NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Accounts for 80% of all Communication Nonverbal is body language Nonverbal messages often overpower verbal messages Body language is not a universal language

NONVERBAL BEHAVIORS Posture and body orientation Eye contact Facial expressions Gestures Touch Personal Space/proximity Paralinguistics/tone of voice

POSTURE AND BODY ORIENTATION Communicate by the way we walk, talk, stand and sit Lean forward slightly to show interest Open Posture – tilt head, lean forward, and if seated, uncross legs Closed Posture – head and trunk straight, arms folded, and if seated, legs crossed

EYE CONTACT Helps regulate flow of communication Use a fairly steady gaze Signals an interest in others Increases speaker’s credibility

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits Happiness Friendliness Warmth Liking Affiliation

GESTURES Humans can do more than 5000 different gestures People who give feedback (head nods and gestures) appear to be more interested Quick nods help a speaker Long nods distract a speaker Double nods cause a speaker to speak faster

WATCH FOR THESE People who are lying tend to use fewer gestures, touch their faces more often and shift position more frequently. The face is part of the body that can be most easily controlled and therefore disguised.

TOUCH Some cultures are more Some people do not like to be touched Signs of greeting differ by culture Handshakes Hugs Bows Some cultures are more comfortable with touching than others Some people do not like to be touched

PERSONAL SPACE/ PROXIMITY Intimate = < 18 inches This distance is primarily for confidential exchanges and is usually reserved for close friends Personal = 1 ½ to 4 ft. This distance is comfortable for conversation between friends

PERSONAL SPACE Social = 4 to 12 feet This is the ordinary distance people maintain from one another for most social and business exchanges Public = Over 12 feet At this distance, perhaps in a shopping mall or on the street, people barely acknowledge each other’s presence. At most they give a nod or a shake of the head.

PARALINGUISTICS/ TONE OF VOICE Includes vocal elements that should be varied: Tone Pitch Rhythm Timbre Loudness Inflection