What Do I Do With My Hands? Mastering Gestures in Professional Communication

One of the most common questions I get about speaking is, "What do I do with my hands?" Whether you're giving a presentation, pitching a business idea, or making connections at a networking event, your hands play a key role in how your message is received.

When used effectively, gestures add clarity, reinforce key points, and make you look more confident. But without intention, they can be distracting or even work against you. Let’s break down how to use your hands with purpose, starting with a solid baseline position and moving into fifteen gestures that will elevate your communication.

Establishing a Baseline: Your Home Position

Before you start using gestures, you need a home base—a natural resting position for your hands when they’re not in motion. This helps you avoid fidgeting and makes your movements look intentional instead of nervous.

Here are three great baseline positions:

• The Knuckle Hold – Lightly grasp one knuckle with the thumb and middle finger of your opposite hand. This looks natural, feels comfortable, and allows for smooth transitions into gestures.
• The Hand Clasp – Gently clasp your hands together at waist level. This is a relaxed but professional position often used by speakers and executives.
• Resting Hands at Waist Level – Let your hands relax naturally at waist height, slightly apart. This open stance makes you look comfortable and engaged.

What you don’t want to do is let your arms dangle stiffly at your sides or cross them over your chest—both make you look closed off or unsure of yourself.

15 Hand Gestures to Elevate Your Communication

Now that we have a home base, let's explore fifteen powerful gestures that can help you enhance your message, connect with your audience, and project confidence.

1. Counting on Fingers

When listing points, holding up one, two, or three fingers adds structure to your message. This visual cue makes it easier for your audience to follow along and remember key takeaways. Instead of saying, "There are three key points," showing it with your fingers reinforces the idea.

2. Hand on Chest

Placing a hand on your chest conveys sincerity and trust. This gesture is particularly effective when sharing a personal story or making a heartfelt commitment. It reinforces your authenticity and makes your words feel more genuine.

3. Open Palms Facing Up

Holding your hands open with your palms up signals openness, honesty, and a willingness to engage. It’s an inviting gesture that works well when presenting ideas or encouraging discussion. It subtly tells your audience, “I’m sharing this with you.”

4. The Steeple

Touching the fingertips of both hands together in a steeple shape conveys confidence and authority. This gesture is often used by leaders and speakers when making a strong point. However, be careful not to overuse it—it can sometimes come across as too calculated.

5. Directional Pointing

Using your hand to point in a certain direction helps separate ideas or emphasize comparisons. For example, when talking about past and future, using gestures to visually divide the two concepts makes it easier for your audience to follow. However, be mindful—pointing directly at people can feel aggressive, so a more open-handed directional gesture is preferable.

6. Size Gestures

Your hands can visually demonstrate size, scale, or progression. Spreading your hands wide can emphasize something large or significant, while bringing them close together indicates something small or specific. If you're talking about business growth, showing a shift from small to large helps illustrate the concept clearly.

7. The Offering Gesture

Extending one hand forward with an open palm, as if offering something, suggests that you’re presenting an idea for consideration. This is a great way to introduce a proposal, a new perspective, or an alternative solution in a discussion.

8. The Precision Pinch

Bringing your thumb and index finger close together emphasizes small but important details. This works well when talking about fine-tuned adjustments, percentages, or slight differences—like saying, "We only need a small change to see big results."

9. The “Stop” Gesture

Raising your hand with the palm facing outward signals a pause, a boundary, or an important point. It can be useful in meetings when you need to redirect focus or emphasize a necessary caution.

10. Engaging the Audience with Gestures

Using an open hand to gesture toward different sections of an audience makes your talk feel interactive. Whether you're addressing a small group or a large crowd, moving your hands naturally between different areas keeps everyone engaged and included.

11. Lean-In Gesture

Leaning forward slightly and using your hands to emphasize a key point creates a sense of intimacy and importance. It’s especially useful in storytelling or when delivering a persuasive argument.

12. Rubbing Hands Together

When done subtly, rubbing your hands together can indicate excitement or anticipation. However, overdoing it can make you appear nervous, so use this one sparingly.

13. Tapping Your Fingers

Lightly tapping your fingertips together can show deep thought or deliberation. However, avoid drumming your fingers on a table or podium, as it can come across as impatient or restless.

14. The “Frame” Gesture

Creating a box shape with your hands helps define a concept or idea. This can be helpful when structuring a message or explaining boundaries—like saying, "Let’s look at this situation from a different angle."

15. Mirroring Gestures

Subtly mirroring someone else's gestures can build rapport and make conversations feel more natural. If you're in a one-on-one setting, matching someone's hand movements slightly (without being obvious) can create a sense of connection and alignment.

Using Gestures in Virtual Meetings

Gestures are just as important in virtual presentations as they are in person, but they need to be adjusted for the screen.

• Keep gestures within the camera frame. If your hands are too low, they won’t be seen. Keep movements at chest level or higher.
• Use intentional movement. Small, controlled gestures work best on video. Large motions can look exaggerated in a small window.
• Lean in for emphasis. Moving slightly toward the camera can highlight an important point and create a more engaging virtual presence.

One additional trick for virtual presentations is to use hand gestures sparingly and return to your baseline position between movements. Too many hand movements on screen can be distracting.

Reading the Room: Body Language When You’re Not Speaking

Communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s also about how you listen. When someone else is talking, your body language signals whether you’re engaged or checked out.

Ways to Show You’re Actively Listening:

• Nodding – A slow, intentional nod shows agreement or understanding.
• Slight hand splay – Subtly opening your hands can signal that you relate to what’s being said.
• Adjusting your stance – Leaning slightly forward shows interest, while crossing your arms may signal disengagement.
• Eyebrow movements – Raising your eyebrows slightly can show curiosity or surprise.
• Mouth expressions – A small smile, a look of concentration, or a thoughtful tilt of the lips can reinforce that you’re engaged.

People don’t just listen to your words—they read your face and body for cues. Being aware of your nonverbal listening signals makes conversations feel more natural and engaging.

How the Audience Sees Time Differently Than You Do

If you’ve ever described a timeline or sequence of events, you might have instinctively gestured from left to right. That makes sense to you because that’s how we read.

But for your audience, your left is their right. So, when talking about the past, you need to move your hand from your right to your left so that they see it moving left to right.

It takes practice, but getting this right makes your message more intuitive for the audience.

Final Thoughts: Let Your Gestures Work for You

Your hands are a powerful communication tool. When used intentionally, they can emphasize key points, build trust, and make your message more engaging.

• Find a comfortable baseline position to avoid fidgeting.
• Use purposeful gestures to reinforce your message.
• Be aware of how gestures translate in virtual settings.

So, next time you find yourself asking, "What do I do with my hands?", remember that gestures are not just an afterthought—they are an essential part of communication. Use them with purpose, and watch how they elevate your presence in any setting.

Ready to Take Your Communication to the Next Level?

Mastering gestures is just one part of becoming a confident and compelling communicator. Whether you want to refine your presence in meetings, sharpen your delivery for presentations, or make a stronger impact in high-stakes conversations, I can help.

Let’s connect! Book a free intro call on my calendar, and let’s explore how you can level up your communication skills.

Also, keep an eye out for my upcoming book, SpeakerSHIP, designed to help you navigate the waters of communication and set sail toward becoming a more powerful speaker.

Keep an eye on the horizon! ?