Nonverbal Communication in Your Business Interactions

By Michelle Matura Hentzell

Nonverbal communication is a very important piece of your business interactions. Nonverbal communication includes such things as facial expressions, gestures, posture and tone of voice. This type of communication helps you get the message across and is also a way to make sure that the person listening has received your message. But, it can also show true feelings that may conflict with your spoke word. So, it is important for your staff to become more aware of the nonverbal messages they may be exhibiting to your customers. Here are some things to think about with nonverbal communication:

• When speaking, both the speaker and the surroundings can impact the delivery of the message. For example, the hairstyle, cleanliness, stature, etc. can impact the impression of the listener. Also, the surrounding where you are speaking can have an impact.
• Body language, especially facial expressions, share important information that may not be obvious in verbal communication alone. It may show emotions that may contradict what is being said verbally.
• When you speak, the tone, rate and volume of your voice can cause the listener to receive a different meaning than what was intended. Some of these sounds include laughing, throat clearing or humming. A lack of sound, or silence, is also a form of nonverbal communication. When you encounter silence, the listener may have a lack of understanding or be irritated by what is being said.