Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Body Language
Recently, I have started exposing my children to classic kids’ movies. Last week we tried out Beauty and the Beast; we’ve become mildly obsessed with Cinderella; and just this week I introduced The Little Mermaid.
I love all of these movies; mostly because I love singing along to all of these movies judgement-free. I can’t exactly go into work singing these songs in front of my Dallas straight truck deliveries friends. After viewing these pieces of my childhood, it is not uncommon for me to walk around for days singing with a Jamaican accent, “go on and kiss de girl!”
This week, I’ve been walking around singing about the importance of body language (muahahaha!). In case memory fails you, in The Little Mermaid, Ursula the sea witch sings to Ariel about the importance of body language once she steals her voice.
We can learn a lot from these kid movies.
(If you can get past the general misogynistic and discriminatory concepts.)
You see, the importance of body language should not be underestimated. Only 7% of communication is expressed using words. Nonverbal skills are incredibly important in conveying our interests and feelings.
When it comes to the workplace, your nonverbal communication can make or break you. When you’re meeting a customer, a boss, or a new coworker, your body language will be one of the first things someone notices about you.
In fact, studies show that upon meeting someone for the first time, we make up our minds about them in one tenth of a second. That’s not a lot of time to make a big impact!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t say too many words in 1/10th of a second. That means that nonverbal communication is where it’s at. So how can you convey confidence, intelligence, and calmness without saying a word?
Take it from the experts on our straight truck delivery service in Dallas team:
Stand Squarely- When meeting someone, your hips and shoulders should be facing them. You should also stand tall, and straighten our torso. The old “feet shoulder width apart-hands on the hips” pose used to say “power”, but now it just says, “Captain America”. Be subtle with your posture, but strong.
Smile- Even if you don’t feel like it, do it. It gives the impression of warmness and calmness. Smiling also tricks your brain into producing the happy hormones of serotonin and dopamine- which can effectively lower your stress level.
Make Eye Contact- You don’t have to be creepy or have a staring contest to show someone eye contact. In fact, it’s ok to look away and drop your gaze every now and then. For the most part, eye contact conveys interest. It lets your client or coworker know you’re listening.
Don’t Fidget- How many times did your Mama tell you to “sit still”? Fidgeting is your body’s way of attempting to find comfort. When you constantly move, you’re suggesting to others that you’re uncomfortable. It makes others uneasy, which is never a great first impression.
Make Appropriate Gestures- “I don’t know what to do with my hands!” Keep them out your pockets, don’t drum your fingers, pop your knuckles, or look at your watch. Use your hands as part of a strong handshake upon meeting, use hand gestures to emphasize a point, then let them rest in your lap or by your side.
If you’re only going to take one piece of advice from Ursula the sea witch (and, other than stay away from sharp boats, I’d say just one piece of advice is enough), let it be to never underestimate the importance of body language.
In business, over 90% of what you say about yourself doesn’t actually come from words leaving your mouth. Taking charge of your nonverbal language with these five tips from our Dallas same day delivery service team can help you to appear confident and interested when interacting with customers, coworkers, and bosses.
You know what else can give you confidence? The right straight truck delivery team. Your oversized, refrigerated, and time sensitive cargo is in great hands with our Eagle Express team. You can rest easy knowing your products will receive care from start to finish. Contact us today to see what that kind of confidence feels likes.