Body Language Explained

Did you know that when you meet someone for the first time, it
takes that person 3 to 7 seconds to make their own judgement
about you?

Once that first assessment is made we adapt our feelings,
posture, language, and tone. These first few seconds alone can
make or break a relationship whether it is influencing someone
in a sales or presentation situation, or when flirting with a man or a
woman...

That is why it is important to know when and when not to use
certain gestures of body language.

Although we all naturally use our bodies to communicate, we have
to keep in mind that there is an appropriate time and place for
every act of body language. Most of the time, we are blissfully
unaware of the messages we convey through our body gestures
and movements, which means we could easily send negative
signals that might offend other people without realizing that we
did anything wrong.

There are a few gestures that one should really avoid using, but
often it requires discipline and practice to change bad habits,
especially if we've been unintentionally performing these negative
acts in our daily lives.

That is why it is very important to be observant of your own body
language, as well as that of other people. You can read other people by watching and learning how to understand the way that they act and move. But you must also
be aware that there are other people who know how to interpret
body language too, and somebody may already be reading you.

Let's talk about body language at work.

It is always a good idea to be your best at work, and using the
proper body language is a big key to success. By doing so,
you can impress your boss, coworkers and please clients.

You may not realize this but when most of us engage in
communication, only 7% of it is the words we speak and the other
93% is accounted for from our nonverbal cues.

When you are in the work place it is important to be confident yet
relaxed when you're facing somebody. This way other people
won't regard you as overconfident and you will be better able to
impress them and let them know you truly know what you are
talking about. Maintaining good posture, eye contact and using
appropriate hand gestures are key to building good work
relationships.

You will also want to make use of your hands to punctuate or
emphasize what you are saying. You don't want to appear stiff, so
don't keep your hands on your lap during the entire interaction. Hand gestures can signify that you are
honest and knowledgeable on the subject you are discussing.

If you are the presenter in a meeting be sure to move around, but
walk slowly during the presentation. The greatest presenters are
those who can speak confidently with the right timing of body
movements and gestures. You must observe the body language of
your audience as well. Reading their actions, reactions and
movements can let you know if you are doing well.

The wrong gestures, done consciously or unconsciously, could
give the wrong impression to your boss, co-workers, and clients.

You will want to avoid pointing your finger at anybody, especially
your boss. Even when you are angry or trying to emphasize an
important fact. Just in case you don't know, it is regarded as a
rude gesture.

In meetings, refrain from showing signs of boredom and lack of
interest. These signs include arms crossed over the chest, eyes
on objects other than the person talking or the presentation itself,
yawning, signing, drumming the fingers on the table, or tapping
your foot.