Where to Put the Hands?

 
During a presentation, your hands suddenly become the most troublesome part of your body. What feels completely natural in everyday life turns into pure awkwardness on stage. And your mind starts circling around a single question: “What do I do with them?”

The result is the opposite of what we call “authentic” body language. But what does that actually mean? Authentic body language consists of gestures and movements that subtly reinforce what we’re saying.

In daily life, we do this unconsciously. We hardly give a second thought to how we use our arms, legs, head, shoulders, or torso when we communicate. Yet the moment we stand up in a lecture hall or conference room and step forward, we suddenly have no idea what to do with all those body parts.

The reason runs deep. Our primate brain sends a strong warning: the moment we stand up in front of a group, we risk standing out—drawing attention—and, in the worst case, being excluded. Instinctively, our brain freezes us.

Relax

“For inexperienced speakers, the physical act of being onstage can be the most difficult part of giving a presentation—but people tend to overestimate its importance. Getting the words, story, and substance right is a much bigger determinant of success or failure than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous.” — Chris Anderson

For Chris Anderson, co-founder of the TED talks, the most important aspect of body language is eye contact. Pick five or six people in the audience, seated in different areas, who seem friendly. Look at them directly again and again, in varying order.

Making eye contact with just a few individuals is enough to create an authentic impression for the entire audience. But the best way to truly gesture authentically cannot be reduced to tips about eye contact or body language control. The best method for a natural posture is simple: tell a story.

If you begin your presentation with a story, it creates a relaxed start—for your audience and for yourself. Stories are easy to remember and easy to tell. Ideally, tell your own story. Then you won’t have to think about body language at all. You will naturally adopt a posture and gestures that feel authentic.

Because when we tell stories, we slip—not only verbally, but also in facial expressions and gestures—into a conversational mode. We smile, make eye contact, and instinctively underline what we say with gestures.

If you tell your story well, your audience will reward you with positive feedback. You’ll receive smiles or laughter in return. Listeners settle comfortably into their chairs or lean forward to listen more closely. Laptop lids close, and eyes shift from smartphones to you. This positive resonance encourages you to continue—and makes it easier to move into the more challenging parts of your talk, perhaps the more abstract sections that are harder to support with body language.

Abstract Words

The reason we struggle so much with our bodies during presentations—aside from the psychological stress—is also rooted in the words we use. The more abstract the language, the harder it is for our bodies to follow.

With concrete words like wide, high, deep, large, mountain, valley, table, or chair, we have a physical reference point. Our arms and legs can accompany their meaning. Abstract terms like strategy, planning security, or conceptualization, however, are terra incognita for the body—blind spots, intangible, impossible to grasp. No wonder we don’t know what to do with our arms and legs.

So try to distinguish between two phases in your presentation:

1. The storytelling phase: Here, you underline your stories with expressive gestures, actively using your arms and hands. You might change position on stage or move closer to the audience.
2. The message phase: These are the moments when you become more abstract and present your key ideas. Support your words with minimal movement. Take a stable stance and come to physical stillness for a moment. This reduced body language signals that this is an important moment in your presentation.

And a few more tips…

Before you begin: take your time to find your place on stage—and own it. Stand still, look up, and start. Maintain an upright posture: a bit of tension in your back will help you stay focused.

Where to put your hands? Keep your arms slightly bent at your sides. Even better: hold something in your hand (this naturally creates a bend in the arm)—a laser pointer, a card, or an object related to your topic. (Not a pen—the temptation to click it nervously is simply too great.)

Do it the Italian way: use your hands to emphasize what you’re saying. It helps your audience stay engaged.

Move on stage: changing your position creates dynamism and sparks interest. But don’t overdo it. Especially if your talk is being filmed, coordinate beforehand with the camera operator.

Absolute no-go: bouncing. Rising up and down on your toes is strictly off-limits.


You’d like to learn more about the Art of Storytelling? My new book Between the Lines: How Smart Brands Use Story to Win Markets and Build Trust will be released in early May. Pre-order now.

This text was written by a human; AI tools were used for spelling and grammar checks.