DEMONSTRATIVE COMMUNICATION PAPER

Demonstrative Communication Paper

Student Name
BCOM/!" # Business Communications and Critica$ T%in&in'
Mont% DD( ))))
Instructor Name
**** Insert Pa'e Brea& %ere *** T%is is an +A, paper a-arded .u$$ points /// APA .ormat 001
-ords
2
Demonstrative Communication Paper
Demonstrative communication occurs continuous$3 even -%en ver4a$ communication
4et-een persons is not %appenin'5 Demonstrative communication inc$udes nonver4a$ and
un-ritten messa'es suc% as 4od3 $an'ua'e( .acia$ e6pressions( and 'estures .or e6amp$es t%at are
sometimes intentiona$ 4ut ver3 o.ten natura$( unintended or unconscious response to a messa'e or
situation5 One mi'%t assume t%ese or'anic( unconditioned responses -ou$d 4e trust-ort%3
4ecause t%e3 are natura$ responses t%at are unre%earsed5
Demonstrative communication is natura$ to person*to*person interaction no matter t%e
demo'rap%ic o. t%e communicator or audience5 But it a$so occurs in ever3*da3 $ives5 Consider a
person -%o is 'ardenin'( -%en sudden$3 t%e sprin&$ers s%o-er t%em7 8e or s%e t%ro-s up t%e
DEMONSTRATIVE COMMUNICATION PAPER
%ands( per%aps tosses t%e 'ardenin' too$s -%i$e t%eir .ace is -ide*e3ed( mout% open and t%e3 .$ee5
Some individua$s mi'%t $au'% and s%o- 'estures o. .un -%i$e ot%ers mi'%t stomp t%eir .eet( toss
t%e 'ardenin' too$s and 4ear a sco-$ on t%eir .ace5 T-o ver3 %uman responses to an identica$
situation( 4ut e..ective communication to t%e o4server( -it%out spo&en -ords( %o- eac% o. t%ese
individua$s .e$t a4out t%e sprin&$er s%o-er 4ased on demonstrative actions5
Because most o. demonstrative communication is natura$ and un*anticipated( reactions can
4e accurate indicators o. %o- t%e messa'e is received5 Messa'es received -e$$ can 4e .o$$o-ed
43 audience smi$es( .avora4$e nods o. %eads( app$ause and in 4est cases a standin' ovation5
Un.avora4$e messa'es cou$d 4e met -it% re9ection( t%e demonstrative communication .or re9ection
mi'%t 4e an'r3 .aces( s$ammin' a .ist on t%e des&( t%e receiver -a$&in' out o. t%e room and more
su4t$e c$ues $i&e t%e ro$$in' o. t%e e3es or s%a&in' o. t%e %ead5
A communicator can use t%e c$ues o. demonstrative communication to 4e more e..ective
43 interpretin' -%at s%e sees or .ee$s5 Because demonstrative communication is usua$$3 4ased on
unintentiona$ disp$a3 o. %uman reaction( a spea&er can ad9ust t%e trac& o. t%eir spo&en or -ritten
messa'e5 :or e6amp$e( an instructor teac%in' a c$ass -%o detect con.used .aces can opt to
c%an'e %is in.ormation de$iver3 strate'35 Con.used students mi'%t 4e %esitant to raise t%eir %ands
or to attempt to ans-er ;uestions ver4a$$35 I. t%e3 are uncom.orta4$e t%e3 mi'%t 4e s%i.tin' in
t%eir seats and %ave .acia$ e6pressions o. .rustration and con.usion5 A smart instructor -atc%es
.or demonstrative si'na$s5 <%en %e 4e'ins de$iverin' a messa'e t%at is understood( t%e receivers
-i$$ t%en s%o- receptiveness to t%e trainin' topic 43 4ein' more re$a6ed in t%eir c%airs -it%
.avora4$e .acia$ e6pressions and 'reater ver4a$ participation5
=estures are an important part o. communication t%at can var3 cu$tura$$35 =estures can 4e
vu$'ar( disrespect.u$ or t%reatenin' on one countr3 -%i$e %ave a comp$ete$3 di..erent meanin' in
anot%er countr35 Companies -%o do internationa$ 4usiness need to understand cu$tura$ standards
DEMONSTRATIVE COMMUNICATION PAPER
