Department of Information Technology

Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering,

New Delhi

Communication Skills for Professionals

Non-Verbal Communication

“Few realize how loud their expressions really are. Be kind with what
you wordlessly say.”
-Richelle E. Goodrich

Submitted By-

Kunal Singla (04111503120)

Pawan Kumar (05511503120)

Bhanu (01711503120)

Ronit Dadra (06211503120)

Omvir Singh (05011503120)

Abstract

“Peace is not a thought, not a concept; it is a nonverbal experience.”

-Henepola Gunaratana

This paper will address Non-Verbal Communication. What is Non-verbal Communication; along
with functions and characteristics of the Non-verbal communication. Further paper addresses
types of Non-verbal Communication and reading Non-verbal messages. Non-verbal
Communication in different culture and Non-verbal communication in business is explored.
Discuss Difference in Non-verbal communication of men and women. Concludes with ways to
acquire competence in Non-verbal Communication.
Introduction
Everyone has learnt how to communicate as a human, whether it is by speech, gestures with the
hands and face, or other physical clues. Some infants pick up knowledge from watching adults; a
baby's first word is typically a significant occasion. Others pick up knowledge while they're young,
and keep going as they age. Some people might enroll in speech and language classes. The spoken
word is typically prioritized as one gets older, although it is not the primary form of
communication.

Communication has always played huge importance in people's lives. Knowing how to
communicate means being able to speak and listen, as well as understanding not only the verbal
language but also the language of gestures and signs used by societies, nations, and other cultures
that differ from our own. This implies that we approach others with an open mind and make an
effort to understand them as well as the conversation. Nothing else can make communication
feasible, which provides people a huge advantage. We can communicate with one another through
it and share thoughts and opinions. Therefore, we can understand one another through
communication.

Body language is the earliest universally understood form of communication. According to

research, just 7% of our interpersonal communication is verbal, leaving 93% of communication to
be nonverbal. Further breaking it down, 38% of nonverbal communication is vocal (pitch, speed,
volume, tone of voice), while 55% of it is visual (body language, eye contact). In every
conversation, humans communicate messages using more than a thousand nonverbal clues.

A model of nonverbal communication

Source: Adapted from Eunson (1987)
What is Non-Verbal Communication?
Nonverbal communication is expressed via nonlinguistic means. Human behaviour and
characteristics, such as how they appear, utilize items, make sound, move through space, smell,
and use time, are what others interpret and find meaningful. It includes visual/kinesics clues such
as facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, and body orientation; vocal/paralinguistic clues
such as volume, pitch, rate, and inflection; proxemic clues such as space and distance; olfactory or
smell clues; clues provided via artifactual communication and appearance; clues sent via color;
and chronic or time clues.

Nonverbal clues either support or contradict our verbal clues. In a sense, we become the message
since our nonverbal clues reflect our expectations, mindset, and sense of self. Our constant talk
reveals the true nature of our feelings and thoughts.

Although we may unintentionally or intentionally transmit nonverbal clues, their interpretation

depends on how they are interpreted. As a result, they carry out metacommunicative activities,
communicate about communication, and make our verbal messages along with the nature of our
relationship more clear.

Functions of Non-verbal Communication

As stated earlier that in order for us to properly comprehend verbal signals, we also need to
comprehend the significance of the nonverbal messages that go along with them or take their
place. After all, a single glance, particular facial expression, tone of voice, movement of the body,
use of space, or touch can alter the meaning of a statement. Our knowledge of interpersonal
interactions will advance along with our capacity for utilizing and interpreting nonverbal clues.
Characteristics of Non-verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is an essential part of the total communication package. You are a
constant source of information from a non-verbal perspective, conveying messages from which
others extract meaning.

 All Nonverbal Behavior Has Message Value.

One cannot stop sending nonverbal messages. You can't avoid communicating as
long as someone is aware of your presence and is available to interpret your
nonverbal messages. You are still communicating even if you turn away from the
observer and disappear from view.

 Nonverbal Communication Is Ambiguous.

Nonverbal clues are continuous and frequently implicit, yet people can interpret
them differently, so what we say can be unclear and open to misinterpretation.
Numerous meanings might be elicited by a single nonverbal clue. Nonverbal clues
might not always signify what people assume they do. Every nonverbal clue should
be read in the context of the situation.

 Nonverbal Communication Is Predominantly Relational.

Many people find it simpler to express their sentiments and emotions nonverbally.
Nonverbally, we express liking, attraction, rage, and respect for authority. In fact,
nonverbal communication is our main method of expressing our inner states, which
are frequently difficult to convey through words. Sometimes we unintentionally
communicate information we'd rather keep private because we're not conscious of
the nonverbal signs we give off. Our nonverbal clues reveal to others how we feel
about ourselves and about them even when we don't mean to.

