Non-verbal Body Language

Impress for career success

COULD the secret to a successful career lay in the way you sit, the chair you choose and the way you hold your hands?

According to Sunshine Coast body language expert Allan Pease it most certainly does.

Other people form up to 90% of their opinion of you in the first four minutes, and 60-80% of the impact you make is non-verbal.

Your approach, your hand gestures, handshake, posture and overall body language will largely decide how well you do at an interview, in your job and determine whether you are promoted or not.

For the past four decades, Allan and his wife Barbara have written and talked about how body language can influence your life.

In their latest book they turn their attention to the workplace.

And it seems the key to getting ahead is more than just meeting deadlines.

Mr Pease explains further the two important factors to remember in the workplace.

“If you mess it up (the first four minutes), it’s very hard to recover from,” Mr Pease said.

This instant judging is hardwired in the brain from our ancestral past, where it was vital to sum up immediately if someone was going to be a threat or not.

“It’s a natural instinct. You might not be able to articulate it but you know instantly if you like someone or not,” he said.

The second thing is that the majority of what you say doesn’t matter, it’s what you do.

This can be a problem with work emails, as without the visual cues certain elements of tone cannot be conveyed.

“People can’t quite tell what you are thinking,” Mr Pease said.

So what does it take to ensure success in an interview or an important meeting?

“The key to winning people over is to be open and nothing about you can be threatening. You need to be well presented with open body language,” Mr Pease said.

One of the worst things you can do is fold your arms, which makes you look either bored and uninterested or defensive.

This behaviour is mimicked in monkeys where they cross their arms to protect their heart, lungs and genitals.

It’s a protection mechanism but it can more hinder than help in the workplace.

“People say ‘but it’s comfortable’. Of course it is, you’re feeling defensive. But in a group situation it makes you look unapproachable and not interested,” he said.

How to sell more with persuasive body language ...

The phrase toe to toe pops into mind with a huge reason. When you watch a boxing match the two opponents stand toe to toe.  When you argue or have a disagreement that almost becomes physical or even becomes physical you stand toe to toe. Naturally even standing like this causes emotions in the background of your brain causing an unknown uncomfortable feeling. The ideal time for you to shift in is when the other person relaxes a little and you can normally see this when their shoulders drop slightly or their voice shifts just a little bit. The person with you may even just crack a slight smile. You will almost feel like you just got comfortable and it will mean that you have developed better rapport. This feeling shows that they are comfortable as long as you know what to look for. This is your cue to slightly turn into the other person slowly.

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