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How to identify and stop your ‘tells’
You will be familiar with the term ‘tell’ if you have ever played poker. That signal you give when you are bluffing — the touch of the hair, the leaning forward into the table.
Tells go wider than poker and can signal you are uncomfortable, nervous, unsure or being deceptive.
When it comes to public speaking, you don’t want an interpretation of nerves to be that you are unsure of what you are saying, or being deceptive, so it is worth the time figuring out your tells, and actively working against them.
How to identify your tells
Common tells you should look out for:
- Touching the neck
- Fiddling with a tie/necklace
- Looking toward the door (wanting to get out)
- Fidgeting hands
- Playing with hair
- Touching the mouth/nose
- Eye movements rather than eye contact
Can you identify your tell from this list? It may be a variation of one of the examples given. Sometimes it may not be so obvious what your tell is so it is best to begin by observing your actions when you are relaxed.
What does your body language say when you are at home with nobody else around and you can…
