7/3/2018 Negative Body Language: 7 Deadly Sins of Nonverbal Communication

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Negative Body Language: 7 Deadly Sins of Nonverbal
Communication
Apr 09, 2017 by Gary Genard

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Negative body language undermines your credibility and message. Use this guide to see if you use
one of the ‘7 deadly sins’ of nonverbal communication. 

Body language fascinates you, doesn't it? Of course it does. We're all fascinated by body language,
especially when it comes to interpreting what someone else's physical actions mean.

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What does that gesture signify? Is he or she responding positively to me? Am I seeing truthfulness or
lying? Is any of this nonverbal behavior reliable information?

Your body language affects an audience's perception of you. So if you want to speak with lasting
influence, use the nonverbal techniques that will convince listeners. Download my free
guide, "The Body Language Rules:  12 Ways to Be a More Powerful Speaker."

Body Language Is Key to Nonverbal Communication

If you're that interested in what other people are showing you in terms of their intensions and
motives, let's turn that situation around: What about when you're the one giving a speech or
presentation? You get it: your audience wants to know the same things about you, including:

Are you trustworthy?

Is what you're saying credible?
Do you have the audience's interests at heart rather than your own?
Are you a confident speaker?
Can they believe in your message?

The list is actually much longer concerning how you're coming across and whether your message is
resonating.  Clearly, you need to use body language powerfully to be credible and persuasive in the
eyes of your audience. 

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The 7 Deadly Sins of Nonverbal Communication

Below are the 7 ways speakers exhibit "negative body language" that undermines their credibility and
influence. If you see your own behavior reflected here, it's time to take stock and start employing
body language that helps rather than hurts your cause.

#1. Poor stance or posture.

 Audiences cue in on your sense of self-worth by how you hold yourself. Slumped shoulders and a
caved chest indicate surrender, not a willingness to take on the world in a worthy endeavor. As I tell
clients at The Genard Method, "How you stand affects your standing with the audience." Here's a
easy yet effective exercise: Imagine a string leading from the top of your head into infinity. Someone
is tugging gently and steadily on that string. Allow yourself to respond . . . and notice in a mirror how
much more capable and confident you look!

#2. Avoiding eye contact.

You know the variations of this one: the nervous speaker who talks to the floor; the PowerPoint user
who has a cozy dialogue with the screen while ignoring the audience; the keynoter who has an
excellent relationship with his notes and none with the people in the seats. Or a presenter who reads
those amazing invisible notes on the ceiling none of us can see. Trust is your most valuable
commodity as a speaker, and that attribute begins and ends with eye contact. To dramatically
improve your eye contact in public speaking, use this technique.

#3. Creating a barrier that shuts out listeners. 

This sin has many variations. Standing with arms crossed; the fig leaf position of hands in front of the
crotch; creating a church steeple with one's fingers; "washing" the hands while speaking; even a
gesture with palm outward toward the audience that seems to say, "Stop!" — Every one of these
features a speaker creating a physical barrier in front of listeners. Let those arms remain at your sides,
and bring them up to make a gesture that amplifies or supports your meaning. It may feel awkward at
first, but you'll soon get used to it.

#4. Unproductive use of space.

Believe it or not, it's easy to over-emphasize gestures and ignore using space! Audiences expect a
performer, not a statue. In fact, it's your job to command space. Using different parts of the stage tells
an audience you're comfortable up there; and few performance techniques aid engagement like
letting listeners know you're about to start a new point. If you stand in a different spot for each of
those points, listeners will retain each one more reliably. Use your audience in terms of space as well,
approaching them to answer questions or to "check in" frequently. Here are 5 acting techniques to
improve your stage presence in public speaking.

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#5. Employing weak or repetitive gestures. 

"What should I do with my hands?" is a frequent question of anxious speakers. The answer is simple:
a gesture should be an integral part of what you're saying. As Hamlet put it, "Suit the action to the
word, the word to the action." With that mantra in mind, it should actually become difficult to use too
many gestures, since that particular gesture couldn't possibly fit that many expressions! The other half
of this equation is the power and spareness of the gesture: each one you make should be strong,
support the phrase, and end cleanly. Want more on effective gestures? Here's how to look good and
feel strong as a speaker.

#6. Relating negatively to listeners. 

You've seen speakers accomplish this remarkable feat: Rather than cultivating influence with an
audience, they antagonize them. Negative facial expressions, nodding impatiently at a questioner so
they'll shut up so you can answer, pointing a stiff finger at the next unlucky questioner in line (instead
of using a "welcoming" gesture), or even looking at the floor as you ponder your momentous reply
even as they're still asking their question — these are clear indications that the speaker would rather
be somewhere else. Pretty soon, of course, the audience will agree.

#7. Clumsy use of objects.

You've seen the laser pointers that dance playfully close to an audience member's eyes; the writing
instruments held but never once used in a presentation; the piece of chalk tossed into the air
constantly during a lecture; and the microphones held too close or waving in the air as part of a
gesture. Like actors with props, speakers need to use objects rather than being used by them. As a
minimum exercise in mastering objects, come out from behind a lectern whenever possible. A
ponderous lecturn is the worst physical barrier of all, which is why I call it one of the "Devil's Tools."

You should follow me on Twitter here.

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Tags: public speaking training,body language,gestures,influence,charisma,presence,The Genard

Method,Dr. Gary Genard,negative body language,7 deadly sins

social intelligence 8/30/2016, 3:37:28 PM

Nice b421log and very informative

Reply to social intelligence

Maria buttazzoni 4/10/2017, 10:04:36 AM

interesting read

Reply to Maria buttazzoni

wilbert tomlinson 4/10/2017, 9:51:25 PM

Good

Reply to wilbert tomlinson

Mathews Sakala 4/14/2017, 8:40:29 PM

Very insightful, thanx.

Reply to Mathews Sakala

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Rajkumari Prasad 3/24/2018, 1:44:24 PM

Very interesting

Reply to Rajkumari Prasad

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