Let’s face it, most people worry more about what they’ll say in a presentation than how they’ll look while saying it. Well here’s the truth: your words only tell part of the story.
Research shows that more than half of your communication impact comes from your body language – your posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact. When your non-verbal communication aligns with your message, you become more engaging, credible, and persuasive.
I had a photographer present at one of my recent closing keynote speeches and thought it might be helpful to show you what I mean about moving your body well. Here are my six body language tips every speaker should master – whether you’re presenting to your team or a thousand delegates at a conference.
1. Stand tall and grounded when necessary
The way you stand sends an immediate message about your confidence. Before you even speak, your audience makes subconscious judgments about whether you seem comfortable and trustworthy.
When you want to appear confident, credible and believable it’s important to plant your feet under the bones of your hips, with your weight evenly balanced. Avoid fidgeting, crossing your legs, or shifting from side to side because a grounded stance gives the impression of calm authority. It also helps you breath diaphragmatically which will mean your voice projects clearly and keeps your energy centred. In my Presentation skills course, we practise this “power posture” until it feels natural.
- Use your hands with purpose
Your hands are one of your best storytelling tools. They help you emphasise points, show enthusiasm, and make abstract ideas feel tangible.
Use open, natural gestures that complement your words. Palms facing upward or outwards communicate honesty and openness, while pointing can come across as aggressive.
The key is intention. Gestures should support what you’re saying, not distract from it. Practise in front of a mirror or record yourself to notice whether your hands are adding impact or unnecessary noise.
Remember, expressive planned gestures don’t just make you look confident, they make you feel more confident.
3. Make genuine eye contact
Eye contact is one of the fastest ways to build trust with your audience. It shows confidence, warmth, and sincerity and keeps people engaged.
Aim to connect with individuals for a few seconds at a time rather than scanning the room mechanically or looking over people’s heads. Move your gaze naturally between different sections of the audience.
If you’re nervous, start by looking at friendly faces or those nodding along. Their positive energy will boost yours!
In my Presentation skills course in Sydney, I teach speakers to look at someone until there’s a pause, comma or full stop. It’s simple, powerful, and immediately lifts your presence.
4. Smile
A genuine smile is the easiest way to appear approachable and confident. It relaxes both you and your audience, builds rapport, and encourages people to listen.
Be sure your smile is natural and from your heart because fake smiles are easy to spot. Your audience can sense insincerity a mile away.
The secret is to make sure you are completely clear about how your message is helping your audience before you begin. When your smile comes from a real emotion, it radiates authenticity.
Smiling also releases endorphins, which help calm nerves and put you in a positive frame of mind. It’s a win-win!
5. Move with purpose
Every step you take when presenting should have intention. Purposeful movement adds energy, draws focus, and subtly reinforces the structure of your message. It’s not about pacing nervously — it’s about using movement to signal transitions, highlight key points, and keep your audience visually engaged.
When you attend one of my Presentation Skills Courses in Sydney, you’ll learn exactly how to move like a leader — confidently, intentionally, and with the kind of presence that commands attention and earns respect. Once you master this, you’ll never wander aimlessly again — every step will help your message land with power and purpose.
- Let your face do the talking
Your face communicates far more than your words. A raised eyebrow, a knowing smile, or an empathetic nod all add colour and credibility to your message.
Avoid “presentation face” – that frozen, overly serious expression people often wear when they’re nervous. Instead, think about the emotion you want your audience to feel, make sure you feel it too! Then your face will do the perfect thing to reinforce that emotional objective. For example, you want your audience to feel light and animated in your story, then calm and focused when you deliver the data or instructions.
Facial variety not only makes you more engaging to watch, it also helps your audience understand your tone and emotion.
Bonus tip: Rehearse on video
The best way to refine your body language is to watch yourself. Record a short practice run of your presentation and observe how you move, gesture, and make eye contact.
Do you look confident and natural, or tense and rigid? Are your gestures aligned with your words? Do you appear approachable and credible?
Watching yourself is the most powerful way to improve quickly. And the good news? With the right training and practice, anyone can look and feel amazing on stage.
Ready to master your body language?
Your body speaks volumes even when your mouth is silent. When you align your non-verbal communication with your message, you don’t just look confident, you become confident.
If you’re ready to take your presentation presence to the next level, join one of my Presentation skills courses. Whether you’re in Sydney or travelling in, my interactive Presentation skills course in Sydney is the perfect place to learn how to persuade, present, and truly connect with your audience.
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©2025 MICHELLE BOWDEN is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. She’s run her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 1040 times for more than 13,000 people over the past 26 years and her name is a synonym for ‘presentation skills’ in Australia.
Michelle Bowden is a multi-million-dollar pitch coach to her client list that reads like a who’s who of international business: banking and finance, IT, pharmaceutical, retail, telecommunications plus many more.
Michelle is the creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile®, a world-first psychological assessment tool that reports on your persuasive strengths and weaknesses at work, the best-selling internationally published author of How to Present: the ultimate guide to presenting live and online (Wiley) and her new best-selling book is called How to Persuade: the skills you need to get what you want (Wiley).