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↑ Table of Contents ↑ Science Facts About Hand Gestures But first, some background + a fun video. We broke down all of the most popular TED Talks and major speeches from the last five decades and synthesized them into the top 20 hand gestures you can use.
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The least popular TED Talkers used an average of 272 hand gestures during the 18-minute talk. My goal is to teach you purposeful hand gestures you can use naturally. Not sure what to do with your hands? You are not alone! Sometimes it can be awkward to talk with your hands in a natural way. Specifically, we analyzed the top and bottom TED Talks of all time, ranked according to their view count. Science of People analyzed thousands of hours of TED Talks and found one striking pattern: The most viral TED Talkers spoke with their words AND their hands. Leaders use specific hand gesture patterns. Holler and Beatie found that gestures increase the value of our spoken message by 60%! The best, most charismatic speakers and influencers know the importance of using hand gestures. By doing so, you immediately become less approachable and lose credibility.Do you know how to speak with your hands? When someone is standing slumped over with their arms across, it sends the message that they are bashful, angry or sulking. Body language can convey confidence, intelligence, and personality.
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Body language speaks much louder in those crucial first few seconds. When it comes to first impressions, you are much more likely to be judged on your nonverbal communication rather than your words. Wipe your hands off or warm your hands up before important first encounters. Sweaty palms are something that you do not want to be remembered for. Anything longer can send the wrong impression, leading to an uncomfortable first meeting. Use a firm grip with about as much force as you’d use to open a door handle. While you want to avoid the weak, limp handshake, you also want to steer clear of pretending to be Hulk Hogan.
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