Body Language - Read Them Right

It is a known fact that communication is only effective when it is a dialog rather than a monologue. Only if there is a right acknowledgment from the listener, is your communication process a complete one. This ideally happens enough in a face-to-face communication either through gestures or verbal yeses and nos. However, have you ever thought how to guess or infer from the gestures or body languages of your listeners? In a corporate level, it is essential that you are clever enough to catch the minor changes in your listener's response. Body language is very relevant to all aspects of communication, especially where communication can be seen and physically observed among people.

Here are a few quick tips on how you, as a speaker, can better your conversation or presentation based on the cues sent from your audience.

1. Always look into the eyes of your audience; there are a lot of untold messages.

Direct eye contact between the speaker and the audience always reveal attentive and interested listening. However, if your audience does not focus on you, rather look left or right then your audience may be recalling, remembering or creating, and fabricating respectively.

2. If eyes are the primary pathfinders, mouth is the secondary and plays a vital role in facial expressions.

A pasted or faked smile which normally lasts longer than a natural smile generally indicates a forced agreement or displeasure. A natural laughter or smile is a note of agreement or relaxation. Participants biting their lips can signal tension, while nail-biting can be either suppression or frustration. If your audiences have their hand clamped over their mouth, then they may be in a shock.

3. Head being the master of body language determines other body directions.

Our head and hands co-ordinate to communicate messages both consciously and unconsciously. Understand the following from your audience if they are 

• Head nodding - agreement
• Slow head nodding - attentive listening
• Fast head nodding - impatience
• Head up and high - alertness, superiority, arrogance, and fearlessness
• Head titled side wise - thoughtfulness, gets a different view
• Chin up - Pride, confidence, and attraction

4. You would have almost evaluated from your audience's facial expressions, yet those messages through arms are a safer analysis 

• Crossed arms - defensive or mild boredom, (note that people also cross arms when they are feeling cold, so be careful not to misread this signal)
• Arms behind the body with hands clasped - authority and confidence
• Holding book/paper across chest - nervousness

5.Hands are extremely flexible and expressive in emphasizing gestures. 

• Hands in body language are used for emphasizing, illustrating, greeting, and indicating feelings
• Palm open - honest and truthful
• Palm moving up and down - seeking an answer
• Hand in chopping action - emphasizing
• Cracking knuckles - seeking attention, self comforting
• Rubbing hands together - relish and anticipation
• Hands over mouth - suppression, shock
• Hands in pocket - boredom, to mask fear
• Hands on hips - confidence and willingness

The body signals stated above are subject to the change with regard to the situation or the person. It is not mandate that these body languages need to be exhibited at the same instance stated.

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