Blog Post: Non-verbal Communication Rules!

Whether you're going on a job interview, giving a presentation or speaking with friends, 55% of the way you're perceived by others is based upon your non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is more important than the words you use or the way you say them, so non-verbals rule!

It includes: eye contact, facial expression, gestures, movement, posture and appearance. After every Presidential debate, the first comments are about the candidate's attire, posture, leaning on lectern, confidence level, whether they had distracting mannerisms, etc. It's said that Kennedy won the election due to his good looks and the fact that Nixon was seen sweating. The former President Bush was seen looking at his watch and Al Gore was blinking, both negative non-verbals.

I'll focus on a different aspect of non-verbal communication with each blog, so as to not overwhelm you with too much information. Let's begin with the most important of all the non-verbals: eye contact. Studies have shown that as eye contact increases, so does your credibility. Think having credibility just might come in handy on an interview or when trying to get upper management to buy your proposal? You bet it is!!! As soon as you enter the room for an interview, look the interviewer right in the eye and extend a firm handshake. That first impression is extremely important. You could be out of the running right here if you don't follow my advice. During the interview, don't be afraid to look the employer right in the eyes. Looking away too much or blinking are signs of insecurity or may say you don't know how to respond to a question. If you have to think of your response to a question, don't look up. Try to maintain direct eye contact while thinking quickly of an answer. Looking to your left, by the way, indicates a lie and most interviewers are aware of this.

I hope these tips will help you win over your interviewer and get you that next job you're after!

I'll continue next time with eye contact pointers for when you're giving a presentation.

Marsha Freedman

President, Express Yourself Communications, Inc.

Training, Coaching and Professional Speaking

"Empowering professionals to become more confident, dynamic and effective communicators"

www.xprself.com