body language importance

Body Language in Communication

People speak in a variety of ways; spoken language is not the only manner in which people converse. This suggests that during a speech, we communicate not only through oral or spoken words, but also through gestures, facial expressions, and tonal variation in our voices, which is referred to as body language. Body language is a method of conveying a message or communicating without using words (Angouri 2013). It is known as a language that lacks vocabulary and sentences. Body language should be found in both academic and non-academic settings. In business, one must master the art of using body language and also reading to understand the needs and concerns of people or the business environment (Bergh et al. 2011).

The Importance of Body Language in Business and Interviews

This paper is going to talk and analyze about the importance of body language in business, additionally it is also going to analyze the importance of body language in interviews. The reason why we use body language in business or interviews is that at time it is difficult to pass or deliver message through writings or orally and this forces us to use nonverbal ways or body language to supplement our message through gesturing or even facial expressions. Moreover, people have immense ways of using body language (Corrizzato et al. 2013, p 179). As such most of communications are through body language because we have to supplement of message or ideas. Apart from that, Interviews are hard without body language because some points, and questions cannot be answered without expressions that is why this article is going to mention the importance (Cresswell et al. 2011).

The Role of Body Language in Negotiations

Business requires negotiations despite the products or services the business is offering. This simply suggests that body language plays a key role in business especially when it comes to negotiation. However, during our daily business we always give facial expressions and gestures to express our feelings or reveal the thoughts that we have inwardly (Firth 2014). This means that when having a negotiation without recognizing the body language it will be difficult to detect truths and lies within the business environment. Body language is also a way of building confidence with clients in the business environment, because our first impression and expression attracts clients into our business before we even utter a word (Goman 2011). Apart from that, body language also plays a better role in business because it helps in putting people into ease. Reason being people are normally tensed at first and through body language people build confidence hence become relaxed before conversing (Goodwin et al. 2011).

Body Language in Making Connections and Interviews

In addition to that, Body language can also be used to easily make friends within the business environment. People tend to draw closer to happy people or rather to people with a smiley face rather than serious ones (Kuhnke 2012). Those with good smiles in the business environment tend to attract more people into discussions. Besides that, Body language plays a key role in interviews because it gives someone confidence while in the interview room (Lazarus 2013, p. 44). Moreover during interviews body language also helps to persuade and can be used to create a sense of trust (Mawer 2014). This is because trust only comes when you express your ideas and feelings. In interviews, body language can also be used to project confidence within the interview sessions (Nistorescu 2012). Confidence can be achieved through projection of voice and body movements (Taras et al. 2011, p. 192). From the above we notice that body language is a significant tool both in business and interviews.

Works Cited

Angouri, Jo. “The multilingual reality of the multinational workplace: Language policy and language use.” Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 34.6 (2013): 564-581.

Bergh, Pontus, Sara Thorgren, and Joakim Wincent. “Entrepreneurs learning together: The importance of building trust for learning and exploiting business opportunities.” International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 7.1 (2011): 17-37.

Corrizzato, Sara, and Giada Goracci. “English for nursing: the importance of developing communicative competences.” Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes 1.2 (2013): 177-184.

Cresswell, James, and Ulrich Teucher. “The body and language: MM Bakhtin on ontogenetic development.” New Ideas in Psychology 29.2 (2011): 106-118.

Firth, Alan, ed. The discourse of negotiation: Studies of language in the workplace. Vol. 15. Elsevier, 2014.

Goman, Carol Kinsey. The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help--or Hurt--How You Lead. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

Goodwin, Charles, and Curtis LeBaron. Embodied interaction: Language and body in the material world. Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Kuhnke, Elizabeth. Body language for dummies. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Lazarus, Arthur. “Soften up: the importance of soft skills for job success.” Physician executive 39.5 (2013): 40-45.

Mawer, Giselle. Language and literacy in workplace education: Learning at work. Routledge, 2014.

NISTORESCU, Alina-Maria. “THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS.” Annals of Eftimie Murgu University Resita, Fascicle II, Economic Studies (2012).

Taras, Vas, Piers Steel, and Bradley L. Kirkman. “Three decades of research on national culture in the workplace: Do the differences still make a difference?.” Organizational Dynamics 40.3 (2011): 189-198.