Due to the current stay-at-home orders, we are primarily interacting from our desk chairs or couches or kitchen tables. Which means we are presenting and communicating while sitting down. What do we lose when we present from a seated position?
Mainly, we lose a lot of nonverbal communication. When we present while sitting down, we don’t have the full power of movement and gestures and stance. So we have to use the other elements of nonverbal communication, like eye contact and facial expression, to help support our verbal message. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still deliver great presentations while sitting down. We can still use open body language. And we can take advantage of some tips for presenting from a seated position.
Open Vs. Closed Body Language
Most body language falls into one of two categories: open or closed. Open body language involves postures like uncrossed arms, uncrossed legs, and relaxed, visible arms and hands. Closed body language looks like this: crossed arms and legs, a hunched over posture, and hands hidden in pockets or behind your back.
Closed body language can communicate several things, and none of them will help your credibility. If you cross your arms over your chest, your audience might think you are defensive or resistant to new ideas. If you hunch over rather than standing up straight and squaring your shoulders, it might communicate that you are insecure or trying to hide something. So stay away from closed body language.
Instead, use open body postures to show confidence and increase your credibility. Square your shoulders to the screen and sit up straight in your chair. But this doesn’t mean that you have to be stiff or robotic. Be relaxed. Researchers who study presidential debates have proven that “power and credibility correlate with greater relaxation and poise.” If you are like me, you might often think of relaxation and poise as opposites. I can either be relaxed or poised. But that’s simply not the case. A natural, relaxed, open style of body language will enhance your communication. And you can be both relaxed and poised while sitting down. Here’s how.
Tips for Seated Presentations
First, if at all possible, give your presentation standing up. This will allow you to use your full range of body language to help you communicate. But if it would seem weird for the context, you are afraid it will be distracting in an online format, or if it’s simply not an option, use these adaptations for presenting while sitting down.
- Arrange the camera so you can see your entire upper body. This will allow you to make hand and arm gestures that are within sight of the audience. This might involve moving the camera or laptop farther away from you. That can get tricky if you need to interact on a chat thread or move towards your computer at times. In that case, consider using a wireless keyboard and mouse so that you can control your computer even if you need to be seated farther away from it. We like this one from Logitech.
- Lean forward in your chair. This is an open body posture which will make you appear more warm and engaging. In her article, “The Body Language of Attraction,” Vanessa Van Edwards says, “leaning towards someone is a nonverbal way of telling them you are engaged . . . and interested.” We lean toward whatever or whomever has our attention and focus. And this is body language you can speak clearly even from a seated position.
- Avoid self-focused gestures like fixing your hair or touching your face. These types of movements can be distracting. They pull the attention to you, but not in a good way. They can also detract from your credibility as a presenter. Why? Because self-focused gestures communicate that you are more interested in how you look than in what is being said. Check your hair and face in a mirror or on the camera screen prior to presenting. Then, during the presentation try to keep your hands resting on the table or on your lap unless you are using them to gesture.
We are all learning new ways to communicate in new contexts and with new media. If you are giving a seated presentation for the first time or the hundredth time, these reminders about open and closed body language and tips for seated presentations can help. Communication, whether verbal and nonverbal, is something we never fully master. But it is something we should continually work to improve.
Need help developing, designing, or delivering a big presentation? Ethos3 can help.
