1. Nonverbal means

1.5. Facial expressions

    

     Your face communicates to others (and audiences) in ways that are congruent or incongruent with your message.

     Facial expressions are generally categorized as one of the following: happy, sad, angry, fearful, surprised and disgusted etc. Your facial expressions matter; your audience will be looking at your face to guide them through the speech, so they’re an integral part of communicating meaning and demonstrating to your audience a felt sense.

      If your facial expressions seem incongruent or contradictory from the tone of the argument, an audience may go so far as to feel distrust toward you as a speaker. Work to create congruence between your message and expressions. Using facial expressions to communicate emotions, for example, can demonstrate your commitment and overall feelings around an issue.

     Facial expressions, like other forms of nonverbal communication, can greatly impact an audience member’s perception of the speaker.