Delivering an engaging presentation that your audience will enjoy and remember takes more than just a great PowerPoint and well-outlined speech. In fact, having an effective presentation and being an influential speaker boils down to this: you have to be likable.

Studies show that people are more receptive to communications that come from likable sources. We tend to judge whether or not we like someone based on two dimensions: warmth (“can I trust this person?”) and power/competence (“can I respect this person?”). 

According to Dr. Amy Cuddy, social psychologist and award-winning Harvard lecturer, “We’re constantly sending non-verbal signals that people use to judge how warm or powerful we are.” So when your audience is listening to your presentation, they’re also paying attention to what your body language says about your warmth and competence. Ultimately, that will determine whether or not they like you.

We share tips on how to make sure you convey warmth and competence on stage to draw a crowd that will remember you for your words and stage presence!

Warmth
Before you focus on letting your audience know how intelligent or knowledgeable you are on a subject, you must first establish that they can trust you by exuding warmth. Try these body language gestures to signal that you have a genuine interest in the well-being of your audience:

• Give a genuine smile: Smiling is a natural way to convey warmth and allows you to immediately build a connection with your audience.

• Show open palms: Showing open palms signals to our primitive instincts that you have nothing to hide, thus making you more trustworthy.

• Make direct eye contact: Making eye contact with the audience members and holding their gaze even for just a second, helps you to build a connection with your audience and lets them know that you are credible and authentic. It also helps you to gauge how your audience is receiving your message.

Competence
Now that the audience knows they can trust you, it’s time to let them know that they can respect you. Try these body language gestures to signal that you are someone worth listening to:

• Have a strong posture and open stance: Stand tall and relaxed with your shoulders square to the audience to master a sort of “power stance” while presenting. Besides showing your audience that you are confident, holding this power stance can also build your own self-confidence as you present.

• Avoid stiff movements, hands in your pockets, or looking at the floor: These gestures can signal to your audience that you are nervous and thus can negatively impact your credibility from the start.

• Use your space effectively: Standing in one place during a presentation can be seen as a form of hiding and at the core, can make your presentation seem dull. Walking around and using the full range of the stage/space helps you to command the room and engage with your audience, exuding confidence and authority.

As you practice and implement these body language techniques in your presentations and speaking opportunities, not only will you become a more effective and engaging presenter, but you’ll also be a likable one at that.