Урок №77. 10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013, Part II
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by Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman, president of Kinsey Consulting Services, specializing in energizing individuals and organizations to thrive in an environment of constant change. Author of the bestseller The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work , adapted
5) To encourage collaboration, rearrange your office.
Projecting power, authority, and status may be a key part of your nonverbal strategy to impress potential clients, customers, and investors — and if it is, then arranging your office space as a visual symbol of your and your company"s brand can be a crucial part of that strategy.
When it comes to building collaboration within your staff, however, status and authority cues can send conflicting, distinctly unwanted messages. If creating a collaborative culture is essential to meeting your business objectives, then you might want to rearrange your office to reflect this. For example, seating people directly across from your desk (especially if their chair is smaller and lower than yours) places them in a competitive (and disadvantageous) position. Instead, try putting the visitor"s chair at the side of your desk, or creating a conversation area (chairs of equal size set around a small table or at right angles to each other) to encourage a feeling of informality, equality, and partnership.
6) To reduce resistance, hand out your business card.
People who are defensive, guarded or resistant may protectively fold their arms across their chests. And when you see that gesture coupled with crossed legs, you can be fairly sure that (a) you aren"t making a very positive impression, and that (b) what you"re saying isn"t being listened to very closely.
To automatically neutralize this kind of resistance in a one-on-one encounter, you could offer the individual a cup of coffee or tea. You could hand out your business card, brochure, or product sample. With a large audience you could ask questions that invite people to raise their hands ("How many of you have had previous training in nonverbal communication techniques?" "How many of you have never thought of body language as a leadership tool?") It doesn"t matter which strategy you choose, just as long as people are obliged to change their postures, to uncross their arms and legs, in order to respond to you. Because body positions influence attitude, the mere act of unwinding a resistant posture will begin to subvert (нивелировать, свести на нет) the resistance, itself.
7) To maximize your authority, curb (to curb — сдерживать) your enthusiasm.
If you are an extrovert, you most likely make a favorable first impression — because we are drawn to passionate people whose emotions are easily read. But when your communication style lacks of nuance and subtlety (subtlety [‘sʌtltɪ] — утонченность), your over-exuberance (exuberance [ɪgˈzjuːbərəns] — избыток) can overwhelm (or exhaust) an audience. So in situations where you want to maximize your authority — minimize your movements. Take a deep breath, bring your gestures down to waist level, and pause before making a key point. When you appear calm and contained (сдержанный), you look more powerful.
8) To defuse a tense situation, realign your body more congenially (естественно).
Often strong verbal argument comes from a person"s need to be heard and acknowledged. If you physically align yourself with that person (sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction), you will defuse the situation. And, by the way, a move that will escalate the argument is to square your body to the other person or to move in closer. This is especially true when dealing with men. Two men speaking will angle their bodies slightly, while two women will stand in a more "squared up" position — a stance that most men perceive as confrontational.
9) To "seal the deal," make a positive last impression.
After you"ve settled on a price, signed the contract, or accepted the job offer, remember to make a winning exit: Stand tall, shake hands warmly, make eye contact, smile, say "thank you," and leave your counterpart with the impression that you are someone he or she should look forward to dealing with in the future.
Exercise
1. What recommendation would you give relying on your experience? Make up a recommendation #10.
2. Retell the tips in your own words, that will help you to memorize them.