How many times have you heard the phrase, ‘Your body language says otherwise..” When you hear people say this to you, you should ideally believe them. Your body reflects your mind to the dot and you may not realise this until you find yourself to be the listener instead of the speaker.
This is exactly why teachers, public speakers & orators preach good body language. But did you know, these body language tips are useful to boardroom executives too?
How you may ask?
Business pitching takes more than just a talking mouth some, vivid, apt hand gestures make all the difference.
Pitching is emotional and so it’s just natural that your body initiates certain impulses. The trick is in channelising these impulses in the right way, in a way that communication is clear & passionate at the same time.
- Confidence: Stand tall, keeping head & shoulders straight-such a posture will exude confidence. But you don’t want to look too arrogant of the authority or the status you command, so blend this posture with some warm gestures like open palm gestures, leaning forward while talking, using eye contact & smiling. A good balance of confidence & empathy will keep the audience hooked.
- Make sure what you’re saying and what they’re seeing is the same. The non-verbal & the verbal should be aligned at all times. Make sure your gestures are complementing your words. As they say, seeing is believing so make sure your verbal & non-verbal messages are not contradicting. A smile in a stressful or serious situation can be mistaken as sarcasm.
- The gesture that says it all-handshake. Indians usually don’t give priority to handshakes but in business communities, a firm handshake can really break the ice better. This very basic physical contact has the power to initiate a strong connection. Studies also show that people remember those who shake their hands better. So make sure you shake all the investors’ hands and do it well. 1) make sure your right hand is always ready to shake; and that it’s not busy with folders/briefcases etc. 2)your palm should face sideways not upwards or downwards 3)make good eye contact while you shake hands 4) make it a firm handshake, which will express a positive confidence & assertiveness from your side.
- Remember you’re not just pitching to your audience you’re engaging with them, which means even if they’re not talking they got to be reciprocating in some way. Find out how they’re responding to you, are they looking at you with pointed focus, are they nodding in agreement, or are they distracted..? Also know when to disengage, people get too uncomfortable with prolonged eye contact. But if you find that somebody strongly agrees with you, you can increase eye contact with them. Also if you feel the audience is getting distracted give your talking break and invite them to react, respond or enquire.
Pitching is like a performance, go ahead and give your best shot!
