S

1. Body Language and
Clothing for
Presentations
American Pragmatics and Culture
Spring 2012
Ms. Candice Quiñones

2. Overview
Body Language – By the Book
Body Language –Other Tips
Clothing –By the Book
Clothing – Other Tips

3. Body Language for
Presenting
Most Material Adapted from Presentation Skills by Steve
Mandel

4. Body Language:
According to Steve Mandel:
“It’s not just what you say but how you say it”
Movement
Gestures
Facial Expression
Voice
Posture
Eye contact
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

5. Movement: By the Book
Don’t stand in one spot the whole time (like a tree)
Take an occasional step or two
Follow the principal “Look, move, plant”
Look at the person you are going to move toward
Move
Plant your feet and stop moving
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

6. Movement: By the Book
“Stay close, stay direct, stay involved”
Stay away from the lectern
Stay within 4-6 feet of the first row
Keep your body facing the audience as much as
possible
Speak only when looking at people
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

7. Movement: Other Tips
Moving around is good, but don’t do it all the time
Don’t move to fast either
Try to use the entire space
If you need to point at something, use a pointer or
the mouse
Don’t step in front of the projector

8. Gestures: By the Book
Our anxiety tends to be displayed by our gestures.
Try to control nervous gestures
Relax (but not too much)
Let your hands relax and rest by your sides between
gestures
Natural gestures will add to a presentation, not
distract the audience
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

9. Gestures:
What Not To Do
Don’t keep your hands in your pockets
Don’t keep hands “handcuffed” behind your back
Don’t keep your arms crossed
Don’t use the “Fig-leaf” position for hands
Fig-leaf= folding one hand over the other in front of
the body (lower or upper)
Don’t wring your hands
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

10. Don’ts
Hands in Pockets Hands Behind Back
Fig Leaf Crossed Arms Wringing Hands

11. Facial Expressions
Use all of them as necessary
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142131.htm

12. Voice: By the Book
Be aware of volume
A soft voice can be viewed as a lack of confidence
and could hurt your credibility
Speaking too loud could mean your hearing is
impaired
Do a volume check before you begin, simply ask the
people in the back of the room if they can hear you.
Source Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

13. Voice: Other Tips
Try to avoid being monotone by varying intonation
Raise pitch and volume slightly for key points
Watch the audience for cues about your volume
Pace yourself:
Slow down
Use pauses

14. Posture: By the Book
Keep your posture erect, but relaxed
Stand up straight (but not stiff)
Evenly distribute your weight
Don’t be shifting your weight from one hip to the
other (it can be distracting)
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

15. Good Posture
http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/posture.html

16. Analyze Posture
Which of these is okay for a presenter?
http://emotisys.net/category/master/

17. Posture: Other Tips
Be aware of your audience’s posture.
http://www.mbanetbook.co.in/2010/05/presentations-postures-and-gestures.html

18. Eye Contact: By the Book
Speak to one person at a time when you present
Make eye contact for 3-5 seconds per person, then
move
If the group is large, make eye contact with
individuals in different parts of the audience
Don’t just look at your audience, SEE them
From Presentation Skills by Steve Mandel

19. Clothing
How to Dress for a Presentation

20. Dress Codes
Formal (black-tie)
Semi-Formal
Business
Business Casual
Casual
Streetwear
Sports/Athletic

21. Formal (Black-Tie)
This would normally be worn to a formal function
like a ball, dinner, or other high society event.

22. Semi-Formal
Women
Dresses and dress suits that fall at or below the knee,
cocktail dresses that fall no more than an inch above
the knee, and pant suits.
Women can even pair a dressy top with tuxedo or
dress pants, made of an appropriate fabric.
Semi-formal fabrics include taffeta, chiffon, velvet, satin,
sateen, gossamer, velour, silk, polyester and cashmere.
Pair the outfit with dress heels, dressy flats or
strappy sandals that coordinate with your outfit
color.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7197265_semi_formal-dress-mean_.html

23. Semi -Formal
Men
A sports jacket, slacks, vest and tie or a dark or light
business suit with dress shoes, such as oxfords.
For semi-formal events that take place after 6
p.m., men should wear a dark suit with a white dress
shirt and evening tie.
Look for suits made of wool, polyester or gabardine
Men should avoid linen or seersucker suits as well as loafers.
No jeans or flip-flops!
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7197265_semi_formal-dress-mean_.html

24. Business Attire
http://www.askmen.com/fashion/keywords/b
usiness-attire.html

25. Business Attire for Men
http://blog.dresses-shopping.com/business-
dress-code/

26. Business Attire for
Women
http://blog.wearittowork.co.uk/default,date,2010-04-06.aspx

27. Business Casual
http://washingtonprogram.ucdavis.edu/BusinessCasualWomen.htm

28. Casual
http://humanresources.about.com/od/dresscodesforwork/ig/Casual-Dress-Code/Casual-Dress-Code.-5YY.htm

29. Streetwear
http://www.grooveeffect.com/m-style/092308-jack-threads---your-daily-stre.php

30. Sports/Athleticwear

31. Swimwear

32. Presentation Attire
Business or Business Casual are usually appropriate
depending on the situation.
If you are not sure how to dress—Ask someone who
might know.

33. Presentation Attire -
Men
Casual wear and suits should be well-tailored
Men’s suit coats are designed to be buttoned
Shirts should fit well, and the color should not be too
bright
Ties can be used to complement the color of your eyes and
face
Shoes should be appropriate, comfortable, and well
shined
Hair frames the face (be well groomed)

34. Presentation Attire-
Women
Clothes should fit well but not too tightly
Find two or three colors that work well with your
complexion and hair
Avoid jewelry that sparkles, dangles, or makes noise
Makeup should be simple and flattering
Your hairstyle should be professional and controlled

35. Questions?