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The best advice for a political candidate when in front of potential voters is to keep their hands where they can be seen.
Something as common as a hand gesture is normal, but there can be other meanings depending on what is being done. Too much hand movement can be very distracting and it could send a wrong message to the people you are trying so hard to impress. Did you know that over 90 per cent of all of our culture's communication is nonverbal? These nonverbal communications include hand gestures, facial expressions, voice pitch, your body posture and body gestures, the pitch of your voice and the intonation, your personal space and finally, physical touch. We all have our own sphere of personal space; for some of us it is more than others. When a candidate comes to close into our personal space, we stop listening to what is being said and become only aware of our own discomfort. There seems to be four zones of personal space. The first being intimate, the second is personal, the third is social and last, your public space. Your personal zone is from 18 inches to four feet. It is the zone we use in our everyday performance of our work. Between four feet and 12 feet is your social zone. It is the zone we use for protection when confronted by strangers. The public zone is greater than 12 feet and is utilized when we address large groups of people. As a candidate, you should try to remain within the personal zone to conduct campaign business. It is the zone that the voter and contributor will feel the most comfortable. And that is why if you are going a speech, if at all possible, do not stay behind that podium, pick up the microphone and walk out in front of the podium and perhaps to the edge of the audience. Also importantly, try to not to depend on notes to give your speech . . . that is, unless this is a presidential debate. The most common dilemma is the handshake. Most people are uncomfortable when a stranger intrudes into their intimate space, but everyone accepts the intrusion at least twice during social encounters. Too often though, politicians insist on utilizing the handshake enhancers. You know, the grasping of the wrist, forearm, elbow or shoulder and force the person whose hand is being shaken to be in closer proximity for longer periods of time, perhaps causing him physical discomfort.
The copyright of the article Political Body Language in Women in Politics is owned by Hunter. Permission to republish Political Body Language in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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