Build Trust With Your Body Langauge
Build Trust with Your Body Language How Your Body Language Can Build Trust or Destroy It Body language is relevant to your message because your audience tends to put more belief in what they see versus what they hear – especially when the two signals conflict. If you want your message to be believed, then ensure that your body language supports your words. Body language isn’t really a language. It’s more like a code. Although many hand gestures have meaning, much of body language is ambiguous. That means the audience interprets the meaning based on their perception. Their perception is based on their cultural norms, experience and emotional state. No surprise that people won’t all see you the same way. Your body language is working when people are not aware of it. That means that it is sync with your words. Body language is easier to notice when it’s out of sync. Imagine if you: Tell someone you love them with a scowl on your face. Explain your vision while you are slouched. Tell your team that you ‘got their back’ while you cross your arms and back away from them. Three Ways to Build Trust With Body Lanaguage Your Face The audience spends most of the time looking at your face. Why? Because that is the part that is most interesting and conveys the most emotion. The two most important parts of your face are your eyes and lips. The audience needs to see your face. Ensure that they can. Stand where they can clearly see your face. Don’t obstruct your face. Keep your hands away from your face because that is distracting and obstructs which lowers trust. This becomes more noticeable and damaging when speaking on camera. Your Hands Show your hands and we will trust you more. If you hide them, the audience might question your intentions. Don’t place your hands behind your back or in your pockets. It helps to gesture with your hands to reinforce your points. When siting at a table you will appear more trustworthy when you place your hands on top of the table. Movement How you move reveals your state of mind. When you are agitated or anxious you will tend to move quickly, stiffly or erratically. While we are listening, our eyes notice the movement and convey a message of conflict. It’s okay to move when you speak. Move slowly and purposefully because that signals that you are confident and trustworthy. Your body is always sending messages. Are you aware of the perceived messages? Are you in control of your body? Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn More Here
Body Language was Misunderstood
When Body Language is Misunderstood King Kong and the Misread Message: What Body Language Reveals When you think of King Kong, you might picture brute strength, chest pounding, roaring rage, and destruction. The image is unforgettable, a giant ape atop the Empire State Building swatting at airplanes while clutching a young woman. The world perceived a monster out of control. But what if that was the wrong reading? What if Kong’s greatest tragedy was not his fall, but that nobody understood what he was trying to communicate? Kong didn’t speak with words. He spoke through movement, posture, expression, and action. In other words, he communicates through body language. And when we examine his behaviour more closely, a different story emerges. When Kong first encounters Ann, he does not immediately crush or kill her. Instead, he studies her. He leans in. He tilts his head. He sniffs. He watches. These are signals of curiosity, not aggression. In human communication, curiosity often appears as leaning forward, maintaining focus, and observing closely. Yet because Kong is enormous and physically intimidating, his curiosity is interpreted as threat. How often does that happen in business? A senior executive asks sharp questions and is perceived as hostile, when they may simply be deeply curious. A leader with a commanding presence enters a room and people become tense, even if the leader intends warmth and openness. Size, status, and physical presence can distort how body language is interpreted. Kong also demonstrates protection. He rescues Ann from danger multiple times. He holds her carefully, remarkably carefully for a creature of his size. He shields her from predators. He places her high above danger. In Kong’s world, proximity means protection. Keeping something close, means guarding it. Yet humans interpret this as possession. Again, the signal is misunderstood. Intent and interpretation are often miles apart. Then there is Kong’s anger: the chest beating, roaring, and explosive displays of force. Here, the message is unmistakable: Stay away. I feel threatened. In nature, larger movements, louder sounds, and expanded posture are classic warning signs. Humans display versions of this too: raised voices, aggressive gestures, rigid posture, clenched jaws. These are often defensive signals, not offensive ones. By the time these signals appear, earlier messages have usually been ignored. That is a lesson worth remembering. Many people do not begin with aggression. They begin with subtle signals: withdrawal, silence, tension, shortened answers, reduced eye contact, or controlled frustration. When those signs are missed, emotion escalates. Kong’s final climb up the Empire State Building is often framed as defiance. It may have been desperation. He was cornered, overwhelmed, attacked, and holding onto the only familiar connection he had left. Height gave him safety. Ann gave him comfort. His body language was not saying, I want to destroy your world. It may have been saying, I do not understand your world, and I am trying to survive it. That is a powerful communication lesson. Before judging a person’s behaviour, ask:What might they actually be signaling? Body language speaks constantly. The real challenge is learning to read beyond appearances. Sometimes what looks like a monster is simply a misunderstood message. Body language tells us more about the emotions and it’s easy to get it wrong because our emotions can misinterpret what we are seeing. Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn More Here