Recently, President Obama bowed to the Emperor of Japan. Through his body language, the president displayed respect, nonverbally.When you negotiate, what does your body language (nonverbal signals) convey? Are you able to discern the thoughts of the person with whom you’re negotiating, based on the way they use their body? Can you detect when someone’s lying, based on his or her body language?
During negotiations, the body conveys hidden messages and thoughts that words do not express. If you’re astute, you’ll discern those recessed thoughts and be able to detect feelings that reside in the cavities of the mind of the person with whom you’re negotiating.
Some nonverbal signals (body language) are much easier to perceive than others. As an example, if you’re talking with someone and they turn and walk away from you, you know the conversation has concluded.
You might ask, depending upon the length of the conversation, at what point did he decide to exit? Did he mentally exit when he looked at the door; was it the moment when one of his feet turned almost imperceptibly away from you?
If you were aware of the moment at which the other negotiator’s intentions were displayed, you could have taken evasive actions to keep him engaged, or at least acknowledged the fact that you recognized his boredom, or restlessness, thus gaining some form of appreciation for having done so.
There are multitudes of nonverbal signals conveyed in the course of a negotiation. To the degree you are aware of them, you can benefit by piercing the veil behind which some contemplations may be hidden. By being able and capable of reading nonverbal signals (body language) in negotiations and all realms of your life, you increase your ability to communicate. By increasing your ability to communicate, you increase your ability to influence other individuals. By increasing your ability to influence other individuals, you increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to assist them in acquiring that which they seek. By increasing the chances of assisting them in acquiring that which they seek, you’ll get more of what you desire in life … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are …
- By being able to read and understand nonverbal signals, in all aspects of your life, you’ll be able to note the mindset of someone that uses words to convey meanings other than the thoughts they really possess.
- An additional benefit of being able to accurately read body language is the fact that you’ll know how to use your body to convey the appropriate gesture in the appropriate situation. Thus, you’ll know how to make sure your words are congruent with your body language.
- Reading body language can be easy. Start by learning the basic body language gestures and build upon them. You’ll be rewarded many times in life, when you’re able to ‘pick up’ on that in which the truth is disguised.