Body Language: "WHAT WE SAY" Is Less Important Than "HOW WE SAY IT"

BODY LANGUAGE
“WHAT WE SAY” is less important

than “HOW WE SAY IT”……………….
WHAT IS BODY LANGUAGE?
It is communication of
o Personal feelings
o Emotions
o Attitudes
o Thoughts
Through BODY MOVEMENTS…..
MAIN ASPECTS OF BODY LANGUAGE
GESTURES:A gesture is the verbal or non

verbal body movement used to express or
emphasize an idea , an emotion and a state of
mind.
BODY MOVEMENTS: This includes head, eyes,
eyebrows, lips, neck, shoulder, fingers and so
on.
Contd ………
o EMOTIONS: It refers to states such as
happiness, depression and anxiety..and milder
moods such as feeling of pleasure and
displeasure , degrees of excitement or
drowsiness etc.
o BEHAVIOUR : This refers quite simply to
everything we do is observable to others.
BODY LANGUAGE
INCLUDES:-
• Unintentional Body Movements
• Facial expressions
• Body movements
• Body postures
• Eye contact
• Touching gestures
UNINTENTIONAL BODY MOVEMENTS……
 BLINKING
 BLUSHING
 COWERING
 CRINGING
 SHUDDERING
 TREMBLING
 TWISTING HAIR
 WEEPING…
FACE
7
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS…..….
The face is the most significant and the most
photographed part of our body . The flashes of
facial signals are spontaneous and therefore
are difficult to hide our true emotions .
Mouth
When ‘raised’ , the mouth communicates positive
feelings , happiness , optimism.IF kept ‘straight’
to conceal emotion. ‘ Turned down’
to express sadness, confusion , dissatisfaction.
The Lips: When one does not utter a word lips can
be eloquent because silent lips express a wide range of
emotions from smile to frown.
Throat: when the Adam’s applejump unconsciously
signals anxiety, embarrassment or stress.
Face is the most reliable indicator of wide range of
emotions:
• JOY AND HAPPINESS

• ANGER
• ANXIETY
• SADNESS
• SURPRISE
• ANNOYANCE
• FEAR…
EXAMPLE:
• When we are shocked , we open our mouth..
• BLUSHING is another facial phenomenon that
expresses emotions . A shy person becomes
red in face when attention is focused on him.
• People frown in case they don’t understand a
thing.
Contd …….…
SMILING : smiling and frowning are two major
facial expressions.
– A genuine smile means “I appreciate you” or “I
accept your ideas” etc.
– A frown means “I find you puzzling”.
LAUGHTER : laughter is composed of broad
range of gestures and sounds.
 “Ha – Ha” is genuine laughter.

 “HE – HE” is mocking laughter.
 “HEE – HEE” suggests a secret giggle.
 “HO – HO” communicates surprise.
EYES : Winking eye
It is an act of FLIRTING.
Closed eyes
It means either BORED or SLEEPY or
concentrating..
.
Eyebrows:
People lower or knit their eyebrows when they show
disagreement or displeasure.
NOSE
* Holding the nose
- “Something smells bad.”
* Nose tap
- “It’s confidential.”
- “Watch out!” or "Be careful.” (especially in
Italy)
15
EARS
* Ear grasp
- “I’m sorry.”
* Cupping the ear
- “I can’t hear you.”
* Pulling ear
- “You are in my heart”
Body Movement
• Balance movements with verbal cues
• Avoid random movements
• Step forward to indicate you are arriving at
a point
• Step back when concluding a point and
signals the audience they can relax
momentarily
• Always lead with your foot nearest your
destination
ARMS
 it is considered impolite to gesticulate with
broad movements of the arms.
Folding arms are interpreted as a form of
excluding self, “I am taking a defensive
posture,” or “I disagree with what I am
hearing.”
18
Contd…..
Arms behind back, hands grasped is a sign of

ease and control.
Arms in front, hands grasped, common
practice in most Asian countries, is a sign of
mutual respect for others.
19
FINGERS
* The “O.K.” signal. (the thumb and forefinger
form a circle) means
* “fine,” or “O.K.” in most cultures,
* “zero” or “worthless” in some parts of Europe
* “money” in Japan
* an insult in Greece, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Russia and
some other countries
FINGERS
* “Thumb-up” means:
* “O.K.” “good job” or “fine”
21
POSTURE AND
BODY ORIENTATION
POSTURE
• Body posture can be open or closed.
• Interested people pay attention and lean forward.
• Leaning backwards demonstrates aloofness or

rejection.
• A head held straight up signals a neutral attitude.
• A head down is negative and judgmental.

POSTURE
• Some negative postures should be avoided:
• Rigid Body Posture-Anxious/ Uptight

• Hunched Shoulders –Lacks interest/ Feeling
inferior
• Crossed Arms-Protecting the body/ Negative
Thoughts
Eye Contact
• Most powerful feature after voice
• Establish a bond
• Look at your audience to convey your
sincerity of the message
• You will increase their attention to
you by sufficient eye contact
• Provides you feedback and helps you
relax
GESTURES
• Gestures communicate as effectively as words, sometimes

even better.
• Gestures support the verbal communication.
• They sometimes detract from what you say.

GESTURES
• There are some negative gestures which should be avoided:
• Pointing at people- It is perceived as accusatory.
• Fiddling with your items-It gives the impression that you are
nervous.
• Dragging the feet-It implies lethargy.
• Head Down- It suggests timidity.

