Nonverbal messages are far more powerful than verbal ones. Paying attention to details is the key when creating one’s image/brand, as well as understanding other people.
Eye contact and facial expressions are potent tools for non-verbal communication. You can express happiness, sadness, confidence, fear, surprise, and a full range of emotions with your eyes, lips, and mouth.
Your posture and the way you walk speak louder than words. People with good posture look powerful, graceful and confident. Bad posture is associated with old age and a low spirit.
In our book Get Rid of your Accent Part Two we talk about posture preparation as part of working on your voice power.
Gestures are an important part of non-verbal communication. Lack of gestures may be seen as stiffness of the body and show a lack of confidence. Scratching your head or any part of your body can look a bit simple and demonstrate a lack of upbringing. Touching and trying to improve your hair may show that you are not sure of your looks and feel that you are not enough. Too many gestures and repetitive gestures may imply that you are trying too hard to compensate for a lack of confidence.
People can learn to use gestures to their advantage. Empathic gestures, such as nodding your head,d show that you hear another person and understand them.
Finally, clothes, shoes, hair, nails, jewellery and makeup are also part of non-verbal communication. Clean, expensive clothes symbolise wealth, culture and status.
It is vital that verbal messages and properly supported and enhanced by nonverbal clues to create a credible presence and powerful messages.