How can you improve your body language in the workplace?
As Arthur Ashe rightly said, "One of the keys to success is self-confidence... One of the keys to self-confidence is preparation! In a professional context, mastery of paraverbal is essential, especially when speaking in public. From eye contact to hand position and voice intonation, learn body language. Discover our top tips on non-verbal communication to develop your confidence!
Reminder: the 3 pillars of non-verbal communication
According to psychology professor Albert Mehrabian's famous "3 V rule":
- 7% of communication is verbal (meaning and significance given to words)
- 38% of communication is vocal (intonation and sound of voice)
- 55% of communication is visual (facial expressions and body language).
In other words, 93% of oral communication is non-verbal! Your gestures and postures, facial expressions, silences and voice intonation all play a major role in interpreting the message.
Non-verbal communication: master your voice, gaze and posture.
For positive non-verbal communication, let's look at four elements: voice intonation, breathing, gaze and posture.
Intonation & tone of voice
An essential element in non-verbal communication, the voice can be difficult to master. You'll need to learn how to modulate the flow of your words and your tone to capture the audience.
Our tips:
- Practice your articulation by speaking with a wooden pencil in your mouth: beware of "over-articulation", sentences should be said effortlessly and smoothly.
- Read an article or recite a presentation aloud.
- In general, speak without rushing, pausing especially if you're short of breath.
Breathing in non-verbal communication
Breathing is essential for improving your body language, as it determines how well your voice sounds, and allows your muscles to relax. By mastering it, you'll learn to bring your speech to life!
Our tips:
- Take an interest in the best techniques: impassive breathing to control your emotions, and square breathing for greater respiratory flexibility.
- To reduce stress before a speech, practice "anti-panic" abdominal breathing. Follow the tips in this illustration while lying on your back.
The gaze in body language
In many cultures, not looking the other person "in the eye" is interpreted as a lack of frankness, or even dishonesty. Often, however, it's a matter of shyness and lack of self-confidence!
Our tips:
- Use the fan technique (circular gaze): locate three random people, spread across the audience, then move your gaze from one person to another.
- Maintain eye contact as much as possible, and avoid looking down or up too often. Avoiding the audience's gaze is the best way to break the connection...
Don't panic though, you can look at your notes as long as it's furtive!
The importane of a neutral posture
Your movements, gestures and attitude have a real impact on the audience. If you tend to be stressed, tense or prone to "tics", the challenge will be to work on a neutral posture and disperse the tension you feel.
Our tips :
- Watch out for awkward gestures, such as touching your eyebrows, tucking your hair behind your ears or pushing your glasses up (too) often.
- When sitting, avoid spreading your legs too far apart, and don't wrap your feet around the legs of the chair.
- Show your hands and place them in front of you, palms facing the sky: avoid hiding them under the table, having your hands in your pockets or crossing your arms (this can be interpreted as a defensive posture).
- Use gestures that clarify and support your arguments, that give depth to your ideas or that mobilize your audience!
And don't forget to smile! A frank smile sends a very positive signal to your interlocutor. It's your best ally in non-verbal communication. Finally, adopt the right body distance. Some profiles are more tactile than others: pay particular attention to this physical tolerance, to avoid any discomfort.
How to practice non-verbal communication?
Would you like to improve your body language? Would you like to learn how to communicate effectively with your interlocutors and get the right message across? There's nothing like practice!
For a complete body language assessment, download our practical guide. Rest assured, the body assessment exercise is suitable for all levels, and the practicalities are detailed in the PDF. Just follow the guide!
Je fais mon évaluation corporelleTo analyze your progress, do this exercise before and after our program.
As you can see, non-verbal communication concerns all types of profiles. Even if you're shy or introverted by nature, you can work on your confidence and improve your public presence.
