The Power of the Body Language

We’ve all been in that situation. We’re having a conversation, we listen, we look them in the eye and somehow our interlocutor isn’t really selling the story. We can just sense that something in his speech doesn’t match the gestures and face mimic. It is usually not our exceptional instinct, it is just the accumulated experience that we involuntarily collect throughout the years in translating the human gestures. Moreover if some of us did get a basic training in Business Communication.

Understanding the non-verbal communication helps us read people more easily and control our body language in our favor. You become more aware of the messages you convey to your partners, which automatically puts you in an advantageous position.

When meeting someone for the first time, there are a few tips and trick to help you leave a good impression:

• Posture – standing tall with shoulders back
• Eye contact – solid with a “smiling” face
• Gestures with hands and arms – purposeful and deliberate
• Speech – slow and clear
• Tone of voice – moderate to low

For example, if you are about to enter into a situation where you are not as confident as you’d like to be, such as giving a big presentation or attending an important meeting, you can adopt these  confidence’ signs and signals to project confidence.

There are a few signs that you should watch for when presenting:

• If your audience’s arms are crossed they lost interest and are not really listening anymore
• If they’re eyes are gazing at something else or they are sitting slumped in their chair they are no longer engaged
• Ife they are making eye contact and taking down notes they are listening
• If their hands are covering their mouths they have nothing to say

Understanding body language is a complex process, as it is in strong connection with the way we breathe, the pitch of our voice, the movement of our body and even blinking. Also different cultures react in different ways. Nevertheless in a negotiation, just like in poker, reading your competitor’s gestures and keeping a straight face might just turn you into the winner.