Friday, December 25, 2009

Why Appearance and Body Language is Crucial For Your Success in Professional Life

Body language and appearance falls under the non-verbal communication category. The power of body language is often underestimated. The fact is that no matter how wisely you choose your words, if your appearance or body language is not supporting the message you are trying to convey, it's not going to work. Body language is much more than making eye contact, firm handshake or continuously smiling (smiling is good but having a smile on your face all the time can make you look quite sheepish).

Following are some points that you must remember and apply in your business meetings and communications.

Getting the aid of appearance:

When we talk of appearance, it includes both.

i) Your appearance in oral communication
ii) The appearance of your message in written communication

Good brains are undoubtedly more important, but good looks do not go in vain either. In fact, they become essential if meeting with clients or making sales is included in your job description. Spend some of your earnings on buying good professional dresses, shoes, jewelry or perfume. As far as written communication is concerned, use good quality papers, envelopes, and most importantly a neat organized message. Typos or grammatical mistakes will also ruin the appearance of your message.

Body Language:

Your body posture, gestures, expressions, hand movements or your voice tone, each of them contributes in making your communication effective or ineffective. The sooner you realize it, the better your chances to improve. Imagine yourself in different professional scenarios and visualize your body language. Were you too aggressive or dominant when communicating with your subordinates? Did you have that closed body posture during the last business meeting you had? Do you think your interviewee noticed that you were nervous, even when all of your answers were reasonably good? Body language can convey some pretty useful messages even before you have uttered a single word.

Improving your body language:

Improving your body language takes practice and a lot it. It's not easy to change your gestures, movements or posture that you have been carrying since your childhood, but it's not impossible at all. Start from your facial expressions and voice. Make eye contacts when necessary; try not to reveal the negative emotions during business meetings from your face e.g. boredom, anger or tiredness. Record your voice and then listen to it. This practice will give you an idea on how understandable your oral communication is. Avoid making gestures as much as you can, especially if you are meeting some foreigners. Don't make unnecessary movements while talking; it will only distract your audience. You can even control your nervousness by just acting more confident. Ask your friends or family members to comment on your body language and if they are kind enough to point out some shortcomings, try to improve on them.

William King is the director of [http://www.dailytrader.com/usa]USA Wholesale Suppliers & Dropshippers and [http://www.dailytrader.com/france]France Wholesale Suppliers & Dropshippers. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Appearance-and-Body-Language-is-Crucial-For-Your-Success-in-Professional-Life&id=2016729] Why Appearance and Body Language is Crucial For Your Success in Professional Life

The Art of Reading Body Language

One way of getting people to be more open to your ideas and suggestions is to be able to read their body language, interpret it, and change your strategy accordingly.

But how can we read people's body language?

Well for instance, if someone shows interest in what you say there are some tell tale movements that can give you clues.



They point their feet toward you.

They tilt their head forward.

The wideness of their eyes: The wider they are the more interested they usually are.

They maintain eye contact for more than 60% of the time.

They smile frequently. You have to be careful with this one though, an oblong smile back behind both sets of teeth is usually a fake smile.

If they tend to agree they will display signs like:



The palms of their hands are open

They put their hands flat on the table

They nod their heads

They unbutton their jackets

So what are some of the signs that people are lying?



They constantly clear their throat or swallow.

They tap their hands or feet.

They blink very fast.

They look elsewhere and avoid eye contact.

They shift position from one place to another.



As you can see this is just a small sample of ideas, and this subject is something that has to be studied for someone to become good at it. People also behave out of character sometimes, especially in high stress situations like in a job interview for example, so reading them becomes more difficult and you need more than one or two gestures to be accurate.

John Osgood is a hypnosis enthusiast who runs the website http://www.hypnosismagicsecrets.com

John provides free information, Videos, Podcasts and Articles and the best educational resources available for people who want to take their interest in hypnosis further.

