Professionally Speaking...

3 Places To Use A Neutral Face In Your Presentations

Since the days when we were mere babes in arms we have used facial expressions to convey what we feel, what we want, what we think. It has been such a successful way of communicating our emotions over the evolutionary years it's not surprising that we've never put much emphasis on cultivating a neutral expression [except perhaps for poker enthusiasts], one that doesn't convey any particular emotion.

Now showing emotion and having varied facial expressions when we deliver our presentations is a great way to keep our audience engaged and communicate that we are fully present and involved. But there are times, both when delivering a presentation and when watching one, that a neutral face is a very useful technique.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A NEUTRAL FACE?

In the context of presentations I describe a neutral face as one that has an unbiased, impartial expression. It's not an "open book." With a neutral face the audience shouldn't be able to discern your opinion about something that's been said -- either by you or by someone in the audience.

Not for a moment, however, do I mean to suggest that a neutral face is somehow blank, disengaged or unfriendly. It is just not guiding the audience to a particular conclusion or biasing them in any way.

 

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The neutral face is pleasant and attentive with strong eye contact and relaxed facial muscles.

WHERE WOULD YOU USE A NEUTRAL FACE IN A PRESENTATION?

There are several key places in any presentation where a neutral face is one of your best tools:

1. When you're answering a question that is confrontational or argumentative. Under these circumstances you want to maintain your cool and your facial expression is key to communicating to the audience...and the questioner...that you're in control of your emotions. Your neutral face in this situation enhances your credibility, professionalism and maturity far more than a frown, look of disgust or rolling eyes.

2. When you ask a question of the audience and someone gives you a wrong answer. Maintaining a neutral expression assures you won't embarrass the responder by overtly signifying that the answer is wrong (or dumb or stupid). You can then elicit responses from other audience members and reinforce the correct answer once someone offers it so the audience is left with the accurate information.

3. When you want to encourage the audience to express different perspectives. By remaining neutral during a dialogue you will encourage more audience members to share ideas. Knowing that you hold certain opinions because your facial expressions have communicated them can shut down opposite points of view.

 

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flickr/Aztec Greenstone Mask  C.C. 2.0

 

 

 

Your Visual Package: What The Audience Sees

The brilliance of your message is only part of what an audience will focus on during your presentation. The other part is you. Specifically, the visual package you present.

Your audience brings a holistic perspective to your presentation. So what they see --as well as what they hear -- contributes significantly to how engaged they are and how they evaluate the time spent with you.

Let's look at the components of your visual package and examine how your audience interprets some of the things they might see.

EYE CONTACT

What They See: You're looking at your slides or your notes instead of at them. You're looking at a spot over their heads. You're methodically shifting your eyes from side to side as if you were at a tennis match.
How They Interpret: Lack of preparation or lack of care about connecting with them or both.
What To Do: Communicate your confidence and enthusiasm for being there by holding eye contact with a random audience member for 3-5 seconds before moving on to the next person. Repeat throughout the presentation. Be well enough prepared that you don't have to rely heavily on either notes or slides.

HAND GESTURES

What They See: You're fiddling with your hair, glasses, jewelry, moustache, etc. Your arms appear glued to your sides making your gestures wimpy and weak. You repetitively jab at the air when making a point.
How They Interpret: Lack of confidence. Lack of control.
What To Do: Videotape yourself to get an accurate picture of what you're doing with your hands. Then be intentional about developing a couple of hand gestures and use them mindfully as punctuation to the points you'e making.

POSTURE/MOVEMENT

What They See: You're slouching and transferring weight repeatedly from one foot to the other. You have one foot wrapped around your other ankle. You're pacing or you're rooted in one spot.
How They Interpret: Nervousness. Lack of confidence and comfort in your own body.
What To Do: Stand tall with shoulders back. Become aware of what your feet are doing [through videotaping or asking someone to observe you]. Move intentionally rather than randomly.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

What They See: You're frowning. You're grimacing. You're gazing off into space. You're smirking when someone makes a comment you disagree with. You look bored when someone asks a question.
How They Interpret: Unprofessional. Arrogant.
What To Do: Videotape yourself speaking to a group so you can become aware of how your face looks. Ensure your facial expressions support what you're saying. If you're excited or passionate about some part of your presentation, show it. If you're annoyed, don't. Recognize the power of a smile to show agreement, empathy, enthusiasm and humanness.

Look at your presentation through your audience's eyes. Raise your awareness of what they see when you are presenting and make sure it is what you want to convey. Then you can be sure that your visual package is not undermining your message but rather enhancing it.

Photo Credit:
flickr.com/Premier Packaging  C.C. 2.0

Body Language Practicum III - Facial Expressions

In many ways what's happening on your face when you're presenting trumps everything else: the words you speak; the way you stand and move; what you do with your hands. Your face is the primary focus for the audience [or should be unless you have too many slides] and it gives them clues about your confidence, your enthusiasm and your competence.

AWARENESS

Most people are less aware of their facial expressions than they are of other aspects of their body language. You frequently don't realize when you're frowning or grimacing or looking bored or annoyed. This may be because you've never seen yourself giving a presentation and so haven't noticed the disconnect between what your face and mouth are saying. Or it may be because you actually feel threatened or bored or angry but you think those feelings are hidden and not reflected on your face. In either case the audience will take your expression at face value [pardon the pun] -- if you look bored, they will assume you are.

