The young “high-potentials” I often work with at my financial services clients tend to be a confident bunch. Some of them sell complex products and services to very sophisticated clients who will eat them for lunch if they sense hesitancy or uncertainty. Others constantly make high stakes decisions in rapidly changing markets, dealing with uncertainty and managing risks. Selling and trading things they know well, they are very good at what they do.

But the innovation programs I run put them into a very different situation. They are asked to “sell” new ideas that are often out of their area of expertise; ideas with limited precedent that don’t fit neatly into a customer’s view of the world. Compounding that, they must present their ideas to the most senior leaders of the organization, who are forming first impressions as they listen – about trust and confidence, as well as about competency and knowledge. This can test anyone’s confidence.

Success in this situation can depend as much on how you present as on what you present. Body language can have a great impact. I asked my colleague Don Khoury, an expert in body language, to view some of the presentations from an early stage of an innovation program – the first time ideas were being pitched – and comment just on what the participants were saying with their body language. Here are a few observations.

A hand on the hip, as these two did to begin their pitch, signals high confidence.

A “low confidence” or more vulnerable stance would be gripping the microphone with both hands and holding it in front of you as if to hide behind it.

Some hand gestures used to elaborate on points, such as chopping or holding a ball or showing movement from there to here, demonstrate command of the subject.

This would contrast with hand gestures that oscillate repeatedly.

Putting your hand in your pocket, as these two did at the end of their pitch, indicates “I’m finished.”

This can sometimes be interpreted as overconfidence, as in, “there’s nothing more to be said here.” Leaving your hands visible invites further discussion.

When we critique the innovation teams as they rehearse their presentations, they often find it surprising how body language can have a major impact on how their message is received. And because these teams typically work virtually until the final presentations, there is little opportunity for them to practice modifying poor habits. We’ve taken to inviting participants to send us videos.