Business body language

3rd June 20194th June 2019 by Freelancetosuccess

Body language is a language without any spoken words. A form of non verbal communication, we naturally use it all the time. So the messages you are sending out, even without knowing it, can be vital in terms of how successful you are in business.

Feeling like you need to come out of your shell a bit more?

Lacking the confidence to pitch that job to your boss? You’ve got the lingo but how can you come across as super confident and professional?

Let’s see how important body language in business really is and see what you can take from it…

Body language is a great way to accentuate or enhance your verbal communication.

Let’s say you’re pitching a job proposal to a possible client and this is the deal you’ve been waiting for. What’s the chance you’re going to get the job when you’re standing there nervously, and speaking so monatonal as if reading from a script? Well, they would have to be desperate! Why not compose yourself in a more professional manner and engage your audience by facing them and keeping strong eye contact the whole time. Using hand gestures and signals you can really animate your verbal communication and make what you’re saying a lot more interesting too! Make yourself seem more engaging by standing up straight, shoulders back, keep your head up and let the confidence ooze out! Don’t forget to smile though! Sending out those positive vibes, who can resist?

Sometimes body language can be used as a substitution for verbal communication.

In cases where you can’t talk but gesture instead. Do you and a friend ever bump into that one person you don’t like who keeps you talking forever? You don’t want to be rude so you make suggestive eye contact to each other until one of you makes an excuse to get yous out of there! Sound familiar? You can apply it to business situations also, maybe your boss has called you to their office urgently but a co-worker has stopped you in the lobby. Looking at your watch or taking a step back can indicate to them that you gotta go!

In a work or office environment, various non verbal cues can be used to indicate when someone can start speaking or stop for that matter! Ever been in an important meeting where that one colleague’s speech has run 30 mins into lunch? You look around the room and no one seems to be listening? This is a perfect example of how body language could be used to wind it down. Awkward!

Earn the trust and respect of others by showing how empathetic you can be.

An employee may have just received some bad news, you feel for them but this is not a personal relationship you have. At the same time though, you want to let them know you care – you’re not a robot! Something as simple as a gentle nod of the head when they are talking shows you are listening and you understand what they have to say. Focus all of you attention on them without any distractions and offer a hug or a sympathetic pat on the back if it’s appropriate to do so. Being able to respond to the emotional needs of colleagues and employees lets them feel like you care and they are valued. Valuable for any business I’d say!

It’s true what they say, never underestimate the value of body language in business. Now you know how to make a great impression – make it count!

So remember, good body language is good for business…

And with good business comes great success…

Now that’s a language we can all understand!