Body Language for Business and Brands

Welcome to the newsletter on the power of body language!

In this edition, we'll be diving into the world of body language for business and for brands.

Look out for the bonus section at the very end! ??

Body Language for Business

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a manager, or an employee, understanding the nuances of nonverbal communication can help you build stronger relationships and achieve greater success in your career.

Here are a few tips to help you get thinking about what you reveal with your body language and what you can decode about others...

In-person interactions tips:

• Feet Direction

The feet are often considered to be the most truthful part of the body because they are not as easily controlled as other parts of the body, such as the face or hands. When a person is trying to conceal their true feelings or intentions, they may be able to control their facial expressions or hand gestures, but their feet may reveal their true emotions.

For example, when a person is lying or feeling nervous, they may shift their weight from foot to foot, or they may point their toes away from the person they're speaking to.

Similarly, if a person is feeling confident and comfortable, they may stand with their feet planted firmly on the ground, or they may point their toes towards the person they're speaking to.

Another reason why feet are considered to be the most truthful part of the body is that people tend to unconsciously move their feet in the direction they want to go.

If a person is sitting in a meeting, for example, and they are eager to leave, their feet may point towards the door. This is an unconscious behaviour, and it can reveal the person's true feelings or intentions.

• Confidence Displays (Also see bonus article at the end for sales)

Confidence can be displayed through a variety of body language cues. Here are a few examples:

1. Posture: A confident person will typically have an upright and symmetrical posture, with their shoulders back and their head held high. They may also take up more space by spreading their limbs, and they will be less likely to slouch or hunch over.
2. Eye contact: Confident people tend to make strong and steady eye contact. They will look directly at the person they are speaking to, and they will not avoid or break eye contact.
3. Gestures: Confident people tend to use expansive gestures, such as open-handed gestures, and they tend to use gestures that take up more space. They may also use gestures to emphasize their points and to assert their authority.
4. Facial expressions: Confident people tend to have a relaxed and open facial expressions. They may also smile more often and use more animated facial expressions.
5. Tone of voice: Confident people tend to have a clear and assertive tone of voice. They speak with conviction and authority and they tend to use a moderate to deep pitch.
6. Movement: Confident people move with purpose and decisiveness, they tend to walk with their head held high, they take long strides and they tend to move with a sense of direction.

It's important to consider the context and the individual when interpreting body language. Additionally, confidence can be manifested differently across cultures and backgrounds, therefore it is important to be aware of cultural nuances when decoding body language.

I help people optimise their body language, just drop me a message if there's something specific you'd like to know or need help with.

Body Language for Brands

It's more important than ever for brands to use images that include people in their marketing and advertising to stand out and resonate with their consumers.

By understanding the emotional impact of body language, brands can improve their perception and increase sales.

Here are a few tips to help you start thinking about the people-based images you're creating:

1. Choose the emotion in the consumer that you want to evoke with your marketing and advertising content.
2. Ensure the emotion that you want to target is displayed through body language and facial expressions of the model(s) in the image.
3. Displaying genuine happiness will get you 3x more engagement than deliberate happiness displayed... However, happiness is not always the ideal emotion to inspire action in your consumer if that's one of your key objectives.

Here's an example of a great advert from Aussie.

1. They've thought about how they want their consumer to feel
2. The model is showing an authentic emotion that is engaging and will catch the eye
3. The words do a great job alongside the body language and expression to tie the whole ad together.

If you need some help with your content images, just drop me a message.

What's Occurring

Despite having no internet at home for the last two weeks, it's been a fantastic start to the new year. Don't bring up BT with me anytime soon though; I'm still not over it. ??

Here are some of my highlights:

I presented a webinar to The Health And Beauty Association last week on Body Language for personal branding and business branding.

I've met with a prominent agency about speaking at their conference in the spring; I'll let you know more about this when they release the agenda - I'm very excited because it's a great stage to be on and I'll be in the good company of speakers!

I'm working on a PR project to help people working virtually to optimise their own body language and read others better online and sell more stuff.

Next week I'll be presenting an interactive workshop for Venues of Excellence at Silverstone.

I'll be focusing on how good customer service starts with optimised body language.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone you think might find it interesting or useful.

[email protected]

+44 (0)7841 637 558

Bonus Article

How to Make Your Body Language Work for You: Tips for Sales Professionals

Body language is a crucial skill for any salesperson to master.It enables you to connect with prospective clients and convey confidence, trust, and credibility.

Understanding and effectively using body language can mean the difference between closing a deal and losing it.

Body language is often the first thing a potential client notices about you in a sales setting. In a matter of seconds, it can make a positive or negative impression.

Positive body language can help in the building of trust, the development of rapport, and the likelihood that a potential client will choose to do business with you.

Negative body language, on the other hand, can make you appear untrustworthy, unapproachable, and unprofessional, which makes closing a deal more difficult.

Understanding and effectively using body language is essential for sales professionals. It can assist you in establishing trust and rapport with potential clients, appearing more confident and in control, and effectively communicating your message.

You can increase your chances of closing deals and growing your business by mastering your body language. This article will go over the best tips for using body language effectively in a sales setting.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your body language works for you rather than against you.

So, let's get started and learn how to make your body language work for you in the sales world.

1. Make Eye Contact:

Making eye contact is one of the most powerful ways to connect with someone.

Maintain consistent eye contact when speaking with a potential client to demonstrate that you are attentive and engaged in the conversation.

Eye contact also conveys confidence and gives the other person the impression that they are the only one in the room.

Maintain eye contact for 60-70% of the conversation, as excessive eye contact can be perceived as intimidating.

2. Use Open Body Language:

Using open body language can assist you in appearing approachable and non-threatening.

Avoid crossing your arms and legs and folding your arms across your chest. This makes you appear more open and willing to hear what the other person has to say.

Maintain a relaxed posture as well.

3. Use Facial Expressions:

Your facial expressions can tell the other person a lot about you, such as your level of interest, enthusiasm, and engagement.

A genuine smile can convey friendliness and help to establish trust, whereas a neutral expression can convey disinterest.

Be aware of your facial expressions and use them to your best advantage.

Avoid all deliberate/fake smiles; they are 3x less effective than a genuine smile...

4. Use Gestures to Emphasise Key?Points:

Use gestures to add?emphasis to?your message and make it more memorable.

When describing your product or service, for example, use gestures with your hands.

When saying, "Our........ is the best on the market," use a pointing gesture. Point your finger in the direction of the product as you say "best" to emphasise the statement and make it more memorable for the listener.

This hand gesture emphasises the words and increases the persuasiveness of your message, this is what politicians are trained to do...

5. Be Confident:

In any sales situation, confidence is essential.

Stand tall, make direct eye contact, and keep your chin level.

Your tone of voice, the way you present yourself, and the words you use can all convey confidence.

Speak clearly, avoid filler words like "um" or "ah," and slow down your pace. A nervous person's words will be rushed, whereas a confident person will speak with a measured tone of voice.

Summary

You can master the art of body language and use it to your advantage in a sales setting or any business setting by following these tips and integrating them into your daily interactions.

Keep in mind that body language is a very powerful tool.

Don't let your body language hold you back; instead, work with a body language expert to take control of your interactions, make better connections, and close more deals.

Let's talk about how to improve your body language for maximum success!

[email protected]