Non-verbal communication in business

Posted On April 12, 2021

There are five key elements that can make or break your successful non-verbal communication attempt in business:

• Eye contact

• Gestures

• Movement

• Posture and

• Written communication

Let’s examine each non-verbal element in turn to see how we can maximize its potential to communicate effectively …

Eye contact

Good eye contact helps your audience develop trust in you, which helps make you and your message seem credible. Poor eye contact does the exact opposite.

So what is “good” eye contact?

People rely on visual cues to help them decide whether or not to attend to a message. If they find that someone is not ‘looking’ at them when spoken to, they feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, it is a smart business communicator that tries to attract all members of the audience by looking at them.

Of course, this is easy if the audience is only a handful of people, but in an auditorium it can be a much more difficult task. So balance your time between these three areas:

• slowly scanning the entire audience,

• focusing on particular areas of your audience (perhaps staring at the wall between two heads if you are still intimidated by public speaking), and

• staring at individual audience members for about five seconds per person.

Looking at individual members of a large group can be “tricky” to get right at first.

Similarly, it can be a good balancing act if your audience only understood one or two members; If you spend too much time looking into their eyes, they will feel intimidated, looked at and ‘hunted’.

So here’s a helpful tip: break eye contact at four or five second intervals.

That is, look at the other person in blocks that last four to five seconds, then look away. That way they won’t be intimidated.

Practice this timing yourself, away from others. Just look at one spot on the wall, count to five, and then look away. With practice, you will be able to develop a “feel” for how long you have been looking into the eyes of your audience members, and you will intuitively know when to look away and focus on another person or object.

When focusing on individual members in a large meeting or auditorium, try to geographically distribute your attention throughout the room. That is, don’t just focus your personal gaze (as opposed to when you’re scanning the room or looking at sections of the room) on selected individuals from just one part of the room. Unless you are specifically looking to interact with a particular person at that point in your presentation, select individual members of the eye contact audience from across the room.

Gestures

Most of us, when we talk to our friends, use our hands and faces to help us describe an event or object – powerful non-verbal aids.

We wave our arms, turn our hands from side to side, roll our eyes, raise our eyebrows, and smile or frown.

However, many of us also, when we introduce ourselves to others in a more formal setting, we “shut up.”

Our audience of friends is no different from our business audience: they all rely on our faces and hands (and sometimes our legs, feet, and other parts of us!) To “see” a bigger, more complete picture.

It’s totally understandable that our nervousness can cause us to ‘freeze’, but it is in the best interest for us and for our communication if we manage that nervousness, manage our fear of public speaking, and use our bodies to help emphasize our point.

I found that by joining a local Toastmasters International club I was able to quickly learn how to ‘free my body’ by introducing myself to others.

Movement

Have you ever seen great presenters in action, men and women who are alone on stage but make us laugh, cry and get carried away by their words and enthusiasm?

Look at them carefully and you will notice that they are not rigid in one place. No, they bounce and run and stroll and slide all over the stage.

Why do they do that?

Because they know that human beings, men in particular, are drawn to movement.

As part of man’s genetic heritage, we are programmed to pay attention to movement. We instantly notice it, like it or not, evaluating the movement for any hint of a threat to us.

This, of course, helps explain why many men are drawn to television and seem paralyzed by it. It also helps to explain why men in particular are almost “glued” to the television when there is a sport. All that movement!

But to get back on stage and you on it … make sure any movement you make is meaningful and not just nervous fidgeting, like rocking back and forth on your heels or taking two steps back and forth, or Side to side.

This is a ‘nervous movement’ and your nervousness will carry over to your audience, significantly diluting the power of your communication and message.

So move around the stage when you can, not just to keep the men in the audience happy, but to help emphasize your message!

Position

There are two types of “postures” and it is the wise communicator who manages and uses both.

Posture 1

The first type of “posture” is the one we intuitively think of: straight back against drooping shoulders; the confident posture of feet apart in front of feet together, wringing of the hands of the nervous; head up and smiling versus head down and frowning.

And each of the positions in which we place the various elements of our body tells a story, a powerful and non-verbal story.

For example, stand tall, shoulders straight, head upright, and eyes forward. Wear a big smile. Notice how you ‘feel’ emotionally.

Now, lower your shoulders, look at the ground and move your feet slightly. Again, take a no from your emotional state.

Did you notice the difference?

Your audience will surely do so and will react to you and your message accordingly.

A strong, upright, and positive body posture not only helps you breathe easier (good for helping to calm your nerves!), But also conveys a message of authority, security, and power.

If you are challenged to maintain that posture, practice in front of a mirror or, better yet, join a speaking club like Toastmasters International. [http://www.toastmastersa.org/champion/index.html].

Posture 2

The second type of “posture” comes from your internal mental and emotional states.

You may have great body posture, but without mental and emotional inner posture, your words will sound hollow to your audience.

For example, the used car salesman for ‘Dodgy Brothers Motors’ may have excellent body posture and greet you with a firm handshake, a fixed gaze, and a friendly smile. But if in his heart he sees you as just another fool, sooner or later his internal conflict between what he says and what he really thinks will make him ‘stumble’.

Your body will start to betray its real and underlying intentions and you will start to feel uncomfortable around it, even if you can’t understand why.

But, if that same used car salesman had a genuine desire to help you find the right car for you, and puts his needs before yours, then his words and actions will still be congruent (in harmony) with his underlying intentions and you will. Trust him, even if you can’t identify why.

I’ve seen some so-called “self-help” gurus who don’t actually practice what they preach. Consequently, his words ring hollow to me and his books, cds, dvds and training materials go unsold.

I’ve met salespeople and women who don’t actually make the money they claim to earn from their ‘fabulous business opportunity’, and while their words are practiced and polished, and their body posture is ‘perfect’, their words ooze like poison. mellow. from his lips and I still can’t convince myself.

This second type of “position” is fundamentally linked to truth and honesty. It’s about ‘leading by example’ and being who you say you are.

It’s about not trying to sell something you don’t believe in or use. It’s about not trying to impersonate an expert when all you’ve done is read a book on the subject.

It’s about making sure your words and intentions are backed up by truth and honesty. Because all of us, no matter how refined we are as presenters, are at the mercy of our body and its ability to ‘tell the truth’ despite what our lips may say. Non-verbal clues rule!

Written communication

I could spend my whole life writing about the art of written communication.

There is an art (and also a science) that can be learned with diligence and practice. Write too formally; write too casually; write too briefly; write too much …

My first suggestion would be to take advantage of one of the following three books, each of which is absolutely brilliant at giving you the skills and knowledge of effective business writing:

• The Business Style Guide: An A-to-Z Guide to Writing at Work with Advice from Fortune 500 Communication Experts by Helen Cunningham and Brenda Greene
• The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear and Concise Letters, Memoranda, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly
• Effective Business Writing: Strategies, Tips, and Examples by Maryann V. Piotrowski

From persuasive memos to complaint letters, sales letters, and executive summaries – these extremely helpful guides will help you write clearly and in the right format, style, and tone. Each book has numerous examples showing how to overcome writer’s block, organize messages for maximum impact, achieve an easy-to-read style, find an efficient writing system, and much more.

In conclusion …

There are five key elements that can make or break your successful nonverbal business communication attempt:

• Eye contact

• Gestures

• Movement

• Posture and

• Written communication

Non-verbal communication in a business environment requires not only the recognition of these elements, but also the confidence to face their challenges.

Good luck and remember to communicate with passion!