The document emphasizes the significance of non-verbal communication, which constitutes 93% of interactions, compared to only 7% through words. It outlines various types of non-verbal cues, including kinesics, haptics, vocalics, proxemics, and chronemics, while providing practical tips for trainers and presenters to enhance their effectiveness. The presentation encourages understanding the audience's body language and creating a connection through appropriate non-verbal signals.

1. Understanding
Body Language
Lekha Sishta
Global Talent Strategist and Business Advisor

2. Agenda
 Components of Communication
 Types of non-verbal communication
 Each type
 Tips for Trainers/ Presenters/Teachers
 Next?
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3. Communication
 Only 7% impact thru words,
 and yet we stress so much on
words, language and fluency.
 Yes, it does spell confidence,
but…
 Non-verbal is 93% of
communication
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4. Types of
non-verbal
communication
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5. Types of Non-verbal communication
Kinesics -
movement
Haptics -
touch
Vocalics -
voice
Proxemics -
space
Territoriality -
ownership
Chronemics
- time
Artefacts -
grooming and
envt
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6. Kinesics - 1
1. Gestures
• Adaptors
o object–focused - playing with eraser, flipping paper, clicking pen tapping
o Self-focused – shaking legs, cracking knuckles, biting nails, scratching nose, twirling hair, coughs, clearing throat
• Emblem (signals) - he’s crazy, wait, hurry up, thumbs up, V sign {victory if palm outward (archer), palms inward (insult in Britain)}
• Illustrators – size and height, shape of object
2. Eye Contact (oculesics)
• ”Eyes are the windows to the soul” (place we think is exactly behind the eyes)
• Hungry eyes, drunk eyes, sleepy eyes, evil eyes, happy eyes, bedroom eyes
• Teacher looks at student directly – asks a question. Student – ostrich: head in sand.
• Pupil Dilation, Contraction (advertising survey with cues)
• Staring – Intimidate (stare them down)
• Look persuasively (coax to speak)
• Look away deliberately or while continuing to speak
• NLP - Visual, Kinaesthetic, Auditory, Digital
• Up to left – Honest, Up to right - Lies 30-07-2021
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7. Kinesics - 2
3. Head movements
• Head nod/shake – Hyd?
• Head up, Head down, Head tilt (submission –
expose the neck)
4. Postures
• Sitting, Standing, Lying down, Squatting, Kneeling
• Leaning back, leaning forward, sitting on edge of chair, lounging, straddling the chair
• Hands on hips: thumbs in front, thumbs behind, elbows akimbo, hands in pocket: thumbs in, fingers in.
5. Facial Expressions
• Pandemic times – Smiling with eyes above mask.
• Humorous story – smile, lift brows, light up eyes
• Serious data – furrowed brows, tighter mouth, slight head nod
• Facial expressions and content must match, else loss of credibility
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9. Vocalics - Voice
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Volume (Loudness - whisper)
Pitch (Rise and Fall - intensity of message)
Pace (Rate/speed)
Pause (Silence in between. Don’t shout over the audience - raise
your voice, and then go silent)
Resonance (Timbre - depth)
Intonation/ Modulation (monotone or musical, rhythmic)
ALL CAPS (in digital world = Shouting)
Accenting (She is my friend)
Substituting (uh huh = go on, I’m listening)

10. Haptics - Touch
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Handshake – firm/limp; power crush, dominance, camera handshake
Inappropriate/appropriate (nurse, hairdresser, security pat-down)
Friends - arm on shoulder, thump on back
Hugs – children, friend, special friend, mother, co-worker
Shoulder to shoulder
Push with body
POSH issues – don’t touch students

11. Proxemics - space
 Breach of personal bubbles
 Higher chair, Stand over a person, Sit on desk
 Distance to reach the table
 Facing door
 Indians vs European
 In airplane, in theatre
 Students – in closer social zone (4-6 ft) – gain attention
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12. Territoriality - ownership
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 Dogs, other animals, even birds
 Chair – students usually fix a space after first few classes;
 Seat in faculty room
 Block a space with cloth in bus, laptop in library, cap on
sports bench
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13. Chronemics - time
 Circadian rhythm, daily cycles of waking, sleeping, eating hours
• Class early morning – slower need to wake up, need to be energetic to wake students up
• Before lunch – need to be patient, yet build activities, mental
• After lunch – active – story-telling
 Length: When boring, class seems longer, shorter when interesting
 Future time-orientation – planning;
Past time-orientation – elders reminiscing
 Seasons : hot/cold/warm/rainy
 Age : older slower to hear and speak, Youth quicker;
 Culture: university vs institute; mindset of lifestyle
 Place: boardroom vs cafeteria; church vs playground
 Polychromic – multi-tasking, simultaneous;
Monochromic – single task, sequential
 Wait time: Politicians, actors- make others wait to increase importance;
Armed forces - punctual
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14. Artefacts
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 How you dress: clothes, colours, jewellery, watch - imagel status
 Arrange your room, seating of audience – classroom,
conference, casual round tables
 Choose your seat - on same side of decision-maker, between
screen and the person
 Online - Things around you, clean background, sounds, bombing,
clothes, (not top half alone)
 Your DP/ Avatar - represents your social image
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15. 12 points For Presenters /teachers - 1
- adapted from Simon Sinek’s Public speaking skills
 Be yourself – dress so you are comfortable but not so casual that you feel
uncomfortable in front of a select audience
 Prime yourself – turn nerves into excitement, “this is scary” to “this is fun”, same
body symptoms, fast breath, sweating, etc; Olympics athletes
 Greet at the door – be punctual, and calm the students on entry, small talk but firm
 Don’t talk right away - walk to the centre of dais, find your place, smile, scan the
room and then say hello.. Don’t start speaking when walking
 Show up to give, not to take - selfishness is a negative
 Impact – Steepling for confidence, open palms up, one hand. No pointing, power pose
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16. 12 points For Presenters /teachers - 2
- adapted from Simon Sinek’s Public speaking skills
 Eye Contact – don’t just pan one by one, full sentence with one person, pan,
then next sentence end on another, talk with them, not at them.
 Speak Slowly - they will wait for you, don’t worry!
 Ignore the naysayers - Focus on the ones nodding, make a few friends before
the session, positively engage, make the rebels class reps,
 Storytelling- Never tell a story without making a point, never make a point without
telling a story, People remember stories, how you made them feel
 Move into the audience - use remote presenter, control class, noisemakers’
personal bubble
 Say Thank you when you are done. If applause, stop, pan the room, smile, bow
and once again say thank you, and leave the dais. Don’t hang around.
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17. Next:
 Learn about your audience
 What are they saying back to you?
 Look at their expressions, their dress, their stance..
 https://speakerhub.com/skillcamp/how-read-your-audience-10-seconds
 https://franchetti.com/reading-room-deliver-best-presentation/
 https://humancapitalonline.com/leadership/details/1109/read-your-audience-
well
 Above all, know when to stop!
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18. Hope this helps you to continue to
not just fill the pail,
but light a fire within your students
All the best!
tekhahr@gmail.com
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