Did you know that your body says a lot? Your posture can complement as well as contradict an oral speech, so the first lesson in learning to speak body language: crossed arms.
Contrary to popular belief, crossing your arms while talking doesn't have a systematically detrimental effect on your presentations. To prove it, we've found a salesman who can sell you a car without ever opening his mouth, thanks to his sharp sense of appearance: Robert.
You won't get through!
Let's start with what you probably already know. Crossing your arms in a video is like crossing your arms in an interview: it can immediately be interpreted as a barrier between you and your interviewer. If we take a step back from this posture, crossing your arms technically amounts to a self-embrace. Why embrace if not to reassure yourself? Although unconscious, this is the kind of questioning your body can provoke in the person watching your video.
If we come to think that you're trying to reassure yourself, then by extension we end up wondering what you're blaming yourself for. Such questioning should be avoided at all costs. As Robert points out, creating distance by crossing your arms while you're spelling out all your goals for next year will do nothing to help you appear confident. Informed Internet users might even think you're afraid about the future of your company.
However, don't lock your arms on either side of your body either. This posture can help you in certain circumstances, as we'll show you right away.
Ah well if it passes!
And yes! Crossing your arms can also accentuate the same self-confidence we were talking about earlier. The example chosen by your favorite salesman, that of the security guards at the entrances to nightclubs, is not the least relevant. After checking, it's not easy to find a caricature of a bouncer with drooping arms. As you'd expect, bouncers are rarely hired for their shyness or science of nuance. This is an excellent illustration of the more salutary virtues of crossed arms.
If they're often depicted with one arm over the other, it's because they have the power to say yes or no, and if they don't want to go back on their decision, they have the right to do so. It's the same in front of a camera. You don't have to ask yourself any questions when you explain your company's results. Don't be afraid to talk about completed actions with your arms in front of your chest. This will make you sound assertive, but never smug. Bear in mind that it can be very advantageous to look as if you're standing your ground, depending on the subject you're talking about.
Now you know there's nothing wrong with crossing your arms, you just have to know when to do it.
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Until the next episode, here are some of our videos on media training:
Working on the speaker's posture
How to prepare your speaker before a shoot
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