Body Language as a Powerful Communicator
By Dianne Marsch
Special to Epoch Times
Body language can make or break an image, especially a public image. Our favorite politicians have mastered the art of body language to convey messages without using words. In this photo U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim shake hands during a meeting in Brazil. Both appear poised, friendly and professionally amicable. (Evaristo SA/AFP/Getty Images)
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People receive and send nonverbal signals all the time and if you aren't aware of the message being communicated through body language cues, you can miss out on important aspects of the conversation. Improving your body language can make a difference in your people skills. Body language signals will change depending on whether you are interacting with your boss, an employee, or someone you are interested in dating.
Reading people's nonverbal communication signals and matching and mirroring a person's behavior often will put them at ease. As mentioned in my previous article, Dr. Albert Mehrabian, an expert in communication research discovered that only seven percent of communication comes from the spoken word, thirty-eight percent is from the tone of the voice and fifty-five percent comes from appearance, space you take up and body language.
Body language is a powerful communicator. Don't send mixed messages through body swaying, erratic movements and tensed muscles in the face, jaw line and around the eyes. It is easy to damage our influence with others if they observe us acting irrationally in our nonverbal communication.
We often determine what someone is saying by reading their facial expression. A natural smile will result in many facial muscle groups moving. When you give a true smile your forehead muscles will push down, the cheeks and jaws move and your nose can wrinkle somewhat. The eyes will show if it is a real smile. However, when a forced smile is given only the muscles around the mouth are affected. Your body language needs to send a message that you are in control and are confident when meeting someone. Your body language message should be consistent and congruent with your verbal message. People will always believe the expression on the face ahead of the spoken word.
Cool body language gestures such as crossed arms or crossed legs, can mean someone is defensive, or expressing opposition to what is being discussed. You will know this by watching the position of the body to see if it leaning away from the speaker. Rolling the eyes or lowering the eyelids during conversation, slumped posture, no eye contact or staring at the ground, playing with your hair, jewelry, or car keys, kicking or tapping your foot or leg, finger drumming and nail picking are considered negative body language gestures. These negative barriers show that you are threatened and uncomfortable with the situation. Body Language will send a clear message if we take time to read the signals.
Warm, comfortable gestures are leaning towards someone to show your interest, smiling, erect and energized walking, open palm, hand steepling, feet flat on the floor, good eye contact and nodding your head once in awhile without overdoing it. Hand movement should be used to emphasize a point. Your warm gestures need to match your words and show the right emotion.
When you enter a room, you are immediately judged on your body language cues. People will decide your level of trustworthiness by observing your first ten steps into the room. Walk with a cadence and display good posture at all times. Remember seated posture has the same importance as your standing posture. Don't let your back come in contact with the back of your chair, which forces you to sit up straight and look more engaged in the conversation. Sitting too tense and shoulders too high will show your lack of confidence and you can appear arrogant or distant if you lean back too far.
The way we deliver a message using our nonverbal body language such as pitch, pace, volume and rate of your voice determines your level of believability.
Tonality creates a visual image that has implications far beyond the spoken word. The sound of your voice has a tremendous impact on others and communicates your emotional state. Establish an instant connection with others, by using the right tone of voice.
In many situations, the tonality of your voice can determine your credibility factor. That is why it is important to project a pleasant sounding voice.
Your pitch refers to the tone of the voice. You don't want it too high or too low. Anxiety can result in a rise in the pitch. To create a high level of credibility you need to eliminate a nasal, harsh or shallow sound. The rate at which you communicate is also important because you don't want to speak too quickly or too slowly.
Another powerful component of body language is the pause. Pausing is a useful tool, which helps you emphasize a point. Learning to be comfortable with silence is also a very important skill that we need to master. Refrain from rushing in too quickly to fill the void and possibly losing the impact of your message.
We certainly won't be perceived as a true professional, if our language is rude, shows negative emotion, or vulgar, and we display anger easily. Swearing and using foul language will destroy any influence you might have established. Never use filler words such as "uh," "hmm," "ah," "you know," "like," "you got it," or "no problem," because your presence and trust factor will be diminished. To be effective with your actual wording and project the right meaning in your presentation, practice by looking in the mirror and record yourself. Your posture, gestures and expression should convey your intended message and make a positive impact.
It is a sign of respect to learn different culture norms, which dictate our body language signals. In many countries when we nod our head up and down, it can signify that we are in agreement, or practicing good listening skills. In Bulgaria and some parts of Greece nodding your head up and down has the opposite meaning. Arab men will often be seen nearly touching each other's face, when they are discussing making plans for the following evening, or to meet someone later. A universal form of body language, which can change the dynamics between you and others, is the smile, which means the same anywhere you travel.
Developing a successful winning image and perfecting a first impression is dependent on exhibiting positive and congruent body language including proper stance, the way you sit, positioning, posturing, controlled hand movement, appearance and tone of voice.
