@theandyharrington: Pointing up looks wise. Pointing down looks evil. Five seconds, no sound needed. The same steeple gesture, side by side. On the left, fingertips pointing down: it looks evil and untrustworthy. On the right, fingertips pointing up: it looks wise and knowledgeable. Save this one, because it is the whole lesson in a single frame. Earlier in the week I explained why the steeple splits audiences so sharply. This is the version to keep on your phone and look at before you walk on. The steeple is a thinking gesture. Done well, it tells the room you are weighing something carefully, which is exactly the impression you want when you are about to answer a hard question or make a big claim. Done badly, low and pointing at the floor, it tells them the thinking is private. It is also one of the few gestures that looks stronger the less it moves, so hold it still rather than tapping the fingertips together. Three checks before your next talk. Are the fingertips touching lightly rather than gripping? Are they pointing up, roughly at chest height? And are you using the steeple during a pause, then releasing it to gesture as you speak? Get those right and one of the strongest confidence signals there is starts working for you. Which side of the screen do your hands usually end up on? #PublicSpeaking #BodyLanguage #Gestures #Presenting #Confidence

Andy | Business Speaker

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Friday 09 October 2026 18:00:32 GMT