally recognized emotions shown through facial expressions:

1. fear
2. anger
3. surprise
4. contempt
5. disgust
6. happiness
7. sadness

Faces are amazing things and convey so much information. As speakers, we must be acutely aware of what our face looks like while speaking. While many of us do not look forward to seeing ourselves on videotape, often the only way you can critically evaluate what your face is doing while you are speaking is to watch a recording of your speech. If video is not available, you can practice speaking in front of a mirror.

Facial expressions that district:

• No expression: You do not want to have a completely blank face while speaking. Some people just do not show much emotion with their faces naturally, but this blankness is often increased when the speaker is nervous. Audiences will react negatively to the message of such a speaker because they will sense that something is amiss. If a speaker is talking about the joys of Disney World and his face doesn’t show any excitement, the audience is going to be turned off by the speaker and his message.
• Over animated expression: On the other extreme end is the speaker whose face looks like that of an exaggerated cartoon character. Instead, your goal is to show a variety of appropriate facial expressions while speaking.
• Contradicting expressions: You should not smile throughout a speech on drug addiction, poverty, or the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. An inappropriate smile creates confusion about your meaning and may make your audience feel uncomfortable.

Use facial expressions strategically to enhance meaning. Watch the below video for more tips on using your face to enhance your delivery: 

Pro Tips

• People smile when they are happy. Smile before you begin speaking to show the audience that you are happy to be there, and they will smile back. Smiling is contagious.
• Be aware of facial expressions that may contradict your verbal message. If you are talking about something sad, your face should reflect this!

Eye Contact

Your audience should feel that you’re speaking to them, not simply uttering main and supporting points. If you are new to public speaking, you may find it intimidating to look audience members in the eye, but if you think about speakers you have seen who did not maintain eye contact, you’ll realize why this aspect of speech delivery is important. Without eye contact, the audience begins to feel invisible and unimportant, as if the speaker is just speaking to hear her or his own voice. Eye contact lets your audience feel that your attention is on them, not solely on the cards in front of you.

Many have offered bad advice about how to engage an audience through eye contact:

• Look at the foreheads: Just for fun, walk up to a friend and begin to speak to their forehead to see how they react. Really, try it.  It just looks weird. Chances are your friend will say, “What the heck are you doing?”  That is the same thing your audience will think if you stare at their foreheads. Honestly, it is harder to focus on foreheads than it is to look in the eyes.
• Imagine your audience naked: Maybe you too have heard this advice, and it is the worst. If you are in my audience and I imagine you naked, I guarantee there will be NO EYE CONTACT. No eye contact at all! This piece of advice is designed to make you feel more at ease, but it doesn’t work. I do not know about you, but the thought of speaking to a room full of naked people does not make me feel relaxed.
• Stare at random spots in the room: You may have heard “Just look at the back wall.”  If you look over the person, you miss the person. Your audience can tell if you are looking at them or somewhere else. This strategy will cause you to lose credibility with the audience. Even in a large audience where you can’t make eye contact with everyone, you should at least find people throughout the room to look at.

Ask yourself, why is eye contact so frightening? Is it because there is a person connected to those eyes? Is it because if we look at the person, we have to acknowledge their existence? Public speaking is an interaction (remember chapter 1), not a monologue. Your audience is important and your eye contact helps to establish this importance.

Pro Tips 

• Practice making eye contact – you can use animals, pictures, and stuffed animals (it doesn’t matter) while practicing but get used to directly looking at things in your audience’s path.
• Alternate talking to the audience members to the right, left, and in front of you.
• If you struggle with eye contact, at the top of every page of your notes write–“Make eye contact.”
• Find friendly faces throughout the room where you feel comfortable speaking to the person.
• Practice with people. Sure, it is helpful to record yourself, to practice talking to a wall, and to speak to a mirror, but those are no substitutes for what happens when you speak to people. Find some friends and practice with them.
• Do not have your notes on the screen during virtual presentations. This will create challenges for you in using your notes effectively while maintaining eye contact with your audience.

Cultural Note

Eye contact can vary from culture to culture and person to person. Just because an audience member looks away from you, it may not mean they are not interested. Consider the following differences.

• In some cultures, it would be considered inappropriate to make eye contact with someone of different gender (or sex).
• When in a high-power culture (a culture where those in power are given higher status and have deferential body language), you may notice those in lower status lower their eyes or avoid eye contact with those of higher status.
• Arabs, Latin Americans, and Southern Europeans tend to make direct eye contact
• Those from Asia and parts of Africa tend to make less eye contact.
• Those on the Autism Spectrum may avoid eye contact to help them focus on the words you are saying.