Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Concept of Non-Verbal Communication
• Method 2 of 3: Gesturing
• Method 3 of 3: Interpreting facial expressions
• Tips
• Warnings

Body language (sometimes also called non-verbal communication) is an important tool. Your level of proficiency in body language determines your success in all areas of life, from relationships to career. Almost 93% of communication is non-verbal communication. You will be able to achieve success if you are more attentive to the signs that you send through non-verbal communication.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Concept of Non-Verbal Communication

1. 1 Use open body language. It follows that you must have a confident handshake, you must sit still, but exude energy and give the impression that you are in control of all your gestures and movements.
   • You need to sit relaxed, but keep your back straight. It will show people your confidence and your sense of comfort. Pause your conversation to gain the attention of your audience and to show your confidence.
   • Spread your legs slightly to the sides. It also serves as a manifestation of confidence. Bend over slightly when someone speaks to show interest (if you pull back, show aloofness).
   • Do not cross your arms, let them hang loosely at your sides, or fold them on your knees. This will demonstrate your openness to people.
   • Make sure your handshake is firm but not painful. Make eye contact with your interlocutor, but don't glare at him. Remember to blink and look in other directions so that the other person does not feel like they are trying to intimidate him.
   • Change the tone of your voice. The correct tone of voice helps build trust between the interlocutors. The key to success is creating a trusting atmosphere.
2. 2 Capture emotional body language. You can identify emotions by carefully observing non-verbal cues. You also, in turn, have to put emotional cues into context.
   • When people get angry, their faces turn red, they bare their teeth, clench their fists, try to take up more space, sometimes by leaning forward.
   • When people are worried or nervous, their faces turn pale, their throats dry out (they can drink water or lick their lips), the tone of the voice varies, muscle tension arises (therefore, they can clench their hands and their elbows will be closer to their sides). Also, signals of nervousness can be trembling knees, twitching, shortness of breath, or even holding it altogether.
3. 3 Avoid closing gestures. If you are giving a presentation speech, you need to be as open as possible to your audience. Therefore, you need to avoid the physical barriers that keep you out of your audience.
   • Tribunes, computers, chairs and even folders create a distance between the speaker and the audience, diminishing the appearance of contact.
   • Crossing your arms or talking over a computer monitor shows you are closed.
4. 4 Recognize lies. Body language always exposes liars. They may hide their lies in words, but their body language will tell you a different story.
   • Liars rarely make eye contact, and their pupils tend to constrict.
   • If someone turns away from you, this is a sign that the other person is lying.
   • Indicators may change. For example, redness of the face or neck, sweating are all signs that you are being lied to. The above also includes sound changes, such as when the throat is cleared.
   • Note that some signs of lying, such as sweating, little or no eye contact, can also be signs of anxiety or fear.
5. 5 Consider personal space. Different cultures approach the issue of personal space differently. But basically, the types of social space can be divided into four categories.
   • Intimate space. Allows a person to a distance of 45 centimeters. If you invade someone's intimate space, you can disturb him, unless, of course, you are not a close person for whom this is permissible.
   • Personal space. From 45 centimeters to 1.2 meters. Allows you to get close enough to shake hands with each other, see facial expressions and gestures.
   • Social space. This is a normal space for formal situations. Determined from 1.2 to 3.6 meters. Speech should be loud and eye contact becomes very important.
   • Public space. From 3.7 to 4.5 meters.An example would be teachers or those who reach out to a group of people. Non-verbal communication becomes critical. Hand gestures and head movements become more important than facial expressions, as the latter is often not recognized.
6. 6 Learn your non-verbal body language. Consider how your body interacts with other people. The mirror can help in studying your facial expression, posture. Pay more attention to your gestures and facial expressions. What are they like when you're worried, angry, or happy? Consider what your body language says in different situations when interacting with people.
   • Try to determine if your body language matches what you are saying. Body language will be effective when it conveys what you verbalize. Does your posture convey confidence, or do you seem insecure even when your words say otherwise?
   • If your body language matches what you say, not only will your communication become clearer, you will appear more charismatic.

Method 2 of 3: Gesturing

1. 1 Use hand gestures when speaking. Experts assure that those people who use gestures during public speeches or presentations instill more confidence in their words in the audience.
   • More complex gestures involve above-the-waist two-handed gestures and are associated with complex thinking.
   • Politicians such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama or Tony Blair are considered charismatic and effective orators in large part due to their frequent use of hand gestures.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Dan Klein

   
   
   Improvisation Instructor Dan Klein is an improvisation specialist who teaches in the Theater and Performing Arts Department at Stanford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Has been teaching improvisation, creativity and storytelling to students and organizations from all over the world for over 20 years. Received his BA from Stanford University in 1991.

   Dan Klein
   Improvisation teacher

   Match your gestures with words and intentions. If your gestures don't match your words, your listeners will sense that something is wrong.

