"It is not what you say that matters but the manner in which you say it; there lies the secret of the ages."
- Winning Body Language, page 7
"…the nonverbal cues are more than 10 times as important in your audience perceiving your belief or conviction concerning the material."- Winning Body Language, page 7
If you are interested in persuading and influencing others, you should be aware that your body may not be supporting your words. Imagine if you took control and focused your body to support your message. Compared to the brain, it is a much larger organ and it can quickly draw the minds of everyone around you into or out of alignment.
You likely remember Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 percent rule. Before his research, we all guessed that words would be the most impactful element of communication between words, tone of voice, and body language. He threw that thinking upside down with his claim that body language accounts for 55% of a receiver’s understanding, tone of voice accounts for 38% while words are responsible for only the remaining 7%. Think about that. The feeling, attitude or intent of our communication is almost entirely dependent on the non-verbal message (93%), not on what we say! So let’s increase our awareness of what to do and not to do with our body language.
Bowden talks about where our hands are when our mouth is talking. He divides the body into the GesturePlane System. Above the head is “ecstasy”, from the temple to the top of the head is “thought”, from the chin to the nose is “disclosure”, from the waist to the chin is “passion”, the waist itself is “truth”, below the waist is “grotesque” (from the word cave or meaning hidden and thus untrustworthy). So, keep these planes in mind when you move your hands. What are you trying to communicate?
"...this physical positioning of the hands at the height of the belly and open: across all cultures and across all times, is the strongest symbol for ‘you can trust me’."- Winning Body Language, page 56
If you are like 95% of the population, you will experience some anxiety over presentations. Want a quick tip to reduce this anxiety?
Most presenters make the common mistake of standing still and dropping their hands down to their side when presenting. In fact, they have often been trained to do this! But don’t! When you stand still with your arms hanging down, the body takes this as a signal to rest, or even sleep. The voice follows and drops in tone.
This standing with your arms at your side position may also subconsciously tell your body that you are now a static target. Your body responds by “playing dead”. After all, if I am in danger (the audience could eat me alive) and I can’t move, then I better pretend to be dead or very weak so I won’t get eaten. It’s just evolution working. In both situations, the audience quickly mirrors the relaxation and trances out.
Rather, simply raise your hands to your “TruthPlane” above your waistline. This serves as a counter measure to the physical effects of the anxiety. Most people describe the feeling that they get from having their hands around the navel area as being ‘centred’, ‘collected’, ‘composed’ or ‘calm’. They feel more levelheaded, balanced and energized. The audience perceives and aura of calm, professionalism.
As a professional speaker, I always wondered what the heck to do with my hands and this tip really helped. I now hold my elbows at my side with my hands at waist height extended toward the audience with my palms facing upward and toward each other. To make points I will move my hands or bring my fingers together. The “truthplane” is now their home base.
"…my eyes were opened to the extreme power in the body to understand and change psychological and emotional states. (More so than thought, intention and feeling can ever do by themselves)."- Winning Body Language, page 28
The sun is setting and the campfire is aglow with crackling flames and golden red embers. You hear the peaceful cry of the loon just off the shore. Everything is perfect. As you stand together looking out over the lake, he puts his hands in his pockets and utters the words you were waiting to hear “I love you”. But wait, something isn’t quite right. What is it? Did you see it – the conflict between the words and the body language?
Let’s try that again….
The sun is setting and the campfire is aglow with crackling flames and golden red embers. You hear the peaceful cry of the loon just off the shore. Everything is perfect. As you stand together looking out over the lake, he turns to you, cups his hands over each other on his chest and utters the words you were waiting to hear “I love you”.
Ah, that’s better. In the first example, his body wasn’t mirroring his words. With his hands in his pockets, they are hidden from sight. This causes distrust. In the second example they were on his chest which communicates his passion.
Bowden teaches us the “PassionPlane”–where your hands should be–to express passion. When your hands come up to your chest when you gesture and speak there is an energetic buzz. Try it yourself. Say “I love you” with your hands down to your side. Now move your hands up to your chest and say it. Feel the difference?
A passionate, energized body will impact how well your message is received. The audience responds in wonderful ways because they can’t help but feel and mirror your excitement. Your audience will never rise above your level of enthusiasm. I’m not so shy to gesture with my hands now from the stage.
What is the vocabulary of your body language? Bowden illuminates an important nonverbal aspect that can help or hinder your ability to influence and persuade. Being more aware is the first step. Understanding the various planes and what they communicate is the next.
Mark Bowden received his university degree in performance in the U.K. and studied the gesturecontrol methods of Jacques Lecoq’s Laboratory of Movement in Paris. He worked with some of the world’s most groundbreaking theatre companies, appearing in multi-award-winning stage and screen productions globally, and training internationally recognized actors and directors.He has worked with leading practitioners of movement psychology and built upon the influence techniques of Dr. Milton Erickson. Mark is the creator of TruthPlane™, a unique model of training for anyone who has to communicate to an audience, and his techniques are now used by top executives and political leaders around the globe who want to gain an advantage beyond words when they speak.
