“Always notice body language changes. They may reveal questions you should ask.” -Dr. Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert
“5 Body Language Negotiation Signals
How to Uncover Hidden Secrets”
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What if the most revealing thing your counterpart communicates during a negotiation isn’t something they say? It might be a sudden change in their body language.
Their blink rate increases. Their lips tighten. They lean back. Their hand suddenly moves toward their neck. Their feet reposition under the table.
Individually, those behaviors prove very little. But when a behavior changes immediately after something is said or done, you’re given a reason to become curious.
Don’t simply observe body language. Notice changes, consider what triggered them, and strategically probe to uncover additional information.
Here are five body language signals worth watching.
1. The Blink Rate: What Just Changed?
Most negotiators watch the eyes but overlook changes in blinking. A noticeable increase or decrease in blink rate may accompany stress, surprise, discomfort, or increased cognitive processing.
The key isn’t the blink. It’s the change from baseline and when it occurs.
If blinking shifts suddenly after you mention price, alternatives, or decision authority, become curious. Don’t assume you know why. Ask: “What are your thoughts about that?”
The behavioral change may not reveal the answer, but it can lead you to where to investigate.
2. The Sudden Lean Back: Why Create Distance?
Your counterpart has been leaning slightly forward for 20 minutes. You mention price, delivery, authority, or another condition, and suddenly they lean back. Pay attention.
That movement may accompany surprise, skepticism, discomfort, contemplation, or simply a physical adjustment. The important question isn’t, what does leaning back mean? It’s “Why did it happen now?” You’ll turn observation into intelligence.
3. Compressed Lips: What’s Not Being Said?
Pressed or compressed lips can sometimes accompany disagreement, restraint, concern, or an attempt to suppress an immediate response.
Again, note the timing and deviation from baseline behavior.
If someone’s lips compress immediately after you mention a particular condition, mentally bookmark that moment. You may have touched an emotional or strategic nerve worth exploring.
4. Self-Touch: Did the Tension Just Rise?
Face touching, neck rubbing, hand wringing, or repeatedly adjusting clothing may accompany increased tension or discomfort.
The operative word is may.
Someone who has touched their face throughout the negotiation isn’t necessarily telling you anything new. Someone who suddenly begins doing it when you ask, “Who else must approve this?” becomes more interesting.
Don’t interrogate the gesture. Probe the topic that preceded it.
5. Shifting Feet: Is Their Body Leaving Before Their Mind Does?
Faces receive most of our attention. That’s understandable. Faces talk back. But feet and lower-body orientation can provide additional clues about engagement.
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Feet turning away, repeated repositioning, or the body gradually orienting toward an exit may accompany impatience, discomfort, reduced engagement, or a desire to leave.
Again, don’t assume. Observe the change and investigate what caused it.
Reflection
In negotiation, one’s body language signal isn’t always the answer; it’s the question.
The changing blink rate, sudden lean, compressed lips, self-touch, and shifting feet share one important characteristic: none proves what someone is thinking. Their value lies in alerting you that something may have changed internally.
Always establish a baseline, notice deviations, and identify what immediately preceded the change. Then use silence, timing, or carefully constructed questions to investigate.
Think: See → Interpret → Leverage.
See the behavioral change. Interpret it within context. Leverage your observation to gather information without revealing too quickly what you noticed.
Never become so fascinated with one gesture that you stop watching the whole person. A cluster of behavioral changes deserves more curiosity than any single signal.
Body language doesn’t always give you the answer. Sometimes, it gives you something more valuable: the questions you should ask. And everything will be right with the world.
Remember, “You’re always negotiating!”
Note: To discover more about GREG, GAIN, TEMPO, and WNA, register for the upcoming course with no obligations – https://TheMasterNegotiator.com/wna
If this resonates with you, drop me a comment at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com
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After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com
To see more of Dr. Greg’s “Negotiation and Body Language Tips,” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/blog
