For some time now, videos have become the main means of communication in the world. To give you an idea of this, , the main audiovisual platform on the planet, accumulates, every day, more than one billion hours of videos viewed.
Given the importance of this type of media, more and more people are looking for video content to learn new skills or simply to be entertained.
If you consider yourself a content producer, you already know that there is a lot to talk about the techniques of expression and oratory, right?
That’s why we created this extensive guide to talk about one of the most important elements of any communicator: body language.
Do you want to know what gestures can say about you and how to control this aspect of your communication?
In this guide you will see:
After all, what is body language?
According to the Iranian psychologist Albert Mehrabian, a professor at UCLA (Los Angeles, California) and considered the father of studies on the subject, body language is a form of non-verbal communication in which we communicate through gestures, facial expressions and of our posture.
Emerging long before verbal language, body language is still considered extremely important for our communication.
According to Professor Mehrabian, we convey our feelings and ideas in a combination of surprising proportions: (by our expressions).
On the other hand, there is a widespread myth regarding these percentages, as many people misinterpret them, attributing them to the content of the message.
If this were true, watching a movie without subtitles and in an unknown language would be enough to understand 93% of what they communicate, just by analyzing the body language of the characters, which is obviously not possible.
In fact, Albert Mehrabian argues that there needs to be coherence between what is said and how it is said in order to communicate the message in the best possible way.
Within this logic, a salesperson who maintains constant eye contact, for example, can convey much more to customers than another who does not look them in the eye (who may pass a certain impression of dissimulation), even though both say exactly the same things. words.
Thus, body language consists of gestures, postures and other forms of expression of our body that not only help, but also constitute a good part of our interpersonal communication.
What does body language say about you?
Well executed and practiced body language works as a confirmation of the message we are transmitting. That is, if we behave in accordance with the idea we want to convey, the message itself can be understood more easily and clearly.
Thus, more than the content itself, body language is responsible for transmitting the emotions and sensations that we feel at that moment, using both gestures, body posture, tone of voice and speed of speech, or even the way in which how we walk while we communicate.
There are several types of emotions that can be detected through non-verbal communication. Fear, insecurity, anger, boredom, mistrust, dissimulation, among others, are just some examples of the emotional variations transmitted by a simple gesture.
Imagine the following situation:
You’ve just been hired to speak to a group of top-tier entrepreneurs on a topic you know best. Without a doubt, this is already an intimidating scenario on its own.
However, you already know that the way you are going to behave will make all the difference in conquering (or not) that audience that is initially so hostile and complicated.
Therefore, nothing better than starting your speech with a smile and a firm and deep tone of voice to show that you master the topic and, at the same time, welcome the listeners.
It may seem simple, but that type of posture, in combination with other body language practices, can be the difference between a lecture and a failure.
In the worst case scenario, a speaker who speaks fast, keeps his eyes distant from the audience and frequently touches his hair, for example, shows insecurity, anxiety and lack of mastery of the topic.
Please note that at no time do we mention the content of the conference.
It can be strictly the same for both examples. However, the perception between one and the other completely changes the way people receive the message, simply by adopting opposite body languages.
Why use body language?
This is a difficult question, because it’s not like we really have an alternative to it. After all, our body will give non-verbal signals regardless of our will.
In this sense, the most important thing is to know the different forms of body expression and how it is possible to use them in our favor.
So, don’t think of body language as an option or another technique to incorporate into your communication style.
It is as essential as speech and, unlike this, which is limited to our will, it will manifest whether we like it or not.
Therefore, focus your efforts on knowing how your body communicates and controlling every aspect of its language, so that you can convey your ideas clearly.
Is there negative body expression?
You are probably already trying to imagine body language techniques to better convey your messages and conquer the public, right?
But before that, we must understand the different aspects of this type of non-verbal communication.
While the successful use of different gestures and postures makes our communication look positive for the interlocutor, it is essential to understand that the opposite can also happen.
This is the negative body expression, responsible for causing great damage to communication.
negative body language
Many times when we interact with someone, regardless of the context, we can convey a negative body expression without even realizing it.
While facial expressions tend to more easily “deliver” our feelings, other gestures as subtle as the position of the hands or even the point where our knees point can convey meanings that are not pleasant.
Examples of negative body language
There are some classic postures and gestures that convey a feeling of discomfort, impatience or insecurity.
If they are no longer wanted in a personal relationship, can you imagine the damage they are capable of causing in professional interactions?
So, here are some examples of gestures you should avoid so as not to convey negative body language.
put your hand to your mouth
Covering your mouth with your hand is a classic and clear gesture of omission or lie. That is to say, when someone is not telling the truth, they usually end up covering their mouth.
This type of gesture can present variations, such as passing the hands frequently over the lips, repeatedly touching the chin or even putting objects in front of the mouth, such as glasses, cups, pens, etc.
tight lips
The act of pursing the lips demonstrates a denial when saying something.
In general, when the person does not want to give an opinion, say what they think or take a position, their lips are compressed together.
This is a variation of the hand-to-mouth gesture that denotes denial or omission, though not necessarily a need to lie.
Lost look
The look is one of the main elements of body language.
When we do not direct our gaze to the person with whom we are speaking, we transmit an image of insecurity and lack of clarity in the message.
Often confused with the , this type of posture can be translated into the search for a mental image.
By diverting our eyes from our focus, we look for something that supports our speech, and this causes us to transmit insecurity.
frown twitch
This type of gesture is generally perceived in the person receiving the message.
In other words, if at any time you are giving a speech and the person you are talking to is frowning, pay attention, because that is not a good gesture.
A frown indicates a high level of tension, nervousness or, mainly, doubt. It may be an indication that your message is not being received clearly.
Arm and hand restraint
Hands behind the back, close to the body, and feet crossed behind the chair indicate a low-confidence posture.
This type of body expression gives clear signs of discomfort, which can suggest a lack of openness and intimacy in a conversation.
types of body language
So far you have already seen some examples of body language and differences in positive and negative body expression, as well as its effects on your life.
Now, moving on to a slightly more technical topic, the time has come to learn about the types of body language that exist.
There are five categories used to classify nonverbal communication:
- Kinesics: relates to literal body language, referring to hand gestures and facial expressions.
- Proxemics: related to the use of the space around us.
- Paralanguage: related to the tone of voice and its variations.
- Tacthetic: related to touch.
- Physical characteristics: related to appearance and body shape.
These classifications help you understand how each type of body language can be classified.
However, in practice, the way we convey our ideas through bodily resources works in a mixed way, so that such classifications are more commonly used in scientific studies.
Body expression in video recording
If you found the introduction to this guide captivating, you probably want to know how to apply body language techniques when shooting your videos, right?
Then the time has come!
When we produce audiovisual content, the main element of connection between us and the public is invariably our image. That is why body language is so important for this type of activity.
Next, let’s see 5 tips to act better in front of the cameras and to produce content that conquers the public with an ideal body language:
1. Do not show tiredness
In addition to the body expression itself, our appearance also says a lot about the content we want to convey in our videos. Therefore, appearing in front of the cameras tired, with bags under your eyes and discouraged is the worst option you can do in this regard. An exhausted presenter conveys the feeling of boredom and tiredness, showing how much he didn’t want to be there.
Think of the last good thing you saw. Does one come to mind? So the speaker was most likely self-assured and excited. After all, how do you motivate yourself with someone with a tired face?
2. Control your tone of voice
Excesses create problems for any aspect of our lives, and the use of the voice does not escape this…
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