 Nonverbal Behavior May Reveal Deception.

We can utilize our deception detection abilities to identify that a person's behavior
conflicts with what and when they say something but mean something else. The
majority of the time, when there is a contradiction or mismatch between nonverbal
and verbal messages, researchers encourage you to trust the nonverbal clues
because they are more difficult to fabricate. Changes in voice or facial expression,
gestures, or slipups of the tongue can all be signs of deception.

-By Kunal Singla (04111503120)

Types of Non-verbal Communication

 Personal nonverbal communication

The way of expressing particular passions and feelings through verbal conduct.
There are so numerous times when we can communicate without use of words. We
just simply reply to certain effects or give response to them. For illustration pitch of
voice, expressing excitement, unease etc.

 Cultural nonverbal communication

Communication can be between people of two different culture, background and

ethical groups. The way people bear, their body gestures, way of talking etc. all are
embedded to their artistic background. Cultural verbal communication is slightly
different from particular communication as different people have different culture
and meaning for the same genre. For illustration, stroking on shoulders, loud voice,
eye contact etc. it is a rule concerned get learned unconsciously from others.

 Universal nonverbal communication

The communication that can be understood by all humans irrespective of their

culture, language, background and nationality is known as universal nonverbal
communication. It includes smiling, crying etc. It generally shows common and
mutual feelings like happiness and sadness, anger, embarrassment etc.

 Random nonverbal communication

Unrelated nonverbal communication, such as a sneeze, is unrelated to the verbal

message. It can distract from the verbal message, but has little effect on the meaning
of the verbal part of the message.

-By Pawan Kumar (05511503120)

Reading Non-verbal Messages
We evaluate eight nonverbal message categories to increase your capacity to read another
person: (1) Kinesics, (2) Paralinguistic, (3) Proxemics, (4) Haptics, (5) Olfactics, (6) Artefacts and
Appearance, (7) Color, and (8) Chronemics.

KINESICS: THE MESSAGES OF MOVEMENT

The study of human body motion is known as kinesics. It takes into account factors such as facial
expression, eye movement, gestures, posture, and walking pace. The expression on your face,
whether you stare or divert your eyes, whether your shoulders are straight or drooped, whether
your lips are curled in a grin or communicate contempt with a sneer, and if your walk suggests
enthusiasm or fear, contains valuable communicative information.

 Face reading-The face is the primary channel through which we decipher the
emotions of others. Faces reveal a variety of information, including the following:
 Whether the participants in an engagement find it pleasant or unpleasant.
 Whether an individual is interested in continuing or discontinuing contact.
 The parties' level of participation.
 Whether contact reactions are spontaneous or regulated.
 The degree to which communications are comprehended and shared.
The face is also the primary emotional communicator. Our ability to read the
emotions depicted in facial expressions determines whether we can respond
appropriately to the feelings of others.

 Eyes- We use our eyes to create, maintain, and terminate contact, hence eye activities
are an important element of interpersonal communication. Eye movements perform
three primary functions:
 The eyes convey a person's level of attention and emotional engagement.
 Persuasiveness judgments and perceptions of dominance or submissiveness
are influenced by the eyes.
 The eyes govern interpersonal interaction.
Our pupils are an accurate predictor of mood. When we are interested in what
another person is saying, our blinking rate slows and our pupils dilate. Individuals in
various cultures, such as Arabic, Latin American, and southern European cultures,
see persons who look them. Eye contact also shows the status of a communication
connection. It is far simpler to avoid engaging if we have not established eye contact,
since once we do, engagement becomes a virtual must.
 Putting on a Face - We exhibit representational facial expressions when we use our
facial expressions to communicate genuine inner feelings. When we deliberately
manage our face to send a message intended exclusively for public consumption, we
are, in all practicality, performing.

 Gestures and Posture-We move and stand in different ways, so much so that people
can often recognize us by our particular gait or posture. Our body's motions and
alignment convey. While some of our body's messages promote efficient person-to-
person connection, others, whether delivered intentionally or unconsciously,
obstruct it. Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen define five nonverbal behaviour
categories that can be used to represent physical cues:

