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DECODING BODY LANGUAGE |
The four basic modes of body language in business |
| Knowing how to read body
language is a useful communication skill. So is knowing how to use
it.
There are two basic groups of body language postures: OPEN/CLOSED and FORWARD/BACK OPEN/CLOSED is the most obvious. People with arms folded and legs crossed and bodies turned away are signaling that they are rejecting messages. People showing open hands, fully facing you and both feet planted on the ground are accepting them.
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| FORWARD/BACK indicates whether people are actively or passively reacting to communication. When they are leaning forward and pointing towards you they are actively accepting or rejecting the message. When they are leaning back, looking up at the ceiling, doodling on a pad, cleaning their glasses they are either passively absorbing or ignoring it. | |
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The posture groups combine to create four basic modes: responsive, reflective, combative and fugitive. In responsive mode, OPEN/FORWARD the person is actively accepting. This is the time to close the sale, ask for agreement, demand a concession |
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| In reflective
mode, OPEN/BACK, people are interested and receptive but not
actively accepting. Trying to close the sale or asking for agreement now
may drive them away into fugitive mode. This is the time to present
further facts and incentives. It may also be a good time to keep quiet and
let them think.
In fugitive mode, CLOSED/BACK, people are trying to escape physically through the door or mentally into boredom. This is the time to spark interest in any way you can, even irrelevant to the message. Finally, in combative mode, CLOSED/FORWARD, there is active resistance. This is the time to defuse anger, avoid contradiction and outright argument and to steer them into reflective mode. How these modes are expressed in posture and gestures varies from culture to culture.
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