Body Language

Know and Understand Your Body Language

Whether you realize it or not, body language is a huge factor responsible for how everyone you meet, reaches an opinion about you. In many professions-particularly in professions where you help others, listening skills are a must and very important for creating good relationships with clients. No matter whether you help people in maintaining their personal relationships, giving guidance to people for success in business or to counsel people for any other type of problem, they are seeing your body language, showing good listening skills makes people more comfortable.

Poor Body language could Result In you Losing out on something big. It is not so important that you! are listening to every single word carefully and honestly. It is your body language that makes other people feel important and that you are giving them the attention they require. Here it is important to know what the signs of a poor listener are, and you should try to rid yourself of any of these. If you are in the habit of keeping your arms folded over your chest, or you tap your toes impatiently, lean or turn to look away too often, or look here and there all of the time while listening, then you are telling the other person that you are not interested in what he or she is saying. This will most likely result in the end of the relationship and can cause huge losses in business.

So, what can you do, so that your body language starts to send positive signals to the person you are talking to? Firstly, you should try to face the other person square on. Do not look away to send a positive signal. Then we come to the pose of your body at the time of communication. You should assume an open posture. You must never keep your arms or legs folded; or else, the other person will think that you are not interested in listening to his or her point.

If you lean forward while talking to someone, then your body language says that you are paying more attention to what he or she is saying. In contrast, leaning away indicates that you have no interest what so ever. Then we come to the eye contact. Eye contact is the most crucial factor. At all times try to maintain eye contact normally. If you keep looking down or looking away, then it shows that you are not showing any interest in the point and feeling uncomfortable. Additionally, the significance of a relaxed posture can also not be ignored. Do not try to be too stiff. Neither should you be too formal while talking to someone. If you feel that you have suffered big losses in the past because of your poor body language, then you should start practicing the above-mentioned tips immediately.

Body Language Talks All of The Time:

Your body language begins talking for you the moment you leave your home. Even when you are not actually speaking, how you stand, how you sit, and how you use your hands, this is what others perceive as communication. So, if you don't have a clear understanding of body language, sometimes your body language won't match what your intentions are, and people will get the wrong message. When your body language contradicts what your intentions are, it could cause a huge loss for you because you will lose your credibility.

How to retain Credibility:

So, what should you do to maintain your credibility? We should first learn a little more about body language, to be more credible and more skilled in the eyes of others. Whenever you meet your customer for any type of business, make your entrance as positive as possible. How can you do this? You should start by talking about the business as soon as you enter the premises of the customer. Poring over the papers or searching through your briefcase will send a negative impression. Even if you need to wait for a while, the best way is to read through any magazine instead.

Some More Important Tips on the subject of Body language:

Another essential tip regarding body language is that you should shake hands warmly and firmly. Next we come to the choice of chair to sit on. You should never indicate that you will sit only when the other person asks you to.

Instead, you should choose the most appropriate chair and sit immediately. However, never make the mistake of sitting too close or too far away from the customer. How much space you should keep depends on the personality of the customer. A shy person will want to sit at a further distance than that of an outgoing person. However, the perfect distance is between 20 to 50 inches. You may lean forward to get closer to the customer when trying to put stress any particular point.

Importance of Eye Contact and Your Voice:

Eye contact is another essential part of body language. Eye contact and a smile on the face will send the message that you are an honest, sincere, and open person. A vague eye contact and looking here and there over and over again will send the message that you do not have enough confidence in yourself. However, also avoid constant staring at the other person, as this will make the customer feel quite uncomfortable. Always try to speak in your usual voice. If your voice is full of passion, it will instantly grab the attention of the customer.

Body Language: What Different Postures Mean

Your Tone of Voice is much More Important Than the actual Words You Use Body language refers to how you say your words rather than what you actually say. When you speak in your normal tone and the volume is also in normal range, then your body language can be considered excellent. A well-modulated voice with a normal rhythm and rate is a sign of professionalism, showing interest and passion. The sentences you use while speaking should be as uncomplicated as possible. On the other hand, when you use "um" or "ah" or needlessly clear your throat, then this sends a signal that you are feeling anxious.

Concentrate On Posture and Gesture

If you wish to develop your body language, then you should also focus on your gestures and postures. Here are some uncomplicated tips on how to improve posture. You should always walk in an open manner, taking easy and determined steps with arms swinging but should stand up in an erect posture. When you keep eye contact with the other person, cup your chin between the thumb and the finger, or touch the bridge of the nose with the hands or strike the chin, then you are demonstrating that you are genuinely attending to what is being said.

Some Negative Indicators

Quite the opposite, bad body language implies nervous movements indicating lack of attention. In fact, all that you need to do is avoid looking anxious and keep yourself informed about the message you are transmitting with body language. For example, if you fold your arms over your chest, cross your legs, try to pick up lint that is not present on your clothes, or move your hands around on your face, you are communicating your disagreement with the point that the other person is making. Blinking your eyes again and again, coughing several times, looking away at the time of speaking, and looking at different places by shifting the eyes quickly are indicative of negative attitude.

Frustration

If you point your index finger at something, then you are showing your frustration by your body language. Likewise, wringing your hands, playing with your hair, and clenching your hands firmly are also indicators of your frustration. Now, how does someone demonstrate that he is feeling bored? If the eyes of the listener are not concentrated on the person who is talking, if he is sitting in a sloppy body posture, or if he is preoccupied in doing something else rather than listening to what is being said, then he is showing that he is getting bored. The significance of body language further increases when you meet with people belonging to different cultures.

James McLean Bowie is an author and book dealer who resides in East Yorkshire England. He owns a number of websites, two of which are, http://bowiebiz.com    and  http://buddychum.info    On his sites you will find a number of resources for collectors, writers, hobbyist and webmasters.

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