 Emblems- Body gestures that can be translated into words. For ex- Thumbs-
up, wave hello.
 Illustrators- Cues from the body that support or strengthen speech. For ex-
Direction pointing
 Regulators- Cues intended to influence turn taking. For ex- Head nods,
breaking eye contact.
 Adaptors- Unintentional motions that are sometimes misinterpreted as
anxious symptoms. For ex- Nose scratches, hair twirling.
 Affect displays- Unintentional bodily motions that represent emotional states
of being. For ex- Slumping body; relaxed, confident body.
PARALINGUISTICS: THE MESSAGES OF THE VOICE
Paralanguage refers to the communications you transmit with your voice. We rely on vocal clues
to identify the true meaning of uttered words. Such indicators are especially crucial when
determining if someone is sarcastic. The tone of your voice may either assist you express what
you want to say or betray ideas you want to keep hidden. It may either strengthen or invalidate
what you say. The tone of your voice communicates to others, showing your emotional state,
attitudes, personality, position, and interaction maintenance (or turn-taking) requirements.
Pitch, loudness, tempo, articulation, pronunciation, hesitations, and silence are all examples of
paralanguage characteristics. Each contributes to the perceptions that people make of you.

 Pitch- It refers to the highness or lowness of the voice and is analogous to pitch on a
musical scale. Higher pitches are associated with feminine voices, whereas lower
pitches are associated with masculine voices.

 Volume- The strength of your voice, as well as its loudness or volume, influences
perceptions of intended meaning. A person who is generally loud may alienate
others; such a person is frequently perceived as domineering or confrontational.

 Rate- The third vocal signal influencing meaning conveyance is speaking rate. The
majority of us speak at a rate of 150 words per minute. Others may regard us as
timid or lacking in confidence or intellect if we talk too slowly. An extremely
methodical speaking speed causes boredom, inattention, and unresponsiveness in
others. Rate also influences how people perceive our intensity and mood.

 Articulation and Pronunciation- The sound characteristics of articulation and

pronunciation influence message comprehension as well as credibility judgments.
While articulation focuses on the generation of speech sounds, pronunciation
focuses on whether you utter the words correctly. When you mispronounce a word,
you may lose credibility, and others listening to you may struggle to understand
what you are saying.

PROXEMICS: SPACE AND DISTANCE TALKS

In general, we utilise physical closeness and distance to indicate whether we want to connect or
do not want to speak. The presence or absence of proximity also reflects how dominant or
submissive we are in a relationship. Our spatial interactions reflect our perceptions of
friendliness or unfriendliness, extroversion or introversion, as well as our privacy and social
contact demands.
HAPTICS
Haptics, or touch, is usually involved in our closest relationships. Touch also helps us form closer
ties and is an important component in the development and maintenance of many of our personal
relationships. We utilize touch for a variety of reasons, including communicating attitude or
emotion, encouraging association, and exerting control or authority.

ARTEFACTUAL COMMUNICATION AND APPEARANCE

Our emotions are influenced by artefactual communication and appearance. We are more likely
to respond favorably to persons who appear to be well dressed than to those whose clothes we
think doubtful or inappropriate.

OLFACTICS: SMELL
The urge to employ and appeal to the sense of smell, or Olfactics, has generated a plethora of
industries producing items such as perfumes and colognes, mouthwashes and deodorants, home
disinfectants, scented candles, and aromatherapy oils over the years. Smell and memory recall,
both pleasant and terrible, go hand in hand. When something horrible happens, our sense of
smell, for example, sharpens, as if on high alert to warn us of impending danger. Of course, we
have pleasant memories associated with the presence of pleasant aromas, such as freshly made
cookies and blossoming flowers.

COLOR
According to studies, prolonged exposure to pure red excites the neurological system, causing
blood pressure, respiration rate, and heart rate to rise. When the person is exposed to dark blue,
however, a calming effect develops, and blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate all decrease.
Color may lead us to move more rapidly or slowly, relax or become irritated. People who wear red
on a daily basis are more energetic, extroverted, and impatient than those who do not.

CHRONEMICS
Chronemics is the study of how we communicate through time. We also structure time in an effort
to ensure we accomplish needed tasks. While some of us live our lives quickly, others choose a
more relaxed pace. Some of us work best in the morning, while others, known as night owls, work
best at night.

-By Bhanu (01711503120)

Culture and Non-verbal Behavior
Our culture modifies our use of verbal cues. For illustration, individualizes who belong to contact
societies, similar as Saudi Arabia, France, and Italy, delight the closeness of contact; when
interacting, they tend to display their warmth, closeness, and vacuity to one another, tend to be
comfortable standing near to each other, seek maximum sensitive experience, and touch each
other constantly. In discrepancy, members of noncontact societies or lower-contact societies,
similar as Scandinavia, Germany, England, Japan, and the United Research reveals a connection
between perceived attractiveness, lovemaking, and income. In Daniels Hamermesh’s book Beauty
Pays Why Seductive People Are Further Successful, the accomplished economist explains why he
believes seductive people make further plutocrat than monstrous people some, further over the
course of their lives.