Subscribe to his newsletter now for an exclusive FREE Hypnosis Book. Go to: http://www.hypnosismagicsecrets.com/

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Art-of-Reading-Body-Language&id=2893226] The Art of Reading Body Language

Your Body Language Speaks Volumes During an Interview

You are excited to be going for a job interview with the company of your dreams; or maybe it's just an interview with a company that is on the way to the job of your dreams. No matter; you have checked out the company and you are prepared for what types of questions they may ask you. You know their history and their future plans and you can see yourself in them. You even know what the people that work there wear so you're dressed for success for your interview. Even though you live in jeans, you will be wearing khaki slacks because that is the dress de rigueur for this business.


You may think you are ready for the interview but have you given any thought to what your body language is saying about you even before they scope out your clothes or hear your answer to their first question? There is evidence that suggests that a first impression is made within 3 to 7 seconds. That's not a whole lot of time to make a favorable statement, so what you do needs to really count. And according to Carmine Gallo in a recent Newsweek article, 55% of communication is visual, meaning body language and eye contact.


You want your body language to present the picture of a confident, interested and enthusiastic candidate for the job. So here, then, are some tips on what your body language is saying about you.


Let's start with the handshake. First of all, look at the person. Yes, you may be nervous but you don't need to telegraph that info right off the bat. So make eye contact with the person whose hand you are now shaking. And please, if you need to, shake hands with a friend beforehand and let them give you some constructive criticism. What to watch out for? Avoid the dreaded "dead fish" syndrome. Just as bad is the handshake where it feels like every bone in the hand is crushed beyond the possibility of reconstruction. Wait for the other person to first extend their hand, otherwise you may come across as too aggressive.


OK, now you are seated (and if it is not obvious where you should sit, ask politely). You would think that once you are in a chair that you could relax your vigilance about your body language but that's not how it works. Slouch in the chair or list too far to one side and you give the impression that you don't care very much about the whole interview. Sit ramrod stiff and the interviewer will know just how nervous you are. Try to sit back in the chair but lean just slightly forward. This indicates an interest in what the other person is saying. What about leg and foot placement? If you're female, crossing your feet at your ankles works and if you are a guy, feet planted straight ahead is a good idea. If a woman wears a short skirt to an interview she should cross her legs at the ankles, not at the knees. Crossing her legs at the knees would not be considered to be modest enough. The same goes for a man who sits with his legs in a flagrant vee.


By the way, wiggling your foot, swinging your leg, and tapping your fingers is better left to when you want to do the Hokey Pokey with your nieces and nephews. All of those mannerisms indicate that you are not as confident as you would like your interviewer to believe.


What do your hands say about you? You can either fold them loosely in your lap or if your chair has arm rests, they can rest there. Just watch out for a white-knuckled grip. If you have a tendency to "talk with your hands", you may want to first check out if the interviewer does the same thing. If she doesn't use her hands to make a point, then you may want to curtail your normal flailing. On the other hand, if the interviewer uses her hands quite freely and you never use your hands, you may want to loosen up a little bit. You don't want to mirror what the interviewer is doing but you do want to at least be in the same field of motion.


One more tip that bears repeating: make eye contact with your interviewer or interviewers. These are people you hope to be working with, so it would be a good thing to be able to recognize them the next time you see them.


For more good information about the interview process you may want to listen to a show on the subject, "How to Dress for an Interview," on rel=nofollow [http://twentysomethingyak.com/?p=40]Twenty Something Style. It's a lively interview and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the National Director of [http://www.goodpoliticsradio.com]Good Politics Radio and is a charter member of the podcasting network, [http://www.yaktivate.com]Yaktivate.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Your-Body-Language-Speaks-Volumes-During-an-Interview&id=2159173] Your Body Language Speaks Volumes During an Interview

The Power of Body Language

The subtitle of this book ("How to succeed in every business and social encounter") gives a clue about how much information Tonya Reiman has amassed. She states that as much as 93 percent of our interpersonal communication is nonverbal. The book is about both how to read others' nonverbal messages and how to control your body to achieve your goals.


Her "five immutable truths of body language" explain her passion:

1. Body language is a constant.

2. Body language is always determined by context.

3. Body language can never be judged based on one single signal.

4. Body language reveals the discrepancies between what a person says and what a person truly believes.

5. Body language mastery allows you to tune in to "microexpressions," the brief flashes or gestures that betray inner feelings.


