When I work with clients on how to use their body more effectively while communicating, I work on 4 different areas: breath, posture, facial expressions, and gestures.

Breath

Have you ever caught yourself holding your breath? Many of us, when we are giving a presentation or are in a stressful situation, forget to breathe. We breathe just enough to keep from passing out. Obviously this does not allow for the full functioning of our brain. Remember breathing is permitted. It is your life force. Use it!

Full breathing will help your voice become more resonant, your mind become clearer, and your gestures appear more natural. It relaxes you. When we are relaxed, we are better able to perform to the best of our abilities. We appear more credible and trustworthy. When we relax, our audience and clients relax with us and are more open to receiving our message. It is physically impossible to feel and look relaxed when we are not breathing.

I teach my clients breathing and visualization exercises so they begin to link breathing with presenting. Adding breath to your communication will dramatically improve your presentation skills.

Posture

I am sometimes reluctant to use the word "posture"; it often conjures up images of standing at military attention. That is not what I intend. I mean, rather, standing in (and enjoying!) your full height and width. Good alignment is not static; it is continually moving.

Your posture shows people how you feel about yourself, how you feel about them, and how you feel about your material. A deflated posture communicates insecurity or lack of energy. A rigid posture may communicate inflexibility and arrogance. Any unnecessary tension you hold in your body will, at some level, be woven into your presentation.

I draw upon my years of dance training as I work with my clients to develop an upright, open and relaxed stance. We develop a stance that is grounded; as it communicates strength and commitment. At the same time, we develop a stance that reaches out into space, which communicates enthusiasm and openness.

When you are able to communicate strength, commitment, enthusiasm and openness just by walking into a room, think how much more effective your communication skills will be.

Facial Expressions

Our face is our most obvious feature. People look at our faces, and decide whether to trust us, or not. An open face, genuine smile and a sparkle in the eyes will immediately open the doors to greater rapport with your clients or audience. I imagine that my face is saying YES!

I recommend to my clients to find a friendly face at the beginning of a presentation. Connect and interact with that person. When your audiences see you establishing a real connection, they will want that same connection. Shortly after, more friendly faces will magically appear. Move your focus so that all parts of the room are included.

Many people, when giving a presentation, will merely glance at their audience. Brief, choppy eye contact may communicate distrust or anxiety. Allow your eyes to rest on people. Allow them to see your spirit. Allow yourself the time and focus to see who they are. When this happens, you will create a deeper level of rapport. We know rapport is essential if you want to have a positive impact in their lives.

Gestures

When I first started speaking in front of people, I used to wonder, "What do I do with my hands?!!?" When presenting, I felt like I had two dead fish attached to the end of each arm, flopping about all over the place. So the only thing I could think of was to clasp them tightly together. Admittedly, that was not a very effective alternative.

Many of us are self conscious about our gestures. Some people Velcro their elbows to their waists, and move their hands in a jerky, undirected manner. These gestures only distract the audience away from us and our message. They are like "fillers" (umm's & ahhh's), and create static rather than clarity. The key is to develop gestures that are natural, expressive, and purposeful.

Gestures work best when they help illustrate a point you are making. By getting your body involved, you have a better chance of involving the audience. Remember: The more space you are willing to use, the more power you communicate.

When my clients and I work on gestures, I have them practice getting out of their comfort zone, to use bigger, more purposeful, or perhaps slower gestures. As with the voice, it is vitally important that the gestures appear natural, not contrived. If you are unaccustomed to using gestures, this takes some time and practice, but as you begin to incorporate a wider range, your presentations will become more dynamic and compelling.