How to Improve Your Nonverbal Communications Skills

When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of oratory he answered, "'action"; and which was the second, he replied, "action"; and which was third he still answered, "action." People tend to believe actions more than words!

Have you ever heard anyone say, "His actions spoke so loudly I couldn't hear what he said?" Have you ever wondered whether anyone has said this about you? What we do is a means of communication, subject to interpretation by others. Did you ever stop to think that even failure to act is a way of com­municating?

Today, many researchers are concerned with the information sent by communication that is independent of and different from verbal infor­mation; namely, the non-verbal communication. Verbal communication is organized by language; non-verbal communication is not.

Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another. Most of us spend about 75 percent of our waking hours com­municating our knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to others. However, most of us fail to realize that a great deal of our communica­tion is of a non-verbal form as op­posed to the oral and written forms. Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions, eye con­tact, tone of voice, body posture and motions, and positioning within groups. It may also include the way we wear our clothes or the silence we keep.

In person-to-person communications our messages are sent on two levels simultaneously. If the nonverbal cues and the spoken message are incongruous, the flow of communication is hindered. Right or wrong, the receiver of the com­munication tends to base the inten­tions of the sender on the non- verbal cues he receives.

Categories and Features

G. W. Porter divides non-verbal communication into four broad categories:

Physical. This is the personal type of communication. It includes facial expressions, tone of voice, sense of touch, sense of smell, and body motions.

Aesthetic. This is the type of communication that takes place through creative expressions: playing instrumental music, dancing, painting and sculpturing.

Signs. This is the mechanical type of communication, which includes the use of signal flags, the 21-gun salute, horns, and sirens. 

Symbolic. This is the type of communication that makes use of religious, status, or ego-building symbols. Our concern here will be with what Porter has called the physical method of non-verbal communica­tion.

Knowledge of non-verbal com­munication is important managers who serve as leaders of  organizational "teams," for at least two reasons:

• To function effectively as a team leader the manager must interact with the other members successfully. Non-verbal cues, when interpreted correctly, provide him with one means to do so.

• The team members project attitudes and feelings through non¬-verbal communication. Some personal needs such as approval, growth, achievement, and recognition may be met in effective teams. The extent to which these needs are met is closely related to how perceptive the team leader and team members are to non-verbal communication in themselves and in others on the team.

If the team members show a true awareness to non-verbal cues, the organization will have a better chance to succeed, for it will be an open, honest, and confronting unit.  Argyle and his associates have been studying the features of non­verbal communication that provide information to managers and their team members. The following sum­marizes their findings:

Static Features

Distance. The distance one stands from another frequently conveys a non-verbal message. In some cultures it is a sign of attraction, while in others it may reflect status or the intensity of the exchange.

Orientation. People may present themselves in various ways: face-to­-face, side-to-side, or even back-to­-back. For example, cooperating people are likely to sit side-by-side while competitors frequently face one another.

Posture. Obviously one can be lying down, seated, or standing. These are not the elements of posture that convey messages. Are we slouched or erect ? Are our legs crossed or our arms folded ? Such  postures convey a degree of formality and the degree of relaxation in the communication exchange.

Physical Contact. Shaking hands, touching, holding, embracing, pushing, or patting on the back all convey messages. They reflect an element of intimacy or a feeling of (or lack of) attraction.

Dynamic Features

Facial Expressions. A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer all convey information. Facial expressions continually change dur­ing interaction and are monitored constantly by the recipient. There is evidence that the meaning of these expressions may be similar across cultures.

Gestures. One of the most fre­quently observed, but least understood, cues is a hand move­ment. Most people use hand movements regularly when talking. While some gestures (e.g., a clenched fist) have universal mean­ings, most of the others are in­dividually learned and idiosyn­cratic.

Looking. A major feature of social communication is eye con­tact. It can convey emotion, signal when to talk or finish, or aversion. The frequency of contact may sug­gest either interest or boredom.

The above list shows that both  static features and dynamic features  transmit important information  from the sender to the receiver.

Tortoriello, Blott, and DeWine have defined non-verbal communication as:

“. . . the exchange of messages primarily through non-linguistic means, including: kinesics (body language), facial expressions and eye contact, tactile communication, space and territory, environment, paralanguage (vocal but non-linguistic cues), and the use of silence and time."

Let's review these non-linguistic ways of exchanging messages in more detail.

Kinesics

Lamb believes the best way to access an executive's managerial potential is not to listen to what he has to say, but to observe what he does when he is saying it. He calls this new behavioral science "move­ment analysis." Some of the movements and gestures he has analyzed follow:

Forward and Backward Movements. If you extend a hand straight forward during an inter­view or tend to lean forward, Lamb considers you to be an "oper­ator"- good for an organization re­quiring an infusion of energy or dramatic change of course.

Vertical Movements. If you tend to draw yourself up to your tallest during the handshake, Lamb considers you to be a "presenter." You are a master at selling yourself or the organization in which you are employed.

Side-to-Side Movements. If you take a lot of space while talking by moving your arms about, you are a good informer and good listener. You are best suited for an organiza­tion seeking a better sense of direc­tion. Lamb believes there is a relationship between positioning of the body and movements of the limbs and facial expressions. He has observed harmony between the two. On the other hand, if certain gestures are rehearsed, such as those made to impress others, there is a tendency to separate the posture and the movements. The harmony disappears.

