One can experience again and again how actually good presentations are spoiled by inappropriate moderation. Body language in presentations must also fit the content. Unfortunately, the content of a presentation is no longer optimally transported to the audience. The voice and gestures of the presenter are a decisive factor in conveying content convincingly. They are stylistic devices that are too important to be ignored.
Excellent PowerPoint slides are the indispensable basis for a successful presentation today. A mediocre PowerPoint presentation has virtually no realistic chance of success with the audience in 2022. It is not only the individual slides that have to be excellent. The presenter must also present the slides perfectly. Therefore, a good PowerPoint presentation is hardly successful without a well-prepared speaker with good body language in presentations.
BEAUTIFUL POWERPOINT SLIDES ARE JUST THE BEGINNING – YOU ALSO HAVE TO PRESENT THEM WELL
Just as important as professionally designed slides, is the professional presentation of the content. For the presenter, this means taking on a lot of responsibility. He can either “get across” the individual messages convincingly and entertainingly or ruin everything.
If the presenter’s presentation style doesn’t resonate with the audience, even the best slides won’t save the presentation. It is often surprising that many companies at least realize how important professional slides are; solid training for the speaker is often neglected. But you can learn to present slides skillfully.
THE BODY LANGUAGE IN PRESENTATIONS UNDERLINES YOUR MESSAGES
How to use body language in presentations correctly to present successfully? You can watch many experts on the Internet about this. On Youtube, there are countless lectures that you can watch as an example. For example, search for the keywords “body language” and “stage”. This will give you some initial insights into how the professionals do it. You will notice that body language in presentations on a stage sometimes differs significantly from the gestures we use when talking to a colleague. In German-speaking countries, we usually use our hands and arms rather sparingly in conversations. For many, it is simply unfamiliar to use them. On stage, your arms and hands are important communication tools.
THE 3-JOINT RULE BY THOMAS SKIPWITH
The experienced speaker and coach Thomas Skipwith teaches in his courses a concept to use hands and arms sensibly to support a presentation. His interesting thesis is: body language in presentations also has a volume. If you are speaking in front of a small group of people, you should gesticulate correspondingly little, but purposefully. In presentations in front of a large audience, small hand movements cannot be recognized by all viewers. Here, the movements must be correspondingly larger. Thomas Skipwith’s rule of thumb is therefore: small audience – small movements. In a small audience, the hands are only used up to the wrist. In a medium-sized audience of about 20-30 people, the hands are used arms up to the elbow. In a large audience, i.e. several hundred people, the upper arms up to the shoulder joints can also be used for communication.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE SPACE AVAILABLE TO YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION
If you have a little more space available for your presentation, you can also use this area for your own purposes. Maybe you have space for a flipchart on which you can sketch something. Also, take the opportunity to take a few steps toward your audience. Try not to hide behind your lectern, but move your body quietly across the stage. This adds variety and keeps the audience’s attention high. Again, the right dosage is important. For a good PowerPoint presentation, you need to know the exact degree between dynamic and hectic. Too much movement will quickly distract your audience from the content of your slides.
IS OFTEN UNDERESTIMATED WHEN PRESENTING: THE MIMIC
Unless you are presenting your slides in a huge convention hall or a Gothic cathedral, the audience will be able to see your facial expressions. What happens in your face while you present? Is it motionless, like a machine? Are your songs and corners of your mouth twitching because you’re insanely nervous? Or can they use your facial expressions purposefully to emphasize your messages? Does your face shine at the right part of the presentation and become serious and meaningful when you say something very important? Tip: practice in front of the mirror to see if your facial expression matches the content of your words.
Conclusion:
Pay proper attention to your body language in presentations. Poor body language can irritate your audience and, in the worst case, do great damage to your entire PowerPoint presentation. Practice in front of colleagues or friends and ask for honest feedback. Or contact a good PowerPoint-Agency. There, very effective Trainings are offered that will help you to appear confident in front of an audience in a short time.
