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Stanford Graduate School of BusinessUse Body Language to Rock Your Next Presentation
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CHAPTERS
Chapter summaries
A nervous opening: how poor body language derails a presentation
The video begins with Brad walking into a high-stakes presentation and immediately signaling anxiety. His lack of eye contact and self-protective posture contributes to the audience losing patience and disengaging.
- •Brad opens with hesitant speech and uncertainty while trying to present slides and stats
- •Audience members react with confusion, impatience, and decide to leave
- •Brad’s nervousness escalates as he struggles to recall information
- •The scene sets up body language—not just content—as the central issue
Class debrief: diagnosing what went wrong (eye contact, barriers, nervous tics)
A class discussion identifies the specific nonverbal cues that made Brad seem unconfident and disconnected. The speaker highlights how protective gestures and nervous self-touching undermine credibility and rapport.
- •A participant notes Brad lacked eye contact
- •Brad is described as using “low power” protective posture
- •Touching neck and hair is called out as signaling nervousness
- •Holding a cup in front creates a barrier between speaker and audience
Roadmap for “rocking” a presentation with body language
The speakers lay out the session plan: why body language matters, four practical tips, and a story of an entrepreneur using body language to build trust. They frame body language as a major component of communication and professional presenting.
- •Agenda: explain why body language is crucial, share four tips, then tell an entrepreneur story
- •Claim presented that most communication is nonverbal, with a large portion attributed to body language
- •They argue everyone will present in their next job and won’t be able to avoid it
- •They signal a shift into statistics to support the case
Why it matters: stats on presentations and executive presence
Brad presents statistics to underline how important presentation skills and executive presence are for career advancement. He connects nonverbal presence with promotion outcomes in organizations.
- •Brad says most Americans believe presentation skills are crucial for career success
- •He reports surveyed senior executives attribute a significant portion of promotion readiness to executive presence
- •He jokes about how that compares with performance, referencing Jeff Pfeffer
- •Brad transitions the session to Paul for actionable body-language tips
Introducing the AWESOME method as a memory tool
Paul explains they created a four-part framework to make nonverbal communication easier to remember and apply. He reveals the acronym name and sets up the first technique.
- •Paul describes arriving at a simplified set of nonverbal essentials
- •He introduces the framework name: the AWESOME method
- •He sets expectations that it will require some memorization
- •He begins with the first letter and its associated behavior
A — Approach with an eyebrow flash: using the top half of the face for authenticity
Paul argues that the top half of the face is perceived as more authentic than the mouth area. He describes using raised eyebrows and engaged eyes when entering a room to build connection before speaking.
- •Paul says the top half of the face is perceived as more authentic than the bottom half
- •He claims people see the mouth area as more easily manipulated and less trustworthy
- •He recommends raising eyebrows and “lighting up” the eyes to create connection
- •He adds delivery tips: pause, scan the room, don’t rush, and engage visually
W — Win with the right smile: contagion, confidence, and authentic expression
Paul focuses on smiling as a way to increase audience engagement and the speaker’s confidence. He distinguishes authentic smiling from a forced grin and ties smiling to feeling stronger and more confident.
- •Paul says smiling is contagious and boosts room engagement
- •He emphasizes authentic smiles rather than forced teeth-grins
- •He claims smiling increases confidence and releases endorphins that make you feel more powerful
- •He strings together an entrance routine: pause, scan, raise eyes, and smile
S — Steepling with confidence: purposeful hand placement and emphasis
Brad shifts to lower-body cues, starting with hands. He explains steepling as a way to project confidence when used sparingly and intentionally rather than as a constant pose.
- •Brad introduces “S” as steepling with confidence
- •He warns against holding a permanent steeple position
- •He cites a prior presenter as an example of using steepling effectively and sparingly
- •He emphasizes using steepling for emphasis and with purpose
Open palm gestures: emphasizing without aggression
Brad offers alternatives to steepling, focusing on open-hand gestures. He contrasts open palms with pointing, describing open gestures as a confident way to add emphasis without seeming aggressive.
- •Brad recommends open palm gestures when not steepling
- •He demonstrates that some hand positions can look defensive or like asking for something
- •He frames open palms as a way to show emphasis and confidence
- •He notes pointing can come off aggressive and calls it a personal bad habit
M — Moving to keep attention: forward to emphasize, back to transition
Brad explains how movement can be used strategically rather than restlessly. He presents a simple rule: move forward to emphasize a point, then move back to mark a pause or topic change.
- •Brad defines “M” as moving to keep your audience’s attention
- •He explains movement should be intentional, not constant pacing
- •Move forward when emphasizing a key point
- •Move back after finishing to create a natural break and transition
Story setup: Humans of New York and the challenge of earning trust fast
A speaker introduces Brandon Stanton and describes the daily process of approaching strangers for photos and conversation. The segment uses a brief role-play to illustrate how quickly trust must be established.
- •The speaker asks who knows Humans of New York and introduces Brandon Stanton
- •They describe his routine of photographing strangers and talking with them
- •A short demonstration shows how a stranger might refuse a photo request
- •They frame it as a split-second trust-building challenge
Key takeaway: script matters less than body language for trust and confidence
The speaker explains Stanton’s conclusion that wording changes (like “photograph” versus “portrait”) were less important than nonverbal signals. They connect the story back to the day’s broader themes and the AWESOME model.
- •The speaker says Stanton experimented with scripts and specific word choices repeatedly
- •They state his conclusion: the script doesn’t matter as much as body language
- •They emphasize conveying trust, relaxation, and confidence nonverbally
- •They reference earlier class topics like accent bias and speaking in a second language, and point back to the AWESOME model as an aid
Closing: invitation for questions on nonverbal communication
Brad closes by inviting the audience to ask questions and continue the discussion. The speakers position the session as a starting point for becoming more skilled at nonverbal communication.
- •Brad invites Q&A and further discussion
- •They reiterate the focus on nonverbal communication
- •They frame the goal as becoming proficient in body language during presentations
