Body language and nonverbal communication skills
Face to face communication is of two fundamental types:
- Verbal communication
- Nonverbal communication
Verbal communication is the use of words; language.
Non-verbal communication is made up from: voice tone and body language.
You can glean a lot of information about another person from the way they look and how they sound, apart from the words they use.
Let us look at each category of non-verbal communication and see what benefit we might glean.
Body language non-verbal communication consists of:
- Posture
- Appearance
- Touch
- Gestures
- Eye contact
- Facial expression
- Orientation
- Proximity
1. Posture
Posture is how you stand or sit.
If you are leaning or slouching, this implies you are lacking in energy, sick or sleepy.
Be sure to stand or sit up straight. This will imply that you have energy, good health and are awake.
2. Personal Appearance and dress
How are you dressed? Are you well groomed and tidy?
Generally speaking, people do judge others on appearance.
Your brain says to itself "if it looks like a lion, it probably is a lion"; "If she is dressed in a police uniform, she is likely to be a police officer".
If you look well groomed and "together"; you will be judged as "together" in other habits. Whether that is true or not.
If you are scruffy and shabby in appearance- you are likely to be judged as shabby in other habits. Whether that is true or not.
So why risk it?. Dress in clothes twice as good and buy half as many. Don't look sloppy.
3. Touch
Sometimes you have to touch people.
Touch includes handshakes.
You gain information from people from their handshake.
Make your handshake firm and slightly longer than is normal.
Look at the person as you are shaking his-her hand and as you do; memorise their name.
4. Gestures
These mean hand gestures.
Avoid at all costs;
- Pointing with your finger
- Pointing with a pen
Instead use open handed gestures to emphasise points.
5. Facial expressions
Facial expressions counts for a lot.
Do not frown too often or for too long. A frown suggests "danger" to the subconscious mind. It will assume "this person is in trouble - and it pays to keep away from trouble".
Smiling suggests confidence, friendliness and success.
So smile frequently.
6. Eye contact
The best rule is to give as much eye contact as the other is giving you.
If they are not looking directly into your eyes, do not glare at them.
If they are looking into your eyes, reflect their eye contact back.
Don't evade the eye contact of another.
7. Orientation
Orientation is the angle at which you stand or sit relative to the other person. Avoid the square-on position.
Square-on raises the intensity of emotion and suggests either aggressive thoughts or sexual thoughts
In business context you do not want either, so sit at an angle to the other person - an angle of 45 degrees is about right.
8. Proximity
Proximity is the measure of how close you are to the other person.
This varies considerably depending on;
- The context
- The relationship
- The activity
- The gender of people involved
- The age of people involved
- The person's cultural norms
- The person's character
My best advice on distance is similar to that for eye contact. Notice the others responses and operate according to their habits.
If the other person is distant, don't crowd him. If the other person wants to get close, don't back away.
Reflect the other person's character in your own movements.
Non-verbal Communication Summary
Posture: Stand with a straighter posture.
Appearance: Dress in clothes twice as good and buy half as many.
Touch: Make your handshake firm and slightly longer than normal.
Gestures: Use open handed gestures to emphasise points.
Facial Expression: Smile frequently.
Eye Contact: Reflect the other persons level of eye contact.
Proximity: Notice the other's responses and operate according to their habits.
Body language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication used in business. It expresses meaning through movement, stance, facial cues and appearance instead of words. People send these signals both intentionally and without realising. Listeners read them quickly to judge trust, mood and status, so body language shapes how others react and how every meeting ends.
CG4D Definition
Context: Business communication
Genus: Form of non-verbal communication
- Relies on physical movement, posture, facial expression, eye contact and dress, not speech
- Operates both consciously and unconsciously in the sender
- Provides immediate cues that others use to judge trust, mood and status
- Directly affects the outcome of conversations, deals and relationships at work
Article Summary
Seventy-one per cent of professionals say clear body language builds trust, so stand tall, smile, meet the eye and use open hands; these simple cues speak louder than words and help others believe, relax and act on what you say.