Tweet

Reading Body Language Is A Strategic Communications Tool

Written by: Glenn Ebersole

Article Overview: Reading body language is a strategic communications tool, which can be a very powerful tool for you and your business. Effective communication involves much more than saying the right words. Your communications are conveyed through emotions and body language and these two elements play a very vital role in getting your message across. As a matter of fact, your body language may often say more than your words because it reveals a lot about what you're feeling and thinking as of the moment. Experience has shown people who are transparent can get themselves in trouble, as there are some obvious ways to determine if people are lying. Knowing how to read a person's emotions based on his or her body language and gestures is very important for effective communications and makes you more effective as a communicator, negotiator and thinker.

Reading Body Language Is A Strategic Communications Tool

Reading body language is a strategic communications tool, which can be a very powerful tool for you and your business. Effective communication involves much more than saying the right words. Your communications are conveyed through emotions and body language and these two elements play a very vital role in getting your message across. As a matter of fact, your body language may often say more than your words because it reveals a lot about what you're feeling and thinking as of the moment. Experience has shown people who are transparent can get themselves in trouble, as there are some obvious ways to determine if people are lying.

Knowing how to read a person's emotions based on his or her body language and gestures is very important for effective communications. This strategic skill will help you be a more strategic communicator, negotiator, and thinker. Here are some examples to illustrate how observed body language could let you know if somebody is anxious, angry, happy, surprised, or sad.

If a person is happy: he or she smiles a lot. We might even find him or her doing a little skip as he or she walks. He or she has relaxed facial muscles and fluid movements; hums or sings to him or her.

If a person is anxious: he or she has a pale face and dry lips; starts perspiring profusely; fidgets a lot and has shifty eyes; keeps shaking his or her leg or tapping his or her foot; makes sudden movements after a while of being still; stutters.

If a person is angry: he or she pounds his or her fist on the table and speaks loudly; clenches his or her fist and leans forward when talking to you; bares his or her teeth and appears to be snarling as he or she talks; has tense muscles.

If a person is surprised: he or she suddenly opens his or her mouth (remember the expression “my jaw dropped”); suddenly takes a step back; widens his or her eyes or clamps his or her hand over his or her mouth.

If a person is sad: he or she has trembling lips; is not able to look you straight in the eye and sometimes even has tears forming; slumps his or her body; uses a rather flat or weak tone of voice.

These are only a few of the indicators of the key emotions that we as human beings feel. Sometimes these emotions might even overlap. For example, a person with shifty eyes could be lying or could just be nervous. So, in order to be able to effectively interpret what the person is feeling, you have to be sure to take the context of the conversation into consideration. In my opinion, reading body language is a combination of an art and a science. Body language is a part of our daily business and personal living. Body language is all around us and we observe it everyday. If someone does not exhibit any kind of body language we think that person is stiff or wooden, with just one expression and pose all the time. We also know that it is human nature to succumb to our emotions sometimes. And sometimes it is through body language that we convey messages that we don't have the courage to or choose not to say out loud. And those messages may be much more valuable and insightful than others.

Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach encourages you to develop a strong set of strategic skills, including how to read body language as part of your communications skills. If you would like to learn more about how a strategic thinking business coach can facilitate and guide you in that endeavor, please contact Glenn Ebersole today through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

Related Articles
  More on Reading Emotions Through Body Language From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  “Ten Tips For Nonverbal Communications From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach ”
  Strategic Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach To Improve Personal Communications
  The Power Of Body Language
  Do You Know What You Say Before You Utter One Word? The Importance of Your Body Language

Article Tags: body language and gestures, clamps, communications tool, dry lips, effective communication, effective communications, emotions, expression, facial muscles, fist, matter of fact, negotiator, pale face, reading body language, shifty eyes, strategic communications, teeth, tense muscles, thinker, two elements



Related Forum Posts
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude
Wow! - Wow, this comes in as a close second to one of the best resources listed on EC.com. The first for me was the free Camtasia Tool.
New Women Entrepreneurs to Profile - Thanks Mikki! We've got Madam C.J. Walker on the list as well as Anita Roddick (The Body Shop), Mary Kay Ash, and Ruth Handler (Mattel). I'm not too familiar with the Debbie Fields story - what do you know about it? Sheldon, Are you connected with these two companies? What can you tell me about them?
how many hours do you spend in here per day? - How many hours do you spend here per day? Reading post and posting reply. Ever since I joined this great community, i have been spending at least 1 hour in this forum per day.
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Severance and Separation Agreements

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

The five pillars of internet marketing strategy

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.