Body Language: A Dialect All Its Own?

Is body language really as important as the “experts” would have us believe? Suddenly, body language is a hot topic. TV’s Bill O’Reilly has an expert on the show every week to interpret the body language of people in the news.

A web search shows hundreds of articles claiming that “93% of communication is non verbal.” Is this true?

If your arms are hanging at your side, does it mean you’re not interested?  If you want to look powerful, should you keep your head movements at a minimum?  Merrie Spaeth, one of the country’s leading communications strategists and served as Ronald Reagan’s director of media relations, says “I say, False, Bunko, Fraud, Forget It. The body language craze is another example of useful analysis spun out of control. Sometimes it’s true, body language does communicate.”

Body language indeed can interfere with how a listener or audience hears what you’re
saying. But if you don’t have something to say in the first place, where you hold your hands, how you place your feet, or whether to tilt your head won’t help you at all. And here’s a key point: having something important to say will overcome most body language transgressions.

In speaking the most important thing is to make sure you have a pleasant expression or smile. A dead-pan expression may be an asset to a good poker player, but to a speaker it is a barrier to effective communication.

People watch a speaker’s face during a presentation. Politeness, of course, is one reason for this, but equally important is the need to obtain visual data that will make the speaker’s message more meaningful. When you speak, your face communicates your attitudes, feelings and emotions more clearly than any other part of your body. According to behavioral psychologists, people can easily recognize – simply by observing a speaker’s facial expressions – such distinct feelings as surprise, fear, happiness, confusion, disgust, interest, disbelief, anger and sadness.

To an audience, your face serves as a barometer for what’s inside you. Your listeners will watch your face for clues about your sincerity, your attitude toward your message and your earnestness in sharing your ideas with them.

I believe this is why it is so much easier to give a speech on something you know, something you do, and something you are excited about. You have a true feeling of interest. When you are asked to give a speech on a topic that you must research, that you are unfamiliar with, it is much more difficult.

Everyone these days states you need computer skills, however I would like to add, you also need communication skills, the ability to speak to one or many. There are lots of ways to do this: Toastmaster Clubs, online learning, books and etc. Never turn down an opportunity to present or speak, as this is the best training of all.