You can tell a lot from the body language that someone uses when speaking.
Do you know what crossed arms signify? Or steepled fingers? Or pursed lips?
If you use the correct body language, and avoid the wrong body language, you can better get your message across when speaking. You can also spot body language in the person who’s listening to you, and get clues about how they’re feeling about what you say.
In this video, filmed at the Platinum Mastermind in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Rene Kamstra decodes some different forms of body language.
ARMS CROSSED
Don’t cross your arms when speaking to someone. It signifies that you’re looking down on them and you are trying to stay at a distance from them.
The same goes for anything that acts as a barrier between you and the person you’re speaking to.
If you’re having a conversation with someone across the table, and they put a glass or cup between the two of you, it means they are blocking you. They want your message to stay at a distance from them.
Remove all the barriers between you and the person you speak to. Don’t cross your arms and try to sit next to them if possible, instead of across from them.
STEEPLED FINGERS
Steepled fingers indicate confidence. Blind children steeple their fingers when talking to other blind children.
If you sit on your hands or you keep your hands in your pockets, you will signify a lack of confidence. To appear confident and have people respect you, steeple your fingers. It potentiates your message.
TOUCHING THE NECK
There are a number of body language signals that others may give you when you speak to them.
If they purse their lips when answering a question from you, or listening to you speak, it means they are unsure about what you’re saying. They disagree, or they are considering an alternative viewpoint.
If their lips retract into their mouth and disappear altogether, it means something’s wrong. They are worried about something you’re saying.
If they touch the suprasternal notch on their neck, it means they have insecurities. They are perceiving a threat from you.
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