According to Hamermesh, this is true indeed in professions where beauty shouldn't be an issue,
similar as education and sports. Also, Hamermesh reports that men suffer further monetarily for
being labeled monstrous than do women, with women earning some 3 percent less and men
earning a whopping 22 percent lower than more seductive cohorts for us to interact effectively
with individualizes from different societies, we need to make the trouble to identify and
understand how culture shapes verbal communication. Admitting that one communication style
isn't naturally better than any other can help foster more successful multilateral exchanges.

-By Pawan Kumar (05511503120)

Non-Verbal Communication in Business
In the modern, globalized business world, communication is essential to maintaining a high level
of mutual understanding and ensuring smooth collaboration with co-workers. Many people use
both verbal and nonverbal formats to communicate. Verbal communication is the type of
communication in which people exchange information orally or in writing by using words and
language. Contrarily, nonverbal communication does not rely on words to convey human
behaviour; instead, it uses a variety of additional modes, including gestures, facial expressions,
tone of voice, and sign language. There has been some debate over whether verbal or nonverbal
communication is the most important type of interaction in the workplace. Some people think
that verbal correspondence at work is the most important kind. Despite the fact that vocal
messages are a critical component of communication, our nonverbal behaviour is often just as
significant if not more.

This nonverbal language affects how a person acts and interacts with others, how they react to
him or her, and if he or she develops and maintains trust when working at the same place while
participating in any type of business organization. In many different ways, nonverbal
communication enhances work in the workplace. For instance, using hand signals and your
physical appearance can make verbal communication easier, especially if you're giving orders to a
worker from higher up the leadership chain. Only verbal communication can't improve a person's
leadership image. Nonverbal cues like maintaining eye contact, grinning at them, nodding your
head while you listen, sitting up straight, being neat and well-groomed, dressing neatly and
professionally, and so on can all help to improve your leadership personality. Meetings and
organizations can benefit from nonverbal communication as well. While it demonstrates these
traits, eye contact can also display excessive confidence. It also demonstrates dependability and
accuracy of expectations. Therefore, in order for others to have complete faith and trust in him,
every person should be aware of the importance of nonverbal communication with his business
partners, clients, customers, sellers, and professional associates. He or she should also learn to
coordinate nonverbal communication with verbal expression. Our daily schedule has been greatly
influenced by nonverbal communication. The ability to effectively use nonverbal cues can foster
openness and trust, which in turn can influence the nature of connections at work. Additionally,
nonverbal communication carries empathy and emotions, facilitates accurate interpretation, is
innate, and improves message comprehension.

However, even when talking verbally, each person must be cognizant of their body language
because it helps others understand what they were trying to say in the way they were expecting.
Conflict and other disturbing workplace effects can result from negative nonverbal
communication. Therefore, it is important to maintain pleasant nonverbal communication with
colleagues in order to develop strong business relationships.
Difference in Non-verbal Communication of Men and Women
According to a well-known book by relationship therapist John Gray, "Men Are from Mars, and
Women Are from Venus." The author outlines typical issues that arise from sex-based
communication discrepancies. He explains that it's crucial to recognize the difference in order to
avoid conflicts and tension. The book, however, primarily emphasizes verbal communication and
discusses little about gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact in an effort to highlight the
disparities. We chose to investigate the subject because the book's definition of nonverbal
communication is incomplete. Men and women behave differently because they are
fundamentally different psychologically. They become misunderstood and at odds with one
another as a result. People frequently fail to recognize the non-linguistic message of the opposing
sex because they have a tendency to believe that everyone thinks and acts the same way they do.
The distinctions, though, are something we constantly observe in day-to-day life, and when we
watch talk shows, they stand out much more. In such a setting, people's conduct is frequently
exaggerated, making the distinction obvious. For this reason, we'd want to talk about how men
and women differ in their nonverbal communication using the example of talk shows. There are
seven nonverbal communication characteristics, but we'll focus on three of them—body
movement, touches, and space—to highlight the key variations between genders.

 BODY MOVEMENT

It is often observed that women make eye contact more often because they are more likely
to create an emotional connection or demonstrate an interest in listening. Men appear
more reserved and make less eye contact with their communication partner. In addition,
women are more inclined to grin or raise their eyebrows during conversation in order to
establish a greater emotional connection, convey their sentiments, or appear sincere. Men
typically exhibit less facial expression than women. Men use nodding to signal agreement,
whereas women tend to do it more to indicate their interest and want to listen.

