Body Language Basics

From a flip of the hair to hands on your hips, how you move, gesture and make expressions can say as much as what comes out of your mouth.

 

Angel Rose, 34, an assistant vice president at a bank in upstate New York, was interviewing candidates for a teller position, which required that a person have good people and communication skills, a professional presentation and a strong focus on customer service, among other abilities.

One candidate in particular stood out, but not in a good way. While she could have been very intelligent, her nonverbal communication and body language were way off. Her handshake was more of a finger shake, her eye contact was nonexistent and her slouched posture exuded insecurity. For Rose, what the candidate said didn't matter because her body language spoke volumes: She wasn't a good fit for the position.

"Most communication experts now believe that almost 90 percent of what we say comes from nonverbal cues, which includes our body language," says Patti Wood, author of Success Signals: A Guide to Reading Body Language.

Body language, she explains, is everything from our facial expressions, to eye contact, to our gestures, stance and posture. While the nuances of body language are complicated, there are some common body language signs worth a thousand words.