2. 2 Don't stand still. Don't just use hand gestures. Great speakers are constantly on the move. They point to slides and don't shield themselves from people. They are constantly on the move.
   • Keeping your hands in your pockets when speaking or speaking can give yourself an insecure and closed air.
   • Conversely, if you do not hide your hands in your pockets, but hold so that your palms are visible, you are demonstrating credulity and harmlessness.
3. 3 Local gestures-emblems. These gestures are equivalent to words. It must be remembered that these gestures can have different meanings in different cultures.
   • Clenching of fists or shaking in the body can be a sign of aggression when a person is ready to attack. If a person stands face to face with another, then this is also a sign of aggression.
   • Conversely, gestures of benevolence are indicative when the arms are rounded and the palms are directed to the sides, as if the person wants to hug you. The gestures are slow and fluid. By nodding while the other person speaks, you show your interest and become a great listener.
4. 4 Keep your back straight. If you go to, say, an interview and slouch, you can leave a bad impression on the interviewer.
   • People associate poor posture with insecurity, boredom, or disinterest. They might even think that you are lazy and unmotivated.
   • To have good posture, you need to keep your head high and your back straight. Try it if you are sitting now. Sit in a chair, lean forward slightly to show your interest.
5. 5 Reflect the interlocutor. Mirroring is a process where one copies the movements of the other in conversation, reflects them. By repeating the movements of the interlocutor, you create the impression of connectedness.
   • You can reflect the tone, body language, or body position of the other person. You shouldn't do it ostentatiously or quickly. Only subtly, barely perceptible.
   • Mirroring is one of the most effective ways to use body language to connect with someone.
6. 6 Emphasize your position with gestures. This will help you get your message across. If you want to make sure that you are understood correctly, use gestures.
   • If the listener does not perceive one gesture, then he will probably notice another. You don't need to apply body language to every word, but it doesn't hurt to have a handful of gestures to help you convey important aspects of your speech, especially if there are some that can be understood ambiguously.
   • Use positive gestures to accompany your speech. This will help determine if you have been able to convey the message to the listener.
7. 7 Avoid gestures that show excitement or insecurity. Pay attention to other body language signals. Observe the surprised gaze, the hands brushing invisible fluff from clothes and constant sniffing.
   • Constant touching on the face signals anxiety and anxiety. Work on your posture. If you are hunched over or touching your face every now and then, you will never look confident, attractive. You may not be able to do it right away, but if you work hard on yourself, you will develop your non-verbal communication skills in general.
   • All these little gestures together can guarantee the effectiveness of your message. Don't worry if you can only use a couple of gestures in your presentation.

Method 3 of 3: Interpreting facial expressions

1. 1 Realize the degree of visual excellence. When you are talking to someone, it is necessary to become the figurative dominant in order to establish trust. This ratio is determined by those who look into the eyes of the interlocutor longer and who look more around.
   • Your visual superiority helps determine your position in the social hierarchy in relation to the interlocutor. A person who avoids eye contact has a low social status in society. People who prefer eye contact are likely to be in positions of power or management.
   • Downward-looking people show helplessness because they seem to be avoiding criticism or conflict situations.
2. 2 Use eye contact to send your message. As the well-known saying goes, the eyes are the mirror of the soul. Much can be learned about a person simply by watching how he or she uses the eyes.
   • Avoiding eye contact or looking down frequently can also be an indicator that the person is defending themselves. Eye contact can be prolonged even if the person prefers to listen rather than talk. Lack of eye contact can be interpreted as unwillingness to interrupt your speech and listen to the interlocutor.
   • Looking at a person means attraction. People who are attracted to someone make strong eye contact and lean towards that person while talking.
   • Making eye contact can be a show of respect, depending on the situation. For example, when you are giving a presentation in a room filled with people, divide the room into three sections. Address those seated in each part of the room in turn. Choose a person in each part of the audience to speak to. People who sit next to this person will think that you are speaking to them, and everyone will perceive you as a great speaker.
3. 3 Pay more attention to your facial expression as it displays emotions, especially if they are at odds with the person's words. Mimicry will help you understand real emotions.
   • With the help of facial expressions, a person demonstrates emotional feedback during a conversation.For example, you can nod, show interest, or show boredom. Regulators allow you to determine the degree of interest and involvement of the interlocutor.
   • You can show empathy for the other person by using affirmative movements such as nodding and smiling. These gestures show positive feedback by signaling that you share the other person's point of view.
4. 4 Be careful. Sometimes body language and facial expressions can show that you are defensive and distrustful. Therefore, it may seem that you are losing control of the situation.
   • Insufficient facial expressions, clamped movements of the hands that are kept close to the body show self-defense.
   • Turning the body, crossing arms is also a manifestation of self-defense.
5. 5 Disinterest. Whether you're giving a presentation or listening, you want people to be engaged and engaged. There are certain clues to discern engagement or lack thereof.
   • Dropped hands, wandering eyes are signs of disinterest.
   • The listener, sprawled in the chair, is clearly not showing interest. Any extraneous actions indicate detachment.

Tips

• Check out the cultural norms of other nations. If you have moved to another country, you need to brush up on your body language. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of communication of this country (for example, what distance to keep, how long should be eye contact, what gestures are prohibited). If you do not speak the local language, you are likely to be misunderstood. In some cases, this misunderstanding can develop into a serious intercultural conflict.
• Concentrate in difficult situations. It's important to make sure your body language is easy to understand when interacting with people you don't know very well. These situations include: first date, job interview, and so on.
• Study your own reactions. Use body language to understand your condition. If you are not quite sure about your attitude towards someone or something, listen to your body.
• Use the most positive gestures and facial expressions at the beginning and end of the conversation. If it is true that we leave the most memorable impression during the first 5-10 seconds, then it is also true that we leave the most significant impression during the same period of time.
• Be honest and don't judge. Words and gestures are very expressive. If you say what you mean, body language will follow your words.

Warnings

• Accept that people may misinterpret your body language. Always try to be clear and don't change what you want to say.
• Suppressing certain gestures and facial expressions is tantamount to distorting information and can be regarded as a lie. When people accuse someone of lying, they judge mainly by their behavior: the manners of the liar seem to be fake.
• Not everyone uses the same gestures to express a certain meaning. For example, in the United States, if you are standing with your legs apart, it means that you are standing firmly on your feet. In Japan, to express this meaning, the legs must be together and the arms must hang down at the sides.
• Don't assume that you can accurately understand another person's body language from the first meeting. The context is very important. For example, people often interpret crossed arms as a symbol of detachment or a manifestation of closeness. However, it is possible that the person is simply cold!