AUDIO
21 TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING
BODY LANGUAGE IN
NEGOTIATIONS!
Here are 21 things you need to know so you can understand body language in negotiations.
1 Eye contact
Maintain strong eye contact for
around 70% of the time. This
will show that you’re confident,
determined and self-assured,
which is important when
negotiating.
4 The steeple
Use the “steeple” (a triangle
shape formed by your hands) to
show strength, confidence and
knowledge.
7 Touching
Touching or scratching a part of
the body (particularly the face)
is often a sign that someone is
under stress or nervous. And a
quick touch to the ear or nose
can be interpreted as a sign that
someone is lying. So, try to keep
your hands under control.
18 / www.learnhotenglish.com/product/skype-class / For Skype / Phone speaking classes, e-mail classes@learnhotenglish.com
2 Ears 3 Palms
Listen closely to what the other Keep your palms face down to
person says. The more you do appear confident and decisive;
this, the more information you’ll upward facing palms show the
obtain, which will help with your opposite – that you’re open
bargaining position. and interested.
5 Nodding 6 Movement
While sitting, you need to appear
relaxed and confident. So, avoid
fidgeting and don’t bounce your
Studies have shown that nodding legs up and down. Be extra careful
when asking someone a question not to do this when you hear
can make that person agree with some good or bad news as your
you. So, as you ask a question, or opponent could realise that it’s a
explain your idea, nod gently. sensitive topic for you.
8 Sitting position 9 Standing
When standing,
keep your
shoulders relaxed
and your feet
For collaborative negotiating (where firmly on the
you’re both trying to reach a win- ground and a
win situation), lean in and make eye little bit apart. If
contact to show interest. If there’s you feel yourself
a table, sit next to each other at getting nervous
one corner rather than opposite. or uncomfortable,
To show displeasure, disinterest or do some “toe
distance simply do the opposite: push-ups” – scrunch your toes
lean back, cross your arms and and release 10 times to make the
avoid too much eye contact. tension disappear.
10 Alignment 11 Walking 12 Waiting 13 Poker face 17

Before the negotiation,

if you’re in the
If you’re both reception area or a During tense
standing while waiting room, make negotiations, use a
20
negotiating, show sure you appear poker face to hide
that you’re interested confident too. Some your emotions. This is
by keeping your body When entering into companies have CCTV a neutral expression
facing the person a room, smile, keep cameras in these that people use when
you’re talking to, with your shoulders back, areas and may use playing poker so other
your shoulders, feet and walk with slow them to watch you; players can’t see what
and knees angled confident steps, or they might ask the they’re thinking. To 21
towards them. Do maintaining direct receptionist to report help you, try doing
the opposite to eye contact with the back on what you a complex maths
show disinterest or person you’re going were doing before problem in your head,
distance. to meet. the meeting. such as 397 times 23.

14 The handshake 15 Handshake wars 16 Dilated pupils 17 Eye movement

Watch out for people
who try to establish
Make sure you give dominance through their
a firm handshake. handshake. They could do
In most English- this by turning your hand
speaking countries down so their hand is on
this is a sign of top, or by squeezing your
According to the
experts, when we’re
interested in something,
our pupils involuntarily
dilate (become
bigger). The opposite
When you ask someone
a question, watch which
way they look when they
respond. According to
body language experts,
we look right and up
when we’re guessing,
lying or inventing
something (accessing
the right-side of the
brain – the creative
GLOSSARY
confident adj
someone who is “confident” feels sure
about their abilities, skills, capabilities…
self-assured adj
someone who is “self-assured” feels sure
about their abilities, skills, capabilities…
to bargain vb
if two people “bargain”, they negotiate and
talk about the price of something, etc.
decisive adj
someone who is “decisive” can make quick
decisions
to nod vb
if you “nod” your head, you move it up and
down as a way of saying yes
to fidget vb

confidence, trust hand really hard. If any happens when we’re side); and we look left if you “fidget”, you move your hands or
body a lot
of these things happen, and up when we’re
and strength. A limp disinterested (our pupils to bounce vb
make a joke about trying to remember if you “bounce” your leg, you move it up
handshake shows it: “Wow! Impressive become smaller). So, facts (accessing the left-
and down a lot
collaborative adj
weakness. When handshake! You must if you notice the other side of the brain – the if two people are being “collaborative”,
they’re working together
giving the customary have spent hours working person’s pupils dilate, logical side). This could a win-win situation exp
three pumps, look the on it!” This will let them it could be a sign that help you decide whether a situation in which both people get
something positive – they both win
other person in the know that you’re aware you’re saying the right someone is telling the displeasure n
if you feel “displeasure” you feel angry
eye without blinking. of what they’re doing. things. truth or not. about something
to scrunch vb
if you “scrunch” something, you put
pressure on it so it’s smaller
18 Voice 19 Silence 20 Mirroring 21 Micro-expressions a toe n
one of the five “fingers” on each foot
Mirroring involves Micro-expressions are to angle vb
if you “angle” something, you move it to a
copying what someone very tiny movements different position or direction
does with their body. on the face of CCTV abbr
closed-circuit television – little cameras that
For example, if your the mouth, eyes, record things in the street, shops, etc.
counterpart folds their eyebrows, lips, nose… firm adj
if your handshake is “firm”, it is strong
arms, leans forward, that are really hard limp adj
When negotiating or places a hand on to notice. However, if someone’s handshake is “limp”, it is
weak
collaboratively, speak Don’t be afraid of their leg, you do the if you can detect a pump n
softly and calmly and silences. At tense same. Experts have them, they could each “pump” in a handshake is each time
you move your hand up or down
explain things carefully. moments, when you’re shown that mirroring give you with some to blink vb
when you “blink”, you close your eyes very
Also, smile a lot so your asked a direct question, someone can make the useful information. quickly
voice sounds warm remain silent for as long other person like you, For example, a to squeeze vb
if you “squeeze” something, you push
and friendly. When as possible. This may or even think that you’re quick opening of the down on it or put pressure on it
responding, or making cause the other person honest and trustworthy. mouth could be sign to dilate vb
if the pupils in your eyes “dilate”, they
a comment, pause for to start negotiating with However, be careful of surprise; a rapid become bigger
a while to show you’re themselves and they when mirroring – if movement at the to guess vb
if you “guess”, you try to answer
thinking about what could end up improving the other person corner of the mouth something, even though you aren’t sure
your counterpart has the offer. Remember knows about this could mean pleasure; a wrinkled adj
when your nose is “wrinkled”, lines appear
said, and keep your the saying, “The person technique, they might wrinkled nose could be on it because you’re tightening the muscles
around it
response nice and calm. who speaks first, loses!” notice you doing it. a sign of displeasure…

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