How important is body language in communicating with clients? Emails, texting, twittering, and phone conversations make up a great deal of client interaction, but how important is your body language when you meet face to face or through a video conference? According to a research psychologist at UCLA words make up just 7% of your communication with others. Body language weighs in at a hefty 55% of your interpersonal communication. The third component, tonality, is responsible for 38% of your communication skills. Remember when your mother told you “don’t take that tone with me?” She was right on the money.
Positive body language puts clients at ease and increases their confidence in you as a meeting planner. Good eye contact without staring is one example of positive body language. Uncrossed arms and legs convey an open attitude. Daintily locked ankles hint at resistance to an idea. Relax your shoulders and allow your arms and legs to fall naturally. Smile and nod occasionally when the other person is speaking. Nodding in this context communicates that you are listening, not necessarily agreeing.
Mirroring the other person’s body language can build rapport. Unconsciously, both parties believe they are on mutual ground and feel safer. This usually happens without notice and should not be forced. How and what your body communicates builds the memory clients retain about any meeting. Make sure it is a positive one.
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"I don't let my mouth say nothin' my head can't stand." Louis Armstrong
If you want to build your meeting planning business, the key could be better communication with clients and vendors. Learning how to communicate better has a lot to do with understanding body language.
Julius Fast wrote a book entitled, Body Language in 1970. He talked about a new science called Kinesics. It opened the way to more studies and books on the subjects. Today, the term Body Language is very common and understood as an important element of communication.
In fact, experts in the field of communication suggest that there is a rule that says that 7% of the meaning of what a person is saying comes from their words.
Interestingly, 38% is based on the tone of their voice. 55% of the meaning comes from the body language of the person that is speaking. This rule comes from research that was published in the late 1960’s.
Some now think that the percentages from this research might be slightly different. Nevertheless, the bottom line is still the same. If you don’t know the basics of body language, you are missing a valuable tool for learning how to communicate better. We speak body language on a subliminal level, without actually realizing that we are communicating through body talk. (more…)
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