If the sender delivers a message such that it is easy to comprehend, it is said to be effective communication. The art of mastering this skill can be beneficial in different kinds of situations, such as in workplaces, important presentations, and networking.
However, there is one non-verbal aspect of effective communication skills that strongly influences it – body language. The way you stand, the way you speak, and the way your eyebrows scrunch together whenever you come across something unexpected – all of these little actions give out an impression of who you are as a person.
If you want to understand the role of body language in effective communication skills, you are at the right place. In this blog, we will explore how exactly this skill can help you give out a strong impression and a few tips that can help you polish the same. Let us begin!
What Is Body Language?
As the name suggests, body language is how your body acts while you are in the presence of the audience that you wish to build your rapport with. It includes everything from your hands, your facial expressions, your body posture, the way you sit, the way you talk, and so on.
Other important aspects of body language include tone of voice and gestures. The main purpose of paying close attention to your body language to establish effective communication is to influence the mood of the listener. While the words that you speak have an impact on your audience, the way you speak and act influences them non-verbally – and is much more effective.
Most of the time, our body language can emphasize the message that we wish to deliver through our words. For instance, if you want to initiate a friendly bond with someone but you are constantly rigid, serious, and avoiding eye contact – there is a high chance that your invitation will be declined, no matter how much sense your words make. On the other hand, if you smile, give a firm handshake, and maintain eye contact, the listener is more likely to trust you.
How Does Body Language Affect Your Effective Communication Skills?
1. Facial Expressions
While you are applying your effective communication skills in person, the first aspect of body language that your listener would notice will be your facial expressions. Hence, you should be careful to use that to your advantage. The best thing about it is that the major facial expressions, such as happiness, sadness, surprise, and so on, are universal.
This means that there would be little to no culture bridge to overcome, and you can use the same facial expressions with a diverse set of listeners to communicate the same message. These include giving a brief smile to indicate cooperation and scrunching your brows to show anger.
2. Body Posture
Your body posture is another important aspect of body language that greatly impacts your effective communication skills. Imagine that you are talking to two kinds of people – one whose back is slouched and arms are crossed, and the other who is standing upright with free hands. Who are you more likely to listen to and take seriously?
Of course, the latter. Hence, you should consider taking into account how you present your body as a whole in front of your audience. Usually, it is a good idea to keep your back straight and avoid maintaining a stiff pose. Stiff and restricted movements imply that one is uncomfortable, which is not an impression that you want to give!
3. Gestures
The way you do small gestures has a huge impact on how the listeners view you as a person. For instance, giving a firm handshake upon meeting someone new can imply that you are a confident person. Similarly, your hand gestures while talking can help you emphasize your points, thus helping you to polish your effective communication skills.
It is also important to note the cultural factor while using certain kinds of gestures. For instance, you may show the “okay” sign using your hands to agree with something. If you use the right gestures with the right people, your message will be comprehended much more easily.
How To Improve Your Body Language?
Now that we have understood the role of body language in effective communication skills classes, let us move on to another important aspect. That is, how can you improve your body language to give off a better impression and communicate better? Here are a few tips to help you out with the same:
1. Do Not Rush
If you are giving an important presentation in your workplace, and you rush your words due to nervousness – your audience will not be able to comprehend your message well. Take your time when you speak so that your audience feels that you are confident and gets time to register your words in their head.
2. Maintain An Open Posture
A closed posture means that you are restricting yourself physically and turning away from your audience. On the contrary, an open posture means that you are more loose with your body and welcoming in nature by facing your listeners. You should consider adopting the latter to connect better with your audience.
Conclusion
While there are multiple facets of how body language can affect your effective communication skills, the major ones have been discussed above. Once you start working on how you present yourself non-verbally, you will notice that your audience will receive and comprehend your messages with much more comfort and ease. If you are interested in knowing more about the platforms that can help you brush up on your effective communication skills, consider visiting Orator Academy. There, you can learn how to speak in a way that makes a powerful impact on people. You can visit their website to learn more!