Until reading the book, I had considered myself good at paying attention to body language. For example, the next time you're in a group of people who are talking, look at the direction people's feet are pointing. If a person's feet are pointing away from the group, they are no longer engaged.


She has chapters on the language of: the face (including reading emotion, lip gestures, nose and chin expressions, etc.), the body (hands, torso, arms), of space and touch (the four zones of space and the 14 social touches), and sound (vocal cues). Additionally, she has a wealth of information on secret signals and first impressions. Each chapter also contains what the language means ("What to watch for") and how to use it for your personal benefit ("What you should work on"). As she describes, the information can be used to both build rapport and/or manipulate people.


The book isn't a casual read - it's more like a study course. Read about a gesture or two, go into a social situation, and watch for it (in context). It's another great skill to have in your social toolkit.


Ms. Reiman's website ( rel=nofollow [http://www.bodylanguageuniversity.com/]http://www.bodylanguageuniversity.com) has a number of videos and audios as well.

Jay Hamilton-Roth founded [http://www.ManyGoodIdeas.com/ezine-articles]Many Good Ideas to help small businesses brainstorm, design, and implement effective marketing strategies. He combines creativity with common sense to demystify the process of getting great results. He has used his high-tech background from MIT to help him launch five businesses. He consults with companies in a wide range of industries and publishes a free monthly marketing newsletter (Creative Business Ideas) and a ( [http://www.manygoodideas.com/askmanygoodideas]daily blog). He is available for public speaking.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Power-of-Body-Language&id=1638675] The Power of Body Language

How to Understand Body Language Secret

Do you want to know about the secret of body language? In fact, your body and face delivers messages to other people about situation of your mood and your character. Your body language could be scaring other people away. Learn why, and find out what you can do about it.

Never think that people cannot understand this secret. Even when you do not say a word, other people can still learn a lot about what kind of person you are and what you are thinking and feeling.

The experts of body language state that only about 7% of our communication is delivered through the words we speak and the rest of our communication is delivered through our tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions.

Just remember that when you were baby, people around you could understand what you want by learning your mimic baby face. They are looking at your gestures, and listening to your little cries, trying to interpret what kind of mood you were and you wanted to say.

Have you ever seen someone stands with his arms across his chest? What do you interpret this kind of gesture? This is a signal that he does not want anyone to approach him? People will be afraid to approach this guy if they stand in this kind of position.

If you stand uncomfortably with your chest slumped forward and your shoulders sagging, then you are afraid of seeing other eyes of people. This will make other people think that you are very depressed or completely inferior. They could fear to talk with you because they may think that it would be an uncomfortable experience.

If you stand awkwardly, people will think that you are not confident. It seems that you are trying to disappear among people. Have you ever seen someone is holding his breath or breathing in a shallow? This gesture is a sign of anxiety. There is some body language secret that you can learn. Just for example giving too much smile does not mean that someone is happy but this could mean that he is nervous and forced.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Understand-Body-Language-Secret&id=3061026] How to Understand Body Language Secret

Job Interview - How Your Body Language Can Affect Your Interview

After re-structuring your resume, spending hours on employment search engines, sending out dozens of applications and speaking to several potential employers in a telephone interview - you have finally scored the ultimate - a job interview! All you have to do is to walk in there and wow them with your impressive list of skills and achievements. Right? Not so fast. Did you know that your body can betray you? Body language, all those jitters and gestures, can convey an impression that you may not want to convey. Here are some things you may want to watch for:

• A firm handshake will give a good impression to a potential employer at a job interview - but not too firm which can appear aggressive and arrogant. Shake hands firmly but not too powerfully and look straight at the other person. If you are being introduced to more than one person, it is better to go around the table and shake hands rather than leaning over the table. Look at each person and say your name - don't assume that they will know it.

• During your job interview try to adopt a posture that shows interest but still comes across as being relaxed. You can do this by sitting up straight in your chair at the beginning of the job interview, with your back against the back of the chair. Leaning forward shows that you are interested in what is being said and that the person conducting the interview has captured your attention. However, sitting on the edge of the chair comes across as being tense and may be interpreted as your feeling uncomfortable.

