Nonverbal communication--non-audible expressions--make up more than 50 percent of all communication between people. These expressions include gestures, facial expression, movement of the body, voice inflection, use of personal space and touch.
Consider the last time you spoke face-to-face with someone who had his arms crossed, tapped her foot, rolled his eyes or spoke rapidly and breathlessly: Knowingly or not, those expressions affected how you received that person's message. The same is true about your non-audible expressions to others.
Significance
It has been said that upon first meeting, the first 30 seconds are the most significant in making an impression on the other person. Although some of that small time frame may include spoken words, much of it is made up of nonverbal cues to who you are.
Cues such as manner of dress, eye contact, posture, voice and handshake all send nonverbal messages to the others. You can control many of these factors to the same extent that you control your spoken words.
Types
Body language: This includes posture, facial expressions, eye contact, movement of hands and feet, and gesturing.
Speaking voice: Volume, timbre, inflection, flow of words.
Dress: Appropriateness for situation, cleanliness, style.
Proximity: Generally, you stand closer--18 inches--to someone you know well than to people who are strangers. Standing too close to someone may feel like an invasion of their personal space and could be construed as aggression.
Limitations
Nonverbal communication can speak volumes for and about you, but what it cannot do on its own is provide the details of your message. Nonverbal communication provides more of an overview of you and your current status, but the listener nees your spoken words to fully comprehend your message. Some nonverbal communications may indicate one thing in a particular culture and something else altogether in another culture. For example, in American culture, direct eye contact between two people who are speaking is desirable. In some cultures, this may be seen as discourteous or aggressive.
Benefits
Some activities of nonverbal communication are taught to us as children: "Stand up straight," "Sit still" and "Don't chew gum with your mouth open." A straight posture indicates confidence/good self esteem; sitting still indicates restfulness and readiness and chewing gum with a closed mouth is good manners and mindful of the people around you. Just as you learned those activities as a child, you can learn to make positive use of other nonverbal communication tools as an adult.
Considerations
Determine what you'd like your demeanor to say about you, then make whatever changes you need. This might include a different wardrobe for work, changing habits such as not fidgeting or improving your handshake. Just as social situations and circumstances change, so can the image you'd like to project to others. Perhaps at work you feel a detached, business-like image best suits your needs, but that isn't likely the image you'd like to portray at home. Consider not only what it is you say, but how you go about saying it. Work to make the message you're sending, both verbally and non-verbally, match one another.
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