Busting Myths About Body Language

It’s been said many times that 93% of communication is nonverbal. Guess what? It’s a myth.

And a harmful one at that, especially when it comes to presentations. Because it causes people to tie themselves into knots trying to maneuver their various limbs into some optimally authoritative arrangement. 

Believe me, if your arms and legs make or break your presentation, then you’ve got much bigger problems than body language!

Sure, it’s important, but it’s certainly not the most important part of presenting. So let’s bust this myth and then get down to the practicalities. 

The 93% figure is based on an isolated laboratory experiment, conducted over 50 years ago, that has been widely misinterpreted and incorrectly applied to how we deliver presentations.

In fact, the study’s own author has criticized “self-styled corporate image consultants” and “leadership consultants” for misrepresenting his work. If you want to check it out for yourself, then Google “the Mehrabian myth.”

Content comes first.

To me, the biggest danger of the 93% figure is that it leads people to conclude that what they say matters a lot less than how they say it. As if a little jazz hands can make up for lackluster content.

So, yes, content matters. Is it 30% of communication? 70%? Who knows? But I can tell you this: It’s a whole lot more important than a mere 7%! 

To me, content and delivery go hand in hand. So before you start worrying about body language, make sure your content is audience-focused, clearly structured, engaging and fat-free.

Be yourself.

Delivery starts with being yourself. In one of my workshops, we had two managers with diametrically opposed speaking styles. One was a former major league baseball scout. He was wiry, athletic and intense. As he presented, he stalked the stage like a coach working to fire up his team at halftime.

And we could not take our eyes off of him. He knocked it out of the park.

Later, we watched a very different speaker. She was elegant and tall — six feet, not including heels — with a distinguished coif of silver hair. She stood stock still at the center of the stage and absolutely commanded the room with a calm, confident authority.

Conventional wisdom says he moved around too much, and she didn’t move enough. But neither would have been as successful trying to be something else.

First and foremost, be true to yourself. That’s what audiences want to see.

Bring energy and intention.

Next, go into the presentation with energy and intention. Focus on being confident, determined, positive and enthusiastic. Communication expert and speech coach Nick Morgan puts it this way: “If you’re going to give a speech, decide beforehand that you’re thrilled to have the opportunity to present to this great group of people…think first about what the purpose of the interaction is, what you want to get out of it and what your attitude toward it is. If you focus your emotions in this way, your gestures will take care of themselves.”

Use common sense.

Does this mean body language is unimportant? Of course not. But many of the basics come down to common sense:

• Stand up straight like your mother told you. It projects confidence and it also helps you project your voice. In virtual presentations, sit up and occupy that frame like you belong there.
• Make eye contact with your audience. Virtually, look into the camera.
• Don’t shift your weight from foot to foot like an angsty teenager or swivel in your chair. This is actually the biggest body language problem I see. Plant yourself and own your space.
• When you do move, be deliberate about it. Don’t nervously wander.

And don’t get rattled if you happen to commit a body language “sin” like crossing your arms or putting a hand in your pocket. Your content, energy and intention are far more important.