Studies by Lamb also indicate that communication comes about through our degree of body flexibili­ty. If you begin a movement with considerable force and then decelerate, you are considered a "gentle-touch." By contrast, if you are a "pressurizer," you are firm from beginning to end.  The accuracy of Lamb's analyses is not fully known. However, it is important that corporation ex­ecutives are becoming so sensitive to the importance of non-verbal messages that they are hiring con­sultants, such as Lamb, to analyze non-verbal communications in their organizations.

Once you have decided what type of Company you want to start and The investment requirements, you are ready to select a location.
The amount of aggressive businesses already in the region should influence your choice of location. Some areas are bombarded with
support channels or certain forms of restaurants. Check on the amount of your type of business from Census figures, the yellow
pages, or by personally checking out the location.

Factors other than the Possible market, availability of employees And number of aggressive companies must be considered in
selecting a location. For example, how adequate are utilities - sewer, water, electricity, gas? Parking facilities? Police and
fire protection? What about home and environmental things like colleges, cultural and community activities for workers? What is
the normal price of the place in rents and taxes? Check on zoning regulations. Evaluate the business of the neighborhood
business-people, the aggressiveness of civic associations. In short, what's the town spirit? Such aspects should provide you a
clue into the city or town's future.

Chambers of Commerce and local universities usually have made or Are familiar with local surveys that can provide answers to those
questions and the many other questions which will happen to you.

Next you must decide in what part of town to locate. If the city is Very little and you're establishing service or retail
business, there'll most likely be little choice. Only 1 shopping place is present. Cities have outlying shopping facilities in
addition to the central dining area, and shops spring up along principal thoroughfares and neighborhood streets.

Think about the shopping center. It is different from different locations. The shopping centre building is pre-planned as a
merchandising unit. The website has been deliberately selected by a developer. On-site parking is a frequent feature. Customers
may drive in, park and do their buying in relative speed and safety. Some facilities offer weather protection. Such conveniences
make the shopping center a valuable location.

There are also some limitations you should know about. As a renter, You become a part of a retailer group and must cover your pro
rata share of the budget. You have to keep shop hourslight your windows, and set your signs according to established rules. Many
communities have restrictions on evidence along with the center management may have additional limitations. What's more, if you're
thinking about a shopping center for your first shop you could have an additional issue. Developers and owners of shopping centers
look for successful retailers.

The type and variety of merchandise you take helps determine the Type of shopping place you select. For instance, clothing stores,
jewelry stores and department stores are more likely to be more successful in buying districts. On the flip side, grocery stores,
drug stores, filling stations, and bakeries do better on main thoroughfares and neighborhood streets beyond the shopping
districts. Some kinds of shops customarily pay a low rent per square foot, while others pay a high rent. In the"low" category are
furniture, grocery and hardware stores. At the"large" are cigar, drug, women's furnishings, and department stores. There is no
hard and fast rule, but it's helpful to observe in what type of area a store like yours often appears to flourish.

After deciding an area best suited to your type of business, Obtain as many details as you can about it. Examine the competition.
How many similar businesses are located nearby? What does their sales volume appear to be? If you're establishing a store or
support transaction, how far do people come to exchange in the area? Are the traffic patterns favorable? If the majority of your
clients will be local inhabitants, research the population trends of the area. Is population increasing, stationary or decreasing?
Are the folks native-born, mixed or mostly foreign? Are fresh ethnic groups coming in? Are they mostly laborers, clerks,
executives or retired men? Are they all ages or principally retired, middle aged, or young? Judge buying power by assessing
average house rental, typical real estate taxes, number of phones, number of automobiles and, even if the figure can be obtained,
per capita income. Bigger shopping centers have this type of information available, and will make it accessible to serious
potential tenants.

Zoning ordinances, parking availability, transport facilities And natural barriers - such as bridges and hills - are important
factors in finding any sorts of business. Potential sources for this information are Chambers of Commerce, trade associations,
real estate businesses, local papers, banks, city officials, neighborhood retailers and personal monitoring. In the event the
Bureau of the Census has developed census tract data for the particular region where you are interested you'll find this
especially helpful. A census tract is a small, permanently established, geographical area within a large city and its environs.
The Census Bureau provides population and housing characteristics for every tumor. This information can be valuable in measuring
your market or service possible.

Choosing the actual site in a area might well be taking what you Can get. Not too many buildings or plants will be appropriate and
at precisely the same time, available. If you do have a choice, make sure you weigh the chances carefully.

For a production plant, consider the condition and suitability Of the construction, transport, parking facilities, and also the
sort of lease. For A shop or service establishment, check on the nearest competition, traffic Flow, parking facilities, road
location, physical facets of the construction, Kind of rental and cost, and the rate, price and quality of transport. Also
Investigate the history of the site. Find answers to these questions as: Has the Building remained vacant for any length of time?
Why? Have various Kinds of Stores occupied it for short periods? It might have proved unprofitable for them. Sites where many
enterprises have failed should be avoided. Vacant buildings Do not bring traffic and are usually regarded as poor neighbors,
therefore check on nearby unoccupied buildings.

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