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Nonverbal Communication
An understanding of nonverbal communication is vital when you are
negotiating, and using positive nonverbal
communication
yourself will make you a
better negotiator.
There are four key elements to nonverbal communication - posture,
facial expression, tone of voice and limb position. Of these, the tone of
voice is most easily disguised and you should be wary of making judgments
based on this element alone.
While the other side are speaking, reassure them by using positive body
language - make a lot of eye contact, smile, nod in agreement with their
major points and generally act as though you are persuaded by their
arguments. This tends to draw the other side out by making them feel that
you are easier to negotiate with.
When they have come to the end of their prepared remarks, keep quiet and
maintain an attentive pose. They may then begin to improvise - providing
even more information to the intelligent listener.
Body language should be seen as a two edged sword, and when you are
opening you should be aware that the other side may use it to encourage
you to say more than you intended.
Mirroring
In any intimate communication there is a natural tendency to mirror the
body position of the person you are talking to, and this behavior tends to
result in a more relaxed and agreeable atmosphere. You can put the other
side at ease by being aware of this and making a positive but subtle
effort to mirror their posture - but don't overdo it.
If you are negotiating as part of a team then it is important to keep
everyone on your side aware of the subtle messages they may be sending
out. An individuals facial expression, tone of voice, body posture and
movement often convey a world of detail about what they are thinking,
feeling and planning.
It is important to ensure that all of your team understand the
implications of nonverbal communication. The use of positive body
language can reassure the other side and may encourage them to improvise -
revealing valuable information.
Eye Contact
Eye contact with the other side is an
essential part of any negotiation. Without it the other party will feel
remote from you and are unlikely to relate to you in a meaningful way. Not
many negotiators realize how important eye contact is, or how sensitive
people are to it. Eye contact should be a positive form of nonverbal
communication, but if it is not used correctly it can easily become
negative.
The face shown has a shaded area that indicates the correct target zone
for positive eye contact. That is looking anywhere within this shaded zone
represents positive eye contact. Looking at someone’s face anywhere
outside of the triangular target zone is likely to cause some degree of
embarrassment. However, the no-go zones shown are both associated
with strong adverse reactions.
Zone A represents the intimate zone and by moving just a fraction below
the base of the target triangle you will enter it. When this happens
people typically react by feeling that the other person is staring at
them, or that the observer looks shifty.
Zone B represents a dominant zone and by looking at the forehead of
another person you are likely to invoke a reaction that you appear to be
arrogant, that you are staring straight through them or more commonly that
you are talking down at them.
As well as understanding how to make positive eye contact with an
individual it is also important to ensure that your gaze encompasses all
of the people that you are negotiating with. Try to avoid holding eye
contact only with the principal negotiator. Whilst you may find it more
difficult to engage members of the party, it is important to try to
involve them.
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Nonverbal Communication
– When Presenting
You need to be aware of your nonverbal communication from the moment you stand up
until your presentation is completed. The importance of positive eye
contact and the correct use of posture and hand movement to accompany your
presentation cannot be overstated.
As audience analysis shows nonverbal communication is a very important part of any
presentation. This screen explains aspects of nonverbal communication
as it applies in western society.
Members of your audience will analyze your body language, even if they are
unaware of this at the conscious level. A brilliantly prepared
presentation delivered in an interesting voice will fall well short of the
mark if accompanied by negative, intrusive or hostile nonverbal
communication.
You will probably be aware of the concept of personal space - that area
around an individual into which other people should not venture uninvited.
Audiences too are very conscious of this space and when presenting you
should not stand within 10 feet of the audience. This distance is known as
the public zone and if you violate it you are likely to antagonize those
affected. This distance also creates an effective stage area in which you,
the presenter, can perform.
Once you are positioned in the correct zone - this will be further away
the larger the audience, there are four main aspects of nonverbal
communication that you should consider; what to do with your eyes, what
your facial expressions indicate, the positioning and movement of your
body and limbs, and your hand gestures.
Body and Limb Movement
The way that you use your body and limbs will also have a major influence
on how your audience perceives you. When presenting you will normally be
standing, and an ideal stance is with your feet close together and your
weight evenly distributed between them.
It is important not to grow roots - don't stand in one position, but try
to inject movement as you speak. This helps to add a natural animation to
your presentation as the audience will have to adjust their gaze to follow
you rather than stay looking at a fixed position.
By developing a practiced way of moving you can add a confident and
professional air to your presentation style. Precisely how you choose to
move is a personal thing - but try to develop and rehearse your style so
that you end up moving without conscious effort.
Whilst it is a good thing to be animated don’t walk around too much or the
audience will find it distracting and annoying. One of the best tactics is
to use the main features of your presentation as cues for movement, until
you have developed this skill it may be worth annotating your cue cards
with movement cues or symbols.
When conversing socially you probably don’t think consciously about what
you are doing with your arms, they are just there, moving in support of
what you are saying. Somehow in a formal presentation you are constantly
aware of them, hanging awkwardly from your shoulders, always seeming to be
in the way.
The key point about arms is to ignore them - move them back into your
subconscious so that they can support what you are saying in a natural
way. That said, there is one movement that you should develop when
presenting which will display confidence and openness. This involves
moving your arms away from your body and showing open palms to your
audience.
Eye Contact
Eye contact with the audience is an essential part of any presentation.
Without it the audience will feel remote from the presenter and are
unlikely to relate to them or their message in a meaningful way. Not many
presenters realize how important eye contact is, or how sensitive people
are to it. Eye contact should be a positive form of nonverbal
communication, but if it is not used correctly it can easily become
negative.
The face shown has a shaded area that indicates the correct target zone
for positive eye contact. That is looking anywhere within this shaded zone
represents positive eye contact. Looking at someone’s face anywhere
outside of the triangular target zone is likely to cause some degree of
embarrassment. However, the no-go zones shown are both associated
with strong adverse reactions.
Zone A represents the intimate zone and by moving just a fraction below
the base of the target triangle you will enter it. When this happens
people typically react by feeling that the other person is staring at
them, or that the observer looks shifty.
Zone B represents a dominant zone and by looking at the forehead of
another person you are likely to invoke a reaction that you appear to be
arrogant, that you are staring straight through them or more commonly that
you are talking down at them.
As well as understanding how to make positive eye contact with an
individual it is also important to ensure that your gaze encompasses your
whole audience - including those at the back and the sides. Try to avoid
holding eye contact only with audience members who appear enthusiastic and
interested. Whilst you may find it more difficult to engage members of the
audience who appear neutral, it is important to try to involve them.
Your Posture and Stance
There are further aspects of posture that you should be aware of - as they
can easily communicate subconscious messages, some of which you will want
to avoid:
The forward sloping stance indicates a wish to dominate other people,
often it is accompanied by an over-stressed point. The presenter may be
attempting to impose a concept or point of view on their audience. This is
made worse by aggressive or intrusive behaviour - such as entering the
public zone or the use of hostile gestures.
A bent posture is indicative of a person who is saying something without
conviction. Saying one thing whilst meaning another - such as a
salesperson giving an exaggerated sales pitch or a customer who wants to
say no but has been placed in an awkward position.
The upright posture demonstrates adult, assertive behavior with no hidden
meaning or manipulations in the communication. This stance indicates that
the person has conviction and confidence in what they are saying. This is
the posture you should practice and use when presenting.
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