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Handout – Non-Verbal Communication
Overview
The purpose of this handout is to introduce the importance of non-verbal signals in the
communication process. It will be useful for individuals who wish to enhance their understanding of
the communication process or those who are looking to refresh their knowledge.
Summary
Purpose
This tool will be useful for individuals who wish to enhance their
understanding or who are looking to refresh their knowledge of non-verbal
communication.
Output / Benefits
This tool will illustrate the importance of non-verbal communication and
provide some guidance on how to use non-verbal communication effectively.
Type of Tool
Handout
Time for
Completion
15 minutes
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Introduction
This handout is designed to give you an introduction to the importance of some non-verbal signals
within the communication process and provide some guidance on how to use non-verbal
communication effectively.
It will look at:
 What is non-verbal communication?
 Why is it important?
 How can we use non-verbal communication to positive effect?
The communication process is complex and requires us to make use of all of our senses. It is a twoway process that can be enhanced by the skills of the parties involved. Effective communicators will
recognise the importance of key skills such as listening, asking questions, using appropriate style of
language and they will also recognise and respond to the non-verbal aspects that will be displayed in
any communication.
What is non-verbal Communication?
Put simply non-verbal communication is anything other than the actual words we use when we are
communicating with another person.
It includes:
 Our appearance: the clothes we wear, the choice of colour we use in our appearance, our
own personal colouring and the way we present ourselves physically.
 Body language: the signals we give out through our body movements, facial expressions,
mannerisms, gestures and eye contact.
 Our speech: the way we use the words we choose, the way we use our voice, accents and
speech patterns.
Why is non-verbal Communication Important?
Much research has been conducted into how we communicate and Albert Mehrabian found that the
how we say and do things has just as big an impact on the effectiveness of communication as what
we say.
His research showed that over 90% of the factors that influence our opinions are non-verbal i.e.
what we see and hear and only 7% are based on the actual words.
Factors that influence us in the communication process:
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 Verbal content
7%
 Vocal characteristic
38%
 Visual impact
55%
Non-verbal communication can reveal our true feelings and it can either reinforce what we are
saying or conflict with it. When we are on the receiving end of any communication we are more
likely to receive and believe the underlying message that comes from the non-verbal signals than the
pure verbal content. In short non-verbal communication will prevail over our words.
To be effective communicators we do need to ensure that what we say is accurate and appropriate.
The words we use are important but we also need to ensure we pay attention to the other things
that will impact on how well our words are received.
Using non-verbal Communication Positively
Appearance
Whilst we may not think it is fair, the way we present ourselves will impact on how we are
perceived. Effective communicators will be aware of this and will consider how their clothes,
grooming and personal presentation can help or hinder them in the communication process.
The following key points should be borne in mind:
 Know what will flatter and enhance your personal colouring and physical characteristics
 Pay particular attention to grooming. Make sure your clothes are clean and well cared for
and that your hands, nails, shoes and accessories look good whatever the occasion
 Invest in your working clothes as you would in any other aspect of personal development
 Consider what is appropriate for different occasions and ensure your dress and personal
presentation is relevant for what you want to achieve
 Think about whether you need to come across as formal and authoritative or relaxed and
approachable – the way you dress will impact on this
 Above all remember that people will notice your appearance and it will have an effect on the
way they communicate and respond to you. Make sure it is positive!
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Body Language
Body Expressions
There are two types of body expressions:
1. Active: any facial or body movement that reveals a willingness to communicate or interest in
the receiver or projects empathy
2. Passive: any facial or body movement that indicates unwillingness to communicate
These movements are specific expressions of:
 Eyes
 Face
 Body movements
Which may contradict, compliment or substitute for words.
Eyes
The use of the eyes in a face-to-face conversation is probably the best signal of a listener’s active or
passive involvement and accounts for almost 80% of non-verbal communication.
Eye contact has three chief functions:
 Monitoring the behaviour of others
 Regulating the progress of the interactions
 Controlling the expressions of mutual association
Eye contact is also used to secure feedback. It is used to signal that an individual is open to receive
information. Consider the signals you send with eye contact and how they may be received.