Managing your facial expressions requires that you be aware of them. So the first step is to videotape yourself in several different settings -- at a meeting, giving a presentation, listening to a presentation -- or have a friend or colleague observe you. Then assess what's happening on your face. Are your expressions appropriate? Do you look engaged? Does your face say "no" when your voice is saying "yes"? As you prepare for your next presentation, work on putting some intentional focus on what your face is communicating. Videotape yourself again to detect progress.

EYE CONTACT

One of the most oft-mentioned components of facial expressions is eye contact. Looking audience members directly in the eye allows you to connect with them on a human level. Strong eye contact communicates sincerity and confidence and shows that you are engaged in what you're saying. It also makes it more likely that your overall facial expression will be appropriate. The goal is to meet an audience member's eyes for 3-5 seconds and then move on to the next person. Try not to "sweep" across the audience, don't favor one section of the audience over another and keep your pattern of eye contact random so you're not continually going from right to center to left and back again.

THE SMILE

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of facial expressions is the smile. Unfortunately it's not seen that often in business presentations -- perhaps for fear of looking unprofessional?? -- but it is a stunning way of connecting with your audience. Obviously you won't want to grin through your entire presentation, but a sincere smile, when appropriate, will communicate your enthusiasm for your topic and will help make your audience comfortable.

Bottom line....your face can speak volumes. Make sure it's complementing what's coming out of your mouth.

More Reading on Body Language:

Body Language Practicum II - Hand Gestures
Body Language Practicum I - Power Poses
Busting 5 Body Language Myths

 

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flickr/The Faces  C.C. 2.0

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Body Language Practicum II - Hand Gestures

A big challenge for many students in my presentation skills courses is what to do with their hands.

When standing at the front of a room, suffering from nerves, one's hands seem like unwelcome and awkward appendages. To make matters worse, many presenters remember some misguided advice they've heard somewhere along the way -- 'don't talk with your hands.' Thus, hands are frequently found stuffed in pockets, gripping a podium or playing with their owner's hair, glasses or jewelry.

In fact, hand gestures are like punctuation in a sentence. They help clarify what you're saying and add emphasis to your message. They are an expressive complement to your vocal delivery.

And just like you would use commas and exclamation points purposefully to make a sentence clearer, so should you use hand gestures with intention rather than randomly.

Here are some suggestions on how to use your hands for maximum effect:

:: Videotape yourself making a presentation so you can get an accurate assessment of how and how much you gesture.

:: Avoid repetitive gestures [such as stabbing the air with your finger or using air quotes] which distract your audience rather than focus them.

:: Aim for open, expressive gestures where hands are out beyond your chest. Try not to keep your arms tightly pinned to your body.

:: Don't point. Pointing looks too much like scolding and is inappropriate in a business presentation.

:: Intentionally use your hands to illustrate what you're saying -- show how big or vast something is; hold up fingers to represent a number; demonstrate relative sizes or heights or depths.

:: For a comfortable hand position when not gesturing, steeple fingers and turn to point towards audience or grasp hands together lightly [be careful not to grip].

:: Above all be guided by what's comfortable for you. Strive for natural. If you are an enthusiastic speaker who frequently uses your hands for emphasis don't try and subdue them. This will only look inauthentic. Similarly, if you are a more controlled and quiet speaker, be satisfied with minimal gestures but make the ones you do use powerful.

BodyLanguage Practicum I - Power Poses

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/Hands In Pockets  C.C. 2.0

Body Language Practicum I - Power Poses

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]

In any presentation, body language -- also known as non-verbal communication -- can strengthen your message or undermine it.

Your audience reads clues from a myriad of things about you other than what you say: how you stand; your facial expressions; gestures; eye contact. And if these non-verbals are distracting or conflict with your intended message, the audience will be heavily influenced by what they see rather than what they hear.

When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Picture this: let's say you are attempting to persuade an audience to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Your presentation is filled with facts and engaging stories about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, getting exercise and reducing stress. But you don't make eye contact, you stand with your arms crossed in front of your chest and you frown frequently throughout the presentation. Even though your message is strong and flows logically, your body language is telling the audience that you're not confident and enthusiastic about your topic. So why should they be?

POWER POSES

How you stand, hold your body and move around the presentation area can communicate confidence and competence [or the opposite] to your audience. Researchers at Northwestern and Harvard have studied what happens when you place your body in positions that project power -- arms open wide and feet apart. They discovered that these power poses trigger a rise in testosterone, a hormone associated with confident, assertive behavior, and a decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone, when the positions are held for as little as two minutes. Adapting their findings to a presentation, these power positions are:

• standing tall, feet shoulder width apart and chest out
• arms away from your sides and uncrossed, open and expansive
• arms outstretched to the audience at about chest height

So for your next presentation strategically employ body language to show your comfort and self-assurance. Focus on regularly throwing your shoulders back and extending your arms away from your body. Incorporate this stance into your presentation prep, especially if this is not a normal body position for you. By the time you get in front of the audience, the hormone adjustment combined with the rehearsal will have your body language projecting your increased confidence.

For more information on this research, here is an informative and entertaining video presentation from one of the researchers, Amy Cuddy, who believes we can learn a lot from Wonder Woman.

 

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flickr/pullip_junk  C.C. 2.0