.or communication inc$udin' understandin' t%e messa'e and impact o. 'estures5 :or e6amp$e( in
t%e United States( .ormin' one>s %and into an +O, stands .or +o&a3,5 In Sout% America( t%e same
'esture is received as vu$'ar and unaccepta4$e5
T%e .irst c$ue to a person>s persona$it3( .or e6amp$e -%et%er t%e3 are %app3 or sad(
a''ressive or .riend$3( con.ident or s%3 is a$-a3s evident .irst in demonstrative communication5
Demonstrative communication is e6treme$3 important in .irst impressions5 Consider a -oman
intervie-in' .or a ne- 9o45 I. s%e 'reets t%e prospective emp$o3er -it% direct e3e contact( a .irm
%ands%a&e( a smi$e and con.idence( s%e -i$$ intervie- -e$$5 I. %er e3es nervous$3 dart a4out(
avoid 'a?e -it% t%e intervie-er and conducts %erse$. -it% nervous 4od3 ener'3( t%e odds are 'ood
s%e -i$$ not 4ecause to communicate %er con.ident a4i$ities as -e$$ and per%aps $ose to ot%er
candidates5
Non*ver4a$ demonstrative communication is important to t%e de$iver3 o. ver4a$ messa'es5
Ta$&in' a4out t%e openin' o. a ne- amusement par& mi'%t 4e met -it% a 'reater( .avora4$e
response i. t%e de$iverer o. t%e ne-s is $ive$3 -it% a 4i' smi$e and e6cited 'estures5 One de$iverin'
sad or devastatin' ne-s can s%o- empat%3 or s3mpat%3 -it% .acia$ e6pression t%at indicates t%e3
care( .o$$o-in' 43 %ands%a&es or appropriate %u's or ot%er com.ortin' 'estures5
Demonstrative communication is o.ten unre%earsed( or'anic reactions to a person or
situation 4ut it is possi4$e .or a person to use demonstrative e6pressions( 'estures and actions to
incite a response5 :or e6amp$e( in a pu4$ic demonstration a'ainst some &ind o. 'overnment
activit3( cro-d communicators cou$d c$enc% .ists and an'ri$3 demand action5 T%is &ind o.
demonstrative communication can easi$3 4e c%oreo'rap%ed and re%earsed(
Demonstrative communication is an important indicator o. %o- a messa'e or situation is
4ein' received and 'estures( motions and 4odi$3 responses can send crucia$ .eed4ac& to a
communicator5 Because 'estures( .acia$ e6pressions and 4od3 $an'ua'e is most o.ten emotiona$$3
DEMONSTRATIVE COMMUNICATION PAPER
unintentiona$( 4ut rat%er a %uman response to t%e idea( .act or situation( a communicator must 4e
a4$e to identi.3 c$ues and uti$i?e emotiona$ inte$$i'ence to interpret t%e non*ver4a$ messa'es
e..ective$35 Individua$s on t%e ot%er %and can $earn to mas& t%eir emotions and responses 43
contro$$in' t%eir p%3sica$ responses to ot%ers and events5 Consider pro.essiona$ po&er p$a3ers
-%o use +po&er .ace,( essentia$$3 to s%o- a4so$ute$3 no emotion so t%at t%eir competitors cannot
te$$ 43 t%eir e6pressions i. t%e3 are %o$din' a -innin' or $osin' %and5
It doesn>t ta&e an e6pert to measure demonstrative communication in ever3da3 $i.e5 <e
$earn to do t%is as sma$$ c%i$dren -%en -e see our parents mad or %app3 -it% us and %o- our
si4$in's react -%en -e ta&e one o. t%eir to3s5
A savv3 communicator $earns to %one t%eir s&i$$s in reco'ni?in' and ana$3?in' non*ver4a$
c$ues5 In .act a savv3 person mi'%t do t%is to navi'ate $i.e in a -or$d o. individua$s and emotiona$
responses t%at occur or'anica$$3 a$$ da3 $on'( ever3 da3 in a$$ environments -%ere %umans
.unction( e6perience and interact5
Re.erences
C%eese4ro( T5( O>Connor( @5( A Rios( :5 B1C1D5 Communicating in the workplace5 Upper Sadd$e
River( NEF Prentice 8a$$5
Moore( B5 N5( A Par&er( R5 B110D5 Critical thinking B0t% ed5D5 Boston( MAF Mc=ra-*8i$$5