Read the room with your eyes and change course mid‑sentence

During a product demo, Arun watched heads more than slides. When he mentioned “time to value,” one engineer nodded slowly and leaned in. Arun shifted his body toward her and added an API example. Two seats down, a manager’s lips tightened and his feet aimed at the door. Arun cut a paragraph and asked, “What would be most helpful to see next?” The manager relaxed his shoulders and said, “Show me the rollout plan.”

A week earlier in a board prep, Arun missed these cues. He kept talking while two directors exchanged a glance and a chin rub. He powered through. Afterward, his boss said, “They checked out six minutes in.” That micro‑anecdote stung, but it reset his attention. Today, he limited his own fidgeting—no face touches, no chair swivels—so his body didn’t broadcast anxiety while he watched theirs.

Post‑meeting, the team debriefed with coffee going cold on the table. Arun summarized what he saw—who leaned, who frowned, who scribbled—and the team rebuilt slide three. I might be wrong, but the win came less from better slides and more from better steering.

This is dual‑process communication. Your “System 2” talks while your “System 1” reads micro‑signals. Nods, orientation, and self‑touches often predict interest or tension before words do. Limiting your own fidgets prevents “leakage” that can bias others against your message. When you listen with your eyes and respond on the fly, people feel led rather than lectured.

In your next meeting, speak while scanning for nods, foot direction, and facial tension. If you spot withdrawal, shorten your point and ask a quick, respectful question to reset engagement, then pivot to a more relevant example. Keep your hands away from your face and your chair still so you don’t add noise to the signal you’re sending. Build a two‑minute debrief after the meeting to list what you saw and what you’ll change next time. Put it on your calendar now.