By Dianne Marsch
Special to Epoch Times
Body language can make or break an image, especially a public image. Our favorite politicians have mastered the art of body language to convey messages without using words. In this photo U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim shake hands during a meeting in Brazil. Both appear poised, friendly and professionally amicable. (Evaristo SA/AFP/Getty Images)
Related Articles
- Image Improvement for Increased Success Tuesday, January 22, 2008
People receive and send nonverbal signals all the time and if you aren't aware of the message being communicated through body language cues, you can miss out on important aspects of the conversation. Improving your body language can make a difference in your people skills. Body language signals will change depending on whether you are interacting with your boss, an employee, or someone you are interested in dating.
Reading people's nonverbal communication signals and matching and mirroring a person's behavior often will put them at ease. As mentioned in my previous article, Dr. Albert Mehrabian, an expert in communication research discovered that only seven percent of communication comes from the spoken word, thirty-eight percent is from the tone of the voice and fifty-five percent comes from appearance, space you take up and body language.
Body language is a powerful communicator. Don't send mixed messages through body swaying, erratic movements and tensed muscles in the face, jaw line and around the eyes. It is easy to damage our influence with others if they observe us acting irrationally in our nonverbal communication.
We often determine what someone is saying by reading their facial expression. A natural smile will result in many facial muscle groups moving. When you give a true smile your forehead muscles will push down, the cheeks and jaws move and your nose can wrinkle somewhat. The eyes will show if it is a real smile. However, when a forced smile is given only the muscles around the mouth are affected. Your body language needs to send a message that you are in control and are confident when meeting someone. Your body language message should be consistent and congruent with your verbal message. People will always believe the expression on the face ahead of the spoken word.
Cool body language gestures such as crossed arms or crossed legs, can mean someone is defensive, or expressing opposition to what is being discussed. You will know this by watching the position of the body to see if it leaning away from the speaker. Rolling the eyes or lowering the eyelids during conversation, slumped posture, no eye contact or staring at the ground, playing with your hair, jewelry, or car keys, kicking or tapping your foot or leg, finger drumming and nail picking are considered negative body language gestures. These negative barriers show that you are threatened and uncomfortable with the situation. Body Language will send a clear message if we take time to read the signals.
Warm, comfortable gestures are leaning towards someone to show your interest, smiling, erect and energized walking, open palm, hand steepling, feet flat on the floor, good eye contact and nodding your head once in awhile without overdoing it. Hand movement should be used to emphasize a point. Your warm gestures need to match your words and show the right emotion.
When you enter a room, you are immediately judged on your body language cues. People will decide your level of trustworthiness by observing your first ten steps into the room. Walk with a cadence and display good posture at all times. Remember seated posture has the same importance as your standing posture. Don't let your back come in contact with the back of your chair, which forces you to sit up straight and look more engaged in the conversation. Sitting too tense and shoulders too high will show your lack of confidence and you can appear arrogant or distant if you lean back too far.
The way we deliver a message using our nonverbal body language such as pitch, pace, volume and rate of your voice determines your level of believability.
Tonality creates a visual image that has implications far beyond the spoken word. The sound of your voice has a tremendous impact on others and communicates your emotional state. Establish an instant connection with others, by using the right tone of voice.
In many situations, the tonality of your voice can determine your credibility factor. That is why it is important to project a pleasant sounding voice.
Your pitch refers to the tone of the voice. You don't want it too high or too low. Anxiety can result in a rise in the pitch. To create a high level of credibility you need to eliminate a nasal, harsh or shallow sound. The rate at which you communicate is also important because you don't want to speak too quickly or too slowly.
Another powerful component of body language is the pause. Pausing is a useful tool, which helps you emphasize a point. Learning to be comfortable with silence is also a very important skill that we need to master. Refrain from rushing in too quickly to fill the void and possibly losing the impact of your message.
We certainly won't be perceived as a true professional, if our language is rude, shows negative emotion, or vulgar, and we display anger easily. Swearing and using foul language will destroy any influence you might have established. Never use filler words such as "uh," "hmm," "ah," "you know," "like," "you got it," or "no problem," because your presence and trust factor will be diminished. To be effective with your actual wording and project the right meaning in your presentation, practice by looking in the mirror and record yourself. Your posture, gestures and expression should convey your intended message and make a positive impact.
It is a sign of respect to learn different culture norms, which dictate our body language signals. In many countries when we nod our head up and down, it can signify that we are in agreement, or practicing good listening skills. In Bulgaria and some parts of Greece nodding your head up and down has the opposite meaning. Arab men will often be seen nearly touching each other's face, when they are discussing making plans for the following evening, or to meet someone later. A universal form of body language, which can change the dynamics between you and others, is the smile, which means the same anywhere you travel.
Developing a successful winning image and perfecting a first impression is dependent on exhibiting positive and congruent body language including proper stance, the way you sit, positioning, posturing, controlled hand movement, appearance and tone of voice.
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