Even though we don’t know what this person is speaking about, we can see his enthusiasm and engagement through his body language.

Imagine watching a speech with the sound off. What would you know about the speaker and the speech? You could probably tell if the speaker is confident and well prepared, and whether they’re enthusiastic about their subject. You can see where they tell a joke or a sad story. You know these things because of the speaker’s nonverbal language.

In this section, we’ll discover how savvy speakers emphasize their words with their actions and support the speech physically.  When used well, nonverbal language will greatly enhance a speech. If a speaker doesn’t control their nonverbal language, however, it can tell a different story than the one they intend.