Non-Verbal

Communication

Course: Business Communication I

Barnali Chaudhary
Patterns of speaking

• Pronunciation
• The correct and appropriate sounds and sound clusters

• Enunciation
• Pronouncing each sounds and words clearly
Diction
• Total production of sounds

• Choice of words in a sentence for a specific context

• Can tell if they are intelligent, educated, or even what part of the world
or country they are from

• Formal and Informal diction

• Her terrible temper won't endear her to many if she refuses to control her
outbursts.
• If she doesn't stop yelling, she'll lose all her friends.
Voice Modulation
• Control and adjust your voice

• Choice to go louder or softer, faster or slower, dramatic or emotional

• Using voice and tone to communicate your message more effectively

• Without voice modulation speech becomes continuous and monotonous

• Pauses and emphasis on certain words

• Tone reflects the purpose of speech

 Volume

• Appropriate volume for the room

• If it’s a small room do not use high volume

• Over powers the audience
• Drain’s audiences’ energy
Rate/Pace
• Speed/ tempo at which one speaks

• It should not be too slow or too fast

• Important materials call for slow rate

• Lighter topics call for faster rate

• Nervousness can contribute to rate

Pitch
• High or low musical quality of voice

• Flute or bass

• Habitual pitch Vs Optimal pitch

• Try
• Can you pass me that book?
• Where were you last night?
• Must it be printed?
• Who is the one in the corner?
Emphasis/stress

• Identify the words that are key to communicating your message

• Pick these words and give them weight in your speech through your
voice
• Word and syllable emphasis
• Phrases and clauses emphasis

Let me talk to you about a word that is overused, never quite

understood and most importantly, underrated. The word ‘Millennials’.
Attitude

• “Well!”

• Annoyed
• Disgusted
• Surprised
• Thrilled
• In doubt
• Thoughtful
Pause
• They can be long, short, signal transition

• Think about it pause

• Give people a chance to understand what you said
• It can also be effective to pause before you deliver an important point

• Transitional pause
• Short pause between two minor points
• Longer for important points

• Emphasis pause
• Long pause before you make a statement or ask a question

• Pregnant pause
• The speaker is thinking
Intonation

• Raise and fall of voice

• Intonation patterns are different in languages

Intonation rules
• Falling intonation for statements and question tags
• I like cookies.
• Anna turned in her assignment, didn’t she?
• Rising intonation (for Yes/No questions)
• Is Bala present in class?
• Can you send me the videos by tonight?
• Rising and falling (for Wh- questions)
• What do you want?
• How can I connect with the audience?
Try

• “I told you he murdered the gardener.”

Non-Verbal Communication

Kinesics Proxemics Haptics

Kinesics
Proxemics
Haptics
• Use and role of time in communication

• Interest
• Affection
• Power
Gestures

• Visible bodily actions used to complement or supplement speech

• Spontaneous and unplanned

Gestures
• Carry thoughts and feelings into the minds and hearts of your hearers

• Public speakers rarely know in advance what gestures they are going
to make

• Restlessness is not expression

• Do not continually hold the same position

• Any big change of thought necessitates a change of position
Kind of gestures
• Descriptive
• Provide visualization

• Suggestive
• Ideas and emotions

• Emphatic
• Emphasize spoken words

• Prompting
• Evoke desired response from audience

• Transitional
• Movement from one section to another
 Emphatic Gestures

• Emphasize Spoken words

• Includes shrugging, nodding and pointing

• Clenched fist
 Prompting Gestures

• Evokes desired response from audience

• Can be done by the speaker to let audience replicate

• Raise hand if you want your audience to do so

• Applaud to make audience clap

 Transitional Gestures

• Shows movement from one section of your speech to

another

• Using fingers to enumerate points

 Locative Gestures
• Directs the audience to a person, place or thing

• Use of index finger

• Use of full palm stretched

Kinds of Gestures-II
Peripheral Non-verbal Communication
• Posture
• Difference between standing straight and slumping
• Hands in pant pockets while talking
• Distribution of weight between legs

• EQ through facial expressions

• Eye contact

• Attire
Body Language
The Face

Facial expressions

• EQ
• People are good at judging expressions
• If there is a conflict between what we see and what we hear, we
believe our eyes
• Nervous speakers smile a lot
Body language: Basics
• Hands clenched near body
• Makes you look uncomfortable and scared

• Arms crossed tightly over chest

• Hostile and removed from the audience

• Hands in pockets
• I do not want to be here

• Too much hand movement

• Uncontrolled and exhausting for audience to watch

• Fidgeting
• Signals insecurity

• Touching face frequently

• Embarrassment and insincerity
Eye Contact

• When you reach the podium turn, pause and look at your audience

• Make eye contact with all audience

• Direct eye-contact indicates trustworthiness, friendliness and

confidence

• Averted eyes indicate the opposite

• Universal display of confidence
• Often used by those in leadership
position

• “I am an expert at what I am
saying.”
• “I am an expert at what’s
being said.”
 Arms Akimbo

• Individual is ready and alert

• Authoritarian
• Person waiting in que with this position
has a complaint
Interlaced Fingers, thumbs up

• Hands resting on lap/table

• Confidently emphasize a point
Negative non-verbal cues
• Inappropriate eye contact

• Weak handshake

• Too much bling

• Podium dancing

• Bad breath

• Repeated mannerisms

• General bad-manners?
Evaluation Scheme

• Class Participation 15%

• Assignment/Quiz 20%
• Project 35%
• End-Term 30%
• Total 100%
Topics for BC-I Project
• Board meeting or Townhall
• Meeting new people (intercultural aspect)
• On-site context (getting accustomed to cultural aspects)
• Miscommunication
• Business etiquette
• Presentation in a meeting
• Assertiveness and Negotiation
• Informal oral communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Team Communication
• Listening
Guidelines
• Make a video presentation
• 20 mins (Video + Discussion)
• Each member should actively participate in the video and discussion
• Report Submission
• Script
• Critical analysis of the topic
• Self Grading
• Other groups Grade (5 marks each)
• Structure
• Clarity
• Theoretical understanding
• Professionalism
• Class involvement