Let Me Hear Your Body Talk ~ Olivia Newton John
Communication is the foundation of human interactions. With clear communication, we connect with others and share brilliant thoughts, new insights or moving stories. With poor communication, we miss the opportunity for connection and understanding.
Did you know that when it comes to communication – it’s really not about the words? The reality is that in the process of communication,
- 7% relies on our words.
- 38% relies on our tonality.
- 55% relies on our body language and physiology.
Our tone and body language defines whether communication happens or not. In fact, the right body language will do more to enhance your communication than spending days writing those oh-so-perfect words. So much for all those years I spent seeking the perfect phrase:)
Let Me Hear Your Body Talk
What’s your body saying?
From our posture to the angle of our heads to the way we breathe – our bodies share more than words can ever explain. When our physiology matches our listeners, we create rapport and communication flows. When our physiology contradicts or makes our listeners feel ill at ease, communication falters.
How do we optimize our body talk? It depends on our listeners. After all, their perception is the reality of our communication. Our body language must be all about them.
How can we consciously use our body language to enhance our communications? Let’s focus on one-one conversations since that’s the simplest form of communication. Here are three tips to make your body talk work for better communication.
Match your listener.
Match your body language to your listeners’ body language. If they sit forward, do the same. Their legs are crossed? Cross yours. They use their hands to speak? Use yours. They barely move a muscle – then sit still! By sharing similar physiology, you signal your listener’s Unconscious Mind that you are in sync with them. Et voila, rapport and connection increase!
Mind your eyes.
Some of us look directly into others’ eyes when speaking, others look away. If we look into the eyes of one of the look away folks – they will disconnect from our communication. If we don’t look at someone whose an eye connector – they probably won’t trust us. Watch how your listener uses their eyes when speaking to you then follow their lead.
Breathe
Breath has diverse characteristics including the timing, pace and depth. By matching your listeners breathing patterns, you increase your communication. If they breathe from the top of their lungs, quickly and lightly – do the same. If they breathe all the way into the belly slowly and deeply – do the same.
The Bottom Line
You might be thinking, “Wow, can communication really be improved this easily?” The answer is an emphatic “yes!” The only reason we think that communication has to be difficult is that we’re programmed to believe that good things take effort. Wrong!
Ditch that programming and let me hear your body talk – easily and effortlessly. You’ll see the results in their response.
