7 hand gestures that hammer home your message

Pronated palms assert dominance, ‘steepling’ conveys confidence, and a swift chopping motion says, ‘that’s the way it is.’

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Ragan Insider Content

In any form of interpersonal communication, words are just part of the story.

The hands do the real talking.

A research-backed motion graphic posted by PoundPlace offers seven hand gestures that are “guaranteed to get people to listen to you” or, at the very least, convey your message with a strong measure of subconscious, primal authority.

Here are a few moves to try in your next presentation:

‘I’m certain.’

Don’t have qualms about using those palms.

According to the graphic:

Anthropologist David Givens found that palms down gestures convey assertiveness—not just in humans, but throughout the animal kingdom. Whether it’s lizards with their claws or humans with their hands, this pronated hand gesture shows dominance of a subject or subject matter.

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