Nonverbal Communication: What You Should Work On

There are different ways to communicate an idea or emotion to other people without having to say a word or even jot down a note. This is known as nonverbal communication. Body language is the key factor in this type of communication and by working on your body language you can make a difference through showing how you feel about something as you are talking about it.

Eye contact

This is probably one of the single most important ways to communicate with a person or people. This makes a communication channel very personal. By merely looking at someone in the eye, you are giving away your trust to them, confirming that they are important in your discussion and that you would like them to listen too. Eye contact can also grab the attention of others which in turn makes them interested in what you are saying if you are serious enough. By using your eyes, you can convey warmth, interest and credibility all without batting a lash (no pun intended).

Expression

Interestingly enough, it is important to know how your face contorts while you are talking. This is because your facial expressions can show exactly what you are feeling while you are discussing something. You can show how happy you are about what you are talking about just by smiling. If you want to convey that the topic is serious, you might give off a strict stare while you are talking. Whatever the emotion you want to convey, make sure that you use the right expression for it. Can you imagine talking about the Spanish Inquisition with a smile on your face? That would make you a very odd person.

Gestures

It is also important to know how the rest of your body is acting while you are discussing something. If you fail to gesture while speaking, people might think that you are a person of stiff character and actually quite boring. Consider moving your arms around and gesturing at things while you speak. If you are presenting something you could gesture at particular pictures and diagrams that you have prepared on slides being projected on a screen. The more animated you are, the more people will enjoy your conversation. It's the same reason that people enjoy watching television. Because they enjoy watching the way actors move and speak. Being animated doesn't mean that you should start dancing or acting. The mere rocking of your arm or swinging of your leg if you are seated will bring attention to your conversation. This even includes gazing elsewhere while you are talking. For example, if you are talking about something happening outside the window, you don't necessarily have to point outside but just gaze at the situation as you are talking about it.

Humor

Almost always overlooked as a great communication tool, laughter actually is one of the best things that people will remember about somebody else. Develop a good sense of humor and also develop the ability to sometimes laugh at your own mistakes in public. This will make people respect you by showing them that you are strong enough even to make fun of yourself sometimes. Laughter also helps to relieve tension between people.

The next time that you catch yourself trying to explain something important to a group of people, observe what your body language tells them and make yourself a better speaker by acting the way you speak.