Body Language in Business I. Importance of Body Language — Give others a(n)【T1】_____【T1】______ — Show our【T2】_____【T2】______ — F

Body Language in Business
Good morning, everyone. Today, we are going to talk about body language and its importance in business. As we all know, body language accounts for over 90% of a conversation! Body language can be used to help conduct an interview, give a presentation or make that important sale: a conversation stretches so much further than speech. Body language is the reason why selling face-to-face has a huge advantage over selling by phone.
Usually when we communicate with or see people, we only respond to what is being said, heard or generally seen. There is so much more involved and most of us do not pick up on it it’s our body language and it can express a thousand words.
[l]/[2]Our body language will give others an impression of ourselves or show our emotions. You’re probably using it right now to listen to this lecture. Our body language is an important aspect of running a successful business as we cannot always say what we really feel. This means we have to act positively in negative situations. You can also identify other people’s body language and know what they really mean: whatever they may be saying.
First of all, posture. You may immediately think of this as standing tall and up right as much as possible. In fact, it is the natural alignment of your head and body without the use of tension and ’locking’. Everyone has a different posture and it usually develops through habit over the years. This may be slumping your shoulders forward or hanging your head: anything that has come to feel natural.[3]Your posture may show how you will approach a situation. For example,[4]if you stand with your shoulders hanging, arms folded, and leaning to one side, it will look as if you aren’t ready for or interested in the task in question. Should you stand with strong shoulders, head up, arms out by the side and closed fists, you will look as if you are ready for anything no matter how much stress is involved. Looking at a person’s feet when they are sitting down will tell you who is an extrovert and who is an introvert. Extrovert—toes pointing out, introvert—toes pointing in.
Secondly, the space around you.[5]Those who stand always look more powerful than those people who are sitting down. This is because they are taking up more space. So if you feel comfortable standing, use it to look as though you have a higher status then those around you.[6]When you move around, the more space you take up can make others seem threatened by your presence. This is because those around you may feel that their presence in the area is less significant. In such case, they may move around using as little space as possible. If you are sitting, you can still give an image of power.[7]If standing isn’t appropriate, use more space by stretching your legs out or by having your arms at the side of the chair. When you are on the phone and you need to be assertive, standing up will project your urgency.
[8]Thirdly, hand-to-face movements. Look out for customers that use hand-to-face movements such as holding their chin or scratching their face.[9]This can usually show that they are thinking of making a purchase but they have concerns, for example, "can I afford it" or "what if I pick the wrong size", etc. This may be a cue for you to move in before they leave and inform them that they can "buy on credit if preferred" or that they can "exchange the product if it is not suitable", etc. It is a fact that many customers do not ask to solve their queries and therefore leave if they are unsure. This is why it is important to recognise this common form of body language.
Now, about facial expression[10]A simple smile can make others feel more at ease[11]while a frown can make people see that you are aggressive or unsure of something. We use facial expressions to get our points across in the right context. For example, your message would suffer if you were saying how angry you are with a huge smile.
Next, eye contact. When someone talks to you, do they look directly at you or look away?[12]Maintaining eye contact when talking or listening to someone gives an impression that you or they are confident and honest. Making little eye contact can say that the other person doesn’t like you, is nervous or shy,[13]or perhaps believe that they are higher in status and think that eye contact isn’t necessary.
Also, look out for it if you believe that someone isn’t being truthful, as most people can’t keep eye contact when they are bending the truth. However, someone looking at you nonstop is stressful and in these situations you should throw your hands around a bit more or point to brochures and objects to distract them.
If talking to people outdoors,[14]avoid wearing sunglasses as this can be very uncomfortable for the other person and can give an image of trying to hide your identity. In addition,[15]try to blink less as this can make it difficult for the other person to understand you. Blinking less also gives an image of confidence.
OK. That’s pretty much what I want to say. Let me finally remind you that body language comes in many forms, as you have seen above. Different people have their own ability to recognize body language and they will recognize it with different meanings to other people. You can always use body language to make you appear more confident, powerful and trusting. All right, you may video yourself tonight and check for clues of positive body language. Next time, we shall talk about gender differences in body language.