No eye contact
=
‘Doesn’t like me!’
Permanent eye contact =
‘Trying to intimidate me’
‘Looking through me’
60 – 75% eye contact
‘Friendly’
‘Interested’
=
Facial Expressions
Along with tone of voice, facial expressions are considered to be one of the most powerful vehicles
for the communication of emotion. Most facial expressions last from about half a second to a
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second. Some can only be caught by an alert observer – an untrained person may react intuitively
without being able to explain why.
Facial expressions take the form of smiles, frowns, eye twitches, nose wrinkles, eyebrow lifts,
blushing. They can show:
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Respect or dominance
Joy or sadness
Fear or happiness
Surprise or disappointment
Love or hate
Interest or boredom
Disgust or approval
Or almost any combination of these emotions.
Consider the effects these signals may have on others:
Frowns
=
‘Disagreeing with me’
‘Dislikes me’
Pursed lips
=
‘Reflecting on what I have said’
Raised eyebrow
=
‘Not sure he/she understood me’
‘Disagrees with my view’
Body Movement and Gestures
Gestures often communicate understanding – or lack of it, such as nodding or shaking your head.
When communicators like each other or are in agreement their bodies tend to move in a similar
manner. This is called ‘mirroring’. When people are not in agreement their body movements and
stance will be reversed, and they may turn away from each other.
When listeners are in a passive mode they may:
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Scratch their chin
Run their fingers through their hair
Wipe their forehead
Look at the ceiling / out of the window
Play with a watch or a pen
Anxiety is often revealed by feet and leg movements – nervous leg jiggling for instance may indicate
fear.
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Posture
Posture, even without movement, communicates messages by itself. It can convey:
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Interest
Boredom
Disapproval
Enthusiasm
Arrogance
Relaxed/open
Every pose and body position has a potential meaning of its own.
Consider:
Leaning forward
=
Keen/enthusiastic (if accompanied by a smile and
regulated eye contact)
Arrogance (if accompanied by pointing hand gestures, frowning,
and/or too much eye contact)
Leaning backwards
=
‘Not really interested’
‘Bored’
Sitting upright
=
‘Interested/ready’
‘Open/alert’
Speech
The style of voice and language will affect the success of our communication. The first principle of
effective communication is to ensure we can be heard and understood – we won’t get too far if
people cannot hear us or find it difficult to interpret the words we use. It sounds obvious but this
aspect is often overlooked.
Here are a few things to think about:
 Make sure you choose words that your ‘audience’ will understand. Simple words and short
sentences are usually more successful than long words and complicated structures.
 Can your voice be heard? Is the volume too soft or too loud? How will this affect the delivery
and the person on the receiving end?
 If you have an obvious accent, will everyone be able to catch what you say or will you need
to slow down the pace of your speech to ensure they can keep up?
 Is your voice interesting to listen to? Do you modulate your speech? Is there variation in the
tone and pitch?
 We all know how to use our voice to convey different messages such as happiness,
enthusiasm, seriousness – we do this automatically in everyday life, but do we consciously
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think about this when we are speaking to others? Use your voice to make the impact you
need.
 Make what you say positive – avoid ambiguity, jargon or very negative phrases and of course
any words that may be offensive to anyone.
Improving your non-verbal Communication
Checklist
 An upright and open posture will be positive and indicate you are comfortable in the other
person’s company
 Lean forward slightly to display interest
 Build rapport by ;mirroring’ or copying the other person’s body language
 A relaxed smile will also help build rapport and demonstrate interest
 Establish eye contact for about 75% of the time
 Vary the tone and pace of your speech – make what you say interesting for the listener
 Ensure your appearance is in line with the impact you wish to make
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Summary
Non-verbal communication is made up of our appearance, body language and style of speech.
More than 90% of the factors that influence the communication process are non-verbal – the nonverbal messages will be heard above the words we speak.
We can enhance our non-verbal communication by paying attention to our:
 Clothes and physical appearance, making sure they are helping us to express what we want
to and are appropriate
 Our body and facial expressions and ensuring these are positive
 Choosing words that are easily understood, articulated clearly and are delivered in an
interesting way
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