The document provides 10 tips for using body language effectively: 1) Breathe and relax to reduce tension, 2) Move and pause strategically when speaking to engage audiences, 3) Use palm positions to appear open or closed to ideas, 4) Speak up early in discussions to be taken seriously, 5) Observe others' body language for cues, 6) Mirror others' postures to build rapport, 7) Stand with a wide stance to sound more dynamic, 8) Take a step back when losing control to reassert yourself, 9) Keep an open posture to increase team productivity, and 10) Smile to induce positive energy in yourself and others.

1. 10 Simple Yet
Powerful Body
Language Tips
http://goo.gl/Qy6Pbx
COMPILED BY – GIRISH CHANDRA ANANTHANARAYANA
CDPRESOURCES.COM

2. Body Language

Body language – clues of unspoken intentions or
feelings revealed through physical behaviour
 body
postures, gestures, facial expressions, and eye
movements – mostly subconscious

Unintentional gestures have been found to convey
useful information in specific contexts

eye rub, chin rest, lip touch, nose itch, head scratch, ear
scratch, crossing arms, finger lock and so on

3. The World of Gestures!

4. Managing the Body Language

First step towards understanding Body Language is
BECOMING AWARE of how our Body Responds to
situations
 Aware,

Observe, Learn, Change
In the following slides are 10 body language tips
(based on Carol Kinsey Goman’s article on Forbes)

5. Body Language – Tip 1
1.
Breathe, and Relax!
 Before
an important meeting or presentation, it is natural
to be tense and the body exhibits it for others to see
 Breathe
slowly and deeply; take a deep breath and
exhale through your mouth
 This
releases the tension in your neck, shoulders and jaw
that can make you look rigid or aggressive
 Consciously
relax and be observant of your
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – relax!

6. Body Language - Tip 2
2.
Use your body: Move, Pause, Stand

Human beings are drawn to movement and change

Moving when speaking will attract people’s attention, but too
much movement can create distraction

Move toward the audience when making a key point; move
away when you want to signal a break or a change of subject

Use space when referring to different ideas

When presenting three issues, talk about each of them from a
different physical position

Present “bad” and “good” news from different sides of the stage

Don’t move while making a crucial comment

Stand absolutely still to highlight your most important points

7. Body Language – Tip 3
3. User Your Palms to display authority
 To
look decisive, face your palms down
 Palms
exposed (facing up) show you are open and
willing to negotiate
 Palms
turned down indicate you are closed to
negotiation
A
definitive gesture of authority is placing both hands /
palms down on the conference table

8. Body Language – Tip 4
4. Take Your Time, but Speak Up Early
 Speak
up early if you want to be taken seriously
 Offering
opinions toward the end of the conversation is
more likely to be discounted
 By
speaking up early you are someone who is “at the
table” and ready to participate

9. Body Language – Tip 5
5. Watch others’ body language
 People
signal their emotions and thoughts through body
 When
they are ready to leave, they often take the
position of someone ready to rise
 moving
to the edge of the chair, or leaning forward with hands
on the arms of the chair or hands on knees.
 Respect
 Learn
the signal and finish what you are saying
from the signals that others offer to you, and adapt
it in your vocabulary

10. Body Language – Tip 6
6. Make or Build Rapport
 People
respond to our postures, gestures, and language
 When
seated for negotiation or discussion, push back
from the table and lean away from your counterpart
 The
counterpart often reacts by backing away too
 Now
lean forward, put your hands on the table (palms
showing), look him or her in the eyes and smile
 Interaction
 Your
warms up and is much more friendly / open
body language can help you build or break rapport

11. Body Language – Tip 7
7. To sound dynamic, widen your stance
 Voice
comes from your entire body, not just your
mouth, use your body to become a more dynamic
speaker
A
broad stance keeping feet planted firmly on the
floor, hips-width apart, with weight evenly distributed
calms the nervous system, allows you to breathe with
ease, and amplifies your voice
 It
also signals confidence to yourself and people seeing you

12. Body Language – Tip 8
8. To stay in control, take a step back
 When
stuck or feel you are losing control, back up – take
one step back and assert yourself
 Backward
motion is a powerful way to enhance
cognitive control
 According
to a research, people in difficult situations improved
the ability to cope by simply taking a step back (literally)

13. Body Language - Tip 9
10. Increase team productivity, keep your body
language open
 “emotional
contagion” - People monitor for emotional
cues; if your body looks closed, depressed or
angry, people subconsciously pick up and mimic your
state
 Keep
your posture relaxed, inclusive and open, your
team will respond by being more cohesive, positive and
productive
 Your
team reflects your state

14. Body Language – Tip 10
10. Smile, without a reason
 Whatever
the situation – smile
 Smile
induces a lot of positive energy in you
and in people around you
 If
you are feeling tensed – smile
 If
you are feeling ignored – smile
 If
you are feeling fearful – smile
 If
you are feeling anxious – smile
 Smile
your way to success, and keep smiling!

15. You are gifted with mind, body and
emotions. Use them to your benefit.
Girish Chandra Ananthanarayana
girish.cdp@gmail.com /cdpresources.com
Reference:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2014/01/02/10-simple-and-powerful-bodylanguage-tips-for-2014/2/