 TOUCHES

Women utilize arm rubs and hugs more frequently to be emotionally connected to and
support a person. Men, on the other hand, typically pat themselves on the back or place
their hand on their shoulders to convey dominance, power, and confidence. According to
"The Moral Molecule" by Paul Zak, touches help people experience a sense of community.
Furthermore, even if two groups utilize touches for distinct purposes, they are crucial and
helpful in building solid relationships for both sexes. It may be construed as unwanted
touching, sexual harassment, and violation of personal space if a male approaches a woman
in the same manner that women usually do. While touching should be used with extreme
caution by men, touching by women is rarely viewed as sexual harassment.

 SPACE

When interacting with males rather than women, people frequently maintain a greater
interpersonal distance. Women have also been observed to face their conversation
partners more squarely, demonstrating that they are listening and prepared to support.
Men and women hold themselves differently. Women typically sit with their feet crossed
and adopt a more constrained posture. Men also tend to take up more space and strike
spacious, free-flowing stances. Understanding nonverbal conduct, which is frequently
unintentional, provides many hints about a person's emotional condition and can be
helpful to create satisfying connections. Even if one is able to recognize the differences,
most people are still pinpointing the causes of certain behaviour. It was intriguing and
helpful to examine the non-linguistic distinctions between males and girls. Now that the
subject is much clearer, we think that by paying closer attention to nonverbal cues, we will
be more successful in preventing conflicts and stress during communication.

-By Ronit Dadra (06211503120)

Results obtained from the survey responses
 Do you recognize communication through facial expressions?
According to the analysis 99% of respondents claim to know communication through facial
expressions.

 What differs most often in facial expression?

 Do you use gestures during communication?

 Which are the gestures that you use most often?

 The use of body language during communication

 What do you use most often in body language?

 Personal space
Ways to acquire competence in Non-verbal Communication
Humans not only communicate verbally, but also nonverbally through their actions, facial
expressions, and so on. As a result, learning to use nonverbal messages to increase personal
credibility, likeability, attractiveness, and sometimes to establish dominance is critical. Non-
verbal cues used correctly can help create a more positive impression and develop relationships.

 PAY ATTENTION TO NONVERBAL MESSAGES

Non-verbal communication is referred to as a "relationship language." It expresses our

feelings for one another. Even though interpreting how people truly feel can be difficult, if
only because they may not want us to know, the key to understanding people is to observe
them and observe the sound of their voices when they interact with you.

For example, do people in your company lean toward you or away from you? Do their facial
expressions indicate that they are pleased to see you, interested in pursuing a relationship,
afraid to approach you, or angry with you? Is their posture relaxed, indicating that they are
at ease, or stiff, indicating that they perceive you or the situation to be threatening? What
do their voices reveal about them? Do they communicate in a friendly manner?

 WHEN UNCERTAIN ABOUT A NONVERBAL CUE’S MEANING, ASK!

Non-verbal communication differs culture by culture. What one non-verbal indication

means in one culture may not mean the same thing in another. It is essential to be aware of
cultural differences in order to avoid misunderstanding. Even if you and the people with
whom you engage are from the same culture, keep in mind that non-verbal cues can have
many interpretations. Because non-verbal cues might be ambiguous, it is a good idea to
confirm your view, possibly by paraphrasing, to see whether your interpretation is right.
By requesting vocal explanation of your observations, you increase the possibility of
mutual understanding.

 REALISE INCONSISTENT MESSAGES HAVE COMMUNICATIVE VALUE

Non-verbal communication can be used to monitor others like, when words and non-verbal
indications such as facial expressions, gestures, postures, or voice cues contradict each
other, trust the non-verbal information more than the words. To determine whether the
other person is stupid, scared, or a liar.

 ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ABILITIES TO ENCODE AND DECODE NONVERBAL MESSAGES VARY

Some of us are better at managing, expressing, and interpreting nonverbal behaviour than
others. There appears to be a positive association between our capacity to perform
nonverbal communications and our ability to receive and analyze others. Extroverts have
an edge when it comes to picking up nonverbal clues since they are comfortable initiating
eye contact, taking part in social interactions, and observing others. Even more
importantly, the more we improve our nonverbal talents, the more likely it is that others
will see us as socially adjusted, able to exercise social influence and have happy
relationships.
 MONITOR YOUR NONVERBAL BEHAVIOUR

Monitoring your own nonverbal conduct is an important part of achieving interpersonal

goals. You will be able to determine if you are employing nonverbal clues to present the
message you want to express if you engage in self-reflection.

-By Omvir Singh (05011503120)

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 https://edubirdie.com/examples/differences-in-nonverbal-communication-between-men-and-
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 https://edubirdie.com/examples/nonverbal-communication-in-business/

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