• What to do with your hands during a job interview? In a difficult situation we are often inclined to fold our arms across our body. It is better not to do this as arms crossed comes across as defensive. It is better to let your hands lie easily in your lap or on the armrests. Hand movements can help to liven up the interview. The fact that you dare to make movements with your hands during a job interview might indicate that you feel at ease quickly.

• Head tilted to the side shows interest as does nodding the head. Head straight up signals a neutral attitude to what is being said while the head down reads as negative and judgmental and whether that is what you are trying to convey or not, it is not how you want to be interpreted.

• Bringing a hand to the back of the neck shows that you are trying to pull out of the conversation as if the questions being asked are not ones that you are willing to pursue. It makes you seem as if you have something to hide.

• Legs crossed can make you look lopsided and therefore lacking in confidence or defensive. Sit straight at a job interview, facing the potential employer directly.

• Picking imaginary fluff from clothing signals that you don't agree with what is being said and the person conducting the job interview can take huge umbrage at being more or less 'dismissed'.


• Pay attention to inadvertent movements that you may make sometimes during a job interview due to nervousness. For example, shuffling with your feet or kicking against the leg of a table can be very irritating for other people. Drumming with your fingers or clicking with a pen also won't be a great contribution to the interview. So pay attention!

Body language works both ways and it is important to be aware of how the person conducting the job interview is relating to you. For instance, if he/she shakes their head, sighs or fold their arms you can interpret this as a subconscious sign of displeasure. Take note of what you are saying that might cause them to be annoyed and take immediate steps to turn the job interview around before they even realize that they are irritated. Realise that the job interview is more than just a means for the employer to determine which of the candidates is most suitable for the job. The job interview especially is a moment of mutual acquaintance. It's a first meeting with people that you might soon work together with. Therefore the boss should actually be just as nervous as you!

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Job-Interview---How-Your-Body-Language-Can-Affect-Your-Interview&id=2244649] Job Interview - How Your Body Language Can Affect Your Interview

Examples On Body Language And Their Meanings

Body language is a vital part of the whole communication process. It can determine either a positive or negative reaction from the one you are talking to.

Examples on body language may come from any part of the body: eyes and eyebrows, lips, arms, and any other part that the receiver of the message sees.

It is important to be aware of the different body actions that you do while conversing (or even when not speaking) to avoid unnecessary and even unpleasant reactions. Here are some examples on body language and the ways your body parts can manifest themselves.

Eyes And Eyebrows

The eyes are said to be the windows to our soul. Though it may sound too cryptic and deep, it holds a bit of truth that the person you are talking to may see some of the thoughts that you are holding back, or perhaps even misinterpret your eye's actions from what you would like him or her to understand.

Even the position and movement of your eyebrows are some of the most noticed elements when you communicate with a person face-to-face.

A classic example on body language that conveys an apprehensive or burdened mood is when you have your eyebrows converging in the middle, as with frowning. Even if you talk softly and slowly, the person whom you are interacting with may think that you are almost at your temper's threshold.

Lips

Another body part that is usually interpreted for the probable mood of a person is the mouth.

Though we have different shapes and positions for our lips, particularly as to how they form, there are some universal notions regarding how we would most probably feel while in a conversation.

Here are some examples on body language of the lips.

A retracted lower lip that is almost bit by the upper teeth is usually a sign that the person is holding back and waiting for affirmation or action from the other person.

On the other hand, a retracted upper lip that's bit by the lower teeth usually signifies a person who's holding back and keeping mixed reactions, as with a reaction to the message being conveyed by the other.

Such small movements of the lips have significant implications to the person seeing them and may serve as a basis to either continue or halt the communication process.

Extremities

The arms and legs are considered responsible for a larger concept of body language, as these are more profound and have a heavier impact.

Crossing the arms over the chest usually signifies doubt, mistrust, impatience, or closed-mindedness. Coupled with the body resting on one leg and having the other stepped away and angled, the whole idea of this unwelcoming look is heightened.

Examples on body language may be corrected with appropriate gestures by practicing and internalizing how you would probably feel if you were the one seeing those actions you are doing. Actions often speak louder than words, so it's best to always be conscious of your gestures and movements.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Examples-On-Body-Language-And-Their-Meanings&id=1200666] Examples On Body Language And Their Meanings