• Drooping shoulders- It implies weariness and
lethargy.
• Weak handshake-It implies meek and ineffectual

personality.
• Shifty eyes- It suggests nervousness.
• Arms crossed on the chest- It is a defensive
gesture.
• Shaking feet or legs- It shows indifference and
disinterest.
AVOID THESE HAND GESTURES
USE HAND GESTURES
Head Gestures
The Head Nod : A nod depicts a positive signal
& a ‘head- shake’ signifies ‘no’ or a negative
gesture.
Head nods show continuing attention , it also
depicts what is happening to us emotionally.
Heads tilt is a signal of interest.
THE HANDS
• The Human hand is a restless organ
• Limp hands show boredom.
• Nervous or jittery person shows restless hands.
• Clenched hands often shows frustration.
• Clapping of hands shows applause.
• When the arms are crossed they form a ‘barrier’ to an
impending threat.
• Arms folded with finger tucked in armpits & thumbs
sticking out: this is when subordinate faces his superior
whom he considers equal.
• Arms behind the back is resorted by those who is
experiencing an inner conflict.
• Neck stroking signals suspicion.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HANDSHAKES…
o LIMP
o FIRM
o LOOSE
o VIGOROUS
o DOUBLE
o TAKING HOLD OF FINGERS INSTEAD OF THE
HAND
o HOLDING HAND FOR A LONG TIME
THE LEGS
Crossed legs signify negativity.
The foot lock is especially among shy & timid women.
The ankle lock signifies ‘holding back’ of strong feelings ,
attitudes & emotions.
Sitting on edge of chair indicates compromise, accept or
agree or conclude.
Rocking or swinging in chair indicates a person is in full
control of situation.
Walking Gestures
Arms swinging.
Hands in pockets.
Hands on hips.
Meditative walk.
Confidence walk.
Leadership walk.
Pacing.
Swagger.
WHY TO IMPROVE BODY LANGUAGE????
 Words form a very less part of our

communication.
 Emotions are well depicted through one’s
body language.
 It helps in making our communication more
effective.
 Good body language gives better first
impression.
DO’S AND DON’TS OF
BODY LANGUAGE….
 Don’t cross your arms or legs.

 Have eye contact , but don’t stare.
 Don’t be afraid to keep up some space.
 Relax your shoulders.
 NOD when you agree.
 Don’t slouch , sit up straight.
 lean , but not too much
 Don’t touch your face again and again.
Evaluation of Body Language……………
ENGAGED
LISTENING
BORED
LET ME SPEAK
EAGER
EVALUATING
LET ME GO!!
AGGRESSIVE
Contd…….
READY TO AGREE
ATTENTIVE
REJECTION
DEFIANT
NERVOUSNESS
LYING….
• Becoming sensitive to the clues of body language can help us
communicate more effectively with everyone.
• We can understand what other person what to say even when

they are not talking.
• We can sense when a person is silent and digesting

information, or when he/she is silent and confused.
• We can share feelings too strong or too difficult to be

expressed in words.
40
• Or decode secret messages passing silently from
person to person.
• And we may spot contradictions between what

person say and what they really mean.
• Finally, we can learn to be more sensitive to our

own bodies – to see how they express our
feelings and to see ourselves as others see us.
41
TYPES OF BODY LANGUAGE……
CLOSED – AGGRESSIVE
body language
Hands on hips
Legs too wife – too macho
Invading personal space – too close
Aggressive gesturing – finger
pointing
Standing ‘over’ someone
Over firm handshake
‘Eye balling’ – out staring
CLOSED – DEFENSIVE body
language
Crossed arms or legs
Hunched shoulders
Poor eye contact
Leaning away
Tight voice
CLOSED – NERVOUS body
language
oNail biting
oDry throat – swallowing /
coughing
oBlushing – face/neck/chest
oWeak handshake
oAvoiding eye contact
CLOSED – BORED body
language
Looking around the room
Looking at watch
Drumming fingers
Yawning
Shifting weight
Rubbing face
OPEN – INTERESTED body
language
Firm handshake
Good eye contact
On the same level
Confident stance
Confident gestures – chosen
gestures
Showing interest – head nod /
slight lean in

Body Language: "WHAT WE SAY" Is Less Important Than "HOW WE SAY IT"

Uploaded by

Document Informationclick to expand document information

Copyright:

Available Formats

Body Language: "WHAT WE SAY" Is Less Important Than "HOW WE SAY IT"

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Body Language: "WHAT WE SAY" Is Less Important Than "HOW WE SAY IT"

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BODY LANGUAGE

“WHAT WE SAY” is less important

GESTURES:A gesture is the verbal or non

• JOY AND HAPPINESS

 “Ha – Ha” is genuine laughter.

Arms behind back, hands grasped is a sign of

• Interested people pay attention and lean forward.

• Leaning backwards demonstrates aloofness or

• A head down is negative and judgmental.

• Rigid Body Posture-Anxious/ Uptight

• Gestures communicate as effectively as words, sometimes

• Gestures support the verbal communication.

• They sometimes detract from what you say.

• There are some negative gestures which should be avoided:

• Pointing at people- It is perceived as accusatory.

• Dragging the feet-It implies lethargy.

• Head Down- It suggests timidity.

• Weak handshake-It implies meek and ineffectual

 Words form a very less part of our

 Don’t cross your arms or legs.

• We can understand what other person what to say even when

• We can sense when a person is silent and digesting

• We can share feelings too strong or too difficult to be

• And we may spot contradictions between what

• Finally, we can learn to be more sensitive to our

You might also like