Download Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication
Accounts for 75-90% of all
communication
What is nonverbal communication?
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Body Language
Facial Expressions
Tone of Voice
Space
Body Language
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Body Language – the way we use
our bodies to send messages.
Humans produce up to 700,000
different signs.
While practiced everywhere, body
language is not a universal
language.
Learning to Read Body Language
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Positive Body
Language:
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Relaxed posture
Arms relaxed
Good eye contact
Nod agreement
Smile at humor
Lean closer
Use gestures
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Negative Body
Language:
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Body tension
Arms folded
Speaking hand to
mouth
Fidgeting
Yawning
Facial Expressions
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Facial expressions: carry the
greatest impact in convincing
someone of something
Face is capable of 250,000
expressions
Six emotions are the foundation for
most facial expressions:
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Surprise, Fear, Anger, Disgust,
Happiness, and Sadness
Tone of Voice
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Tone of voice offers a valuable clue
to a speaker’s feelings
The rate of speech also tells us
about a speaker’s feelings
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Faster rate: excited, nervous, anxious
speakers or those trying to persuade
Slower rate: depressed, disgusted,
tired speakers
Space
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Personal space varies greatly
among cultures.
Four levels of personal space:
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Intimate: under 18 inches
Personal: 1 ½ to 4 feet
Social: 4 to 12 feet
Public: over 12 feet
How to Tell When Someone is Lying
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Decreased hand activity: people
sense their hands will give them
away, so they suppress them.
Increased face touching: generally
increases during stressful situations.
Increased body shifting: people
squirm with their urge to escape.
Nonverbal Messages in Conversation
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Starting a Conversation: before two
people can talk, both must signal
they are paying attention.
Helping a Conversation Continue:
you must send positive feedback to
keep the flow moving, i.e. eye
contact and head nods.
Nonverbal Messages in Conversation
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Taking Turns: listen for pauses.
Ending a Conversation: never end
too abruptly. Use nonverbal
gestures, i.e. less frequent eye
contact, moving spatially apart, as
well as, verbal cues to end the
conversation.
Multicultural Messages
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Body language is not a universal
language
Humans can produce 5,000
different gestures, but certain
gestures mean different things in
different areas of the world