1

Business
Communication
 Objectives of Nonverbal
Communication
•• Define
Define the
the Term
Term ‘nonverbal
‘nonverbal Communication.
Communication.
•• List
List and
and definedefine thethe fourfour types
types ofof nonverbal
nonverbal
communication.
communication.
•• Identify
Identify its
its importance
importance to to the
the total
total message.
message.
•• Distinguish
Distinguish four four ways
ways of of grouping
grouping nonverbal
nonverbal
communication.
communication.
•• Identify
Identify seven
seven aspects
aspects of
of nonverbal
nonverbal behavior.
behavior.
•• Highlight
Highlight the the role
role of of nonverbal
nonverbal behavior
behavior in
in the
the
communication
communication process.
process.
•• Confirm
Confirm with
with the
the sender
sender of
of aa message
message the
the meaning
meaning of
of their
their
nonverbal
nonverbal behavior
behavior communication.
communication.
•• Interpret
Interpret and
and useuse your
your ownown nonverbal
nonverbal communication
communication
appropriately.
appropriately.
 2
Interpreting the nonverbal part of
the message.
Nonverbal
Nonverbal communication
communication consists
consists ofof that
that part
part of
of aa
message
message that
that is
is not
not encoded
encoded in in words.
words. The
The nonverbal
nonverbal
part
part of
of the
the message
message tends
tends to
to be
be less
less conscious
conscious and
and
often
often reveals
reveals the
the sender’s
sender’s feelings
feelings and
and preferences
preferences
more
more spontaneously
spontaneously and and honestly
honestly than
than the
the verbal
verbal part.
part.
If
If the
the verbal
verbal message
message does
does not
not match
match the
the nonverbal
nonverbal
communication,
communication, people
people tend
tend to
to believe
believe the
the nonverbal
nonverbal
message.
message.
 2
Four types of nonverbal messages

1.
1. Personal
Personal (to
(to the
the individual)
individual)
2.
2. common
common to to aa group
group of
of people
people or
or culture
culture
3.
3. universal
universal (to
(to humankind)
humankind)
4.
4. unrelated
unrelated to
to the
the message
message (random)
(random)
 2
Four types of nonverbal messages

Nonverbal
Nonverbal communication
communication involves
involves kinds
kinds of
of nonverbal
nonverbal
behavior
behavior that
that are
are unique
unique to
to aa person.
person. The
The meaning
meaning is
is also
also
unique
unique to
to the
the person
person sending
sending the
the message.
message.

Cultural
Cultural nonverbal
nonverbal communication,
communication, byby contrast,
contrast, is
is
characteristics
characteristics of,
of, or
or common
common to,
to, aa group
group of
of people.
people.
 2
Four types of nonverbal messages

Universal
Universal nonverbal
nonverbal communication
communication is
is behavior
behavior that
that
is
is common
common toto humankind.
humankind.

Unrelated
Unrelated nonverbal
nonverbal communication,
communication, such
such as
as aa
sneeze,
sneeze, is
is unrelated
unrelated to
to the
the verbal
verbal message.
message.
 Analyzing Nonverbal 7
Communication
•• People
People communicate
communicate nonverbally
nonverbally withwith bodybody
movement
movement andand with
with personal
personal relationship
relationship behaviors.
behaviors.
This
This nonverbal
nonverbal communication
communication changeschanges or or
complements
complements thethe verbal
verbal communication.
communication. Nonverbal
Nonverbal
communication
communication always
always occurs
occurs in in aa context
context oror
framework.
framework. The
The context
context often
often determines
determines the
the meaning
meaning
of
of the
the nonverbal
nonverbal behavior.
behavior. OnOn different
different occasions,
occasions, the
the
same
same nonverbal
nonverbal gesture
gesture may
may have
have completely
completely different
different
meanings.
meanings. Without
Without context
context and
and spoken
spoken works,
works,
nonverbal
nonverbal behavior
behavior is
is almost
almost impossible
impossible toto interpret
interpret
with
with any
any accuracy.
accuracy.
 Analyzing Nonverbal 8
Communication
Theoretical
Theoretical writings
writings and
and research
research classify
classify nonverbal
nonverbal
communication
communication into
into seven
seven main
main areas:
areas:
1.
1. Body
Body movement
movement
2.
2. Physical
Physical characteristics
characteristics
3.
3. Touching
Touching behavior
behavior
4.
4. Vocal
Vocal qualities
qualities (paralanguage)
(paralanguage)
5.
5. Space
Space (proximity)
(proximity)
6.
6. Artifacts
Artifacts
7.
7. Environment
Environment
 9
Body Movement
•• Body
Body movement
movement includes
includes movement
movement of of the
the hands,
hands,
head,
head, feet
feet and
and legs,
legs, posture,
posture, eye
eye movements
movements and
and facial
facial
expressions
expressions –– all
all these
these affect
affect the
the message.
message.
 1
Physical Characteristics 0
•• Physical
Physical characteristics
characteristics such
such as
as body,
body, shape,
shape, general
general
attractiveness,
attractiveness, body
body andand breathe
breathe odors,
odors, weight,
weight, hair
hair
and
and skin
skin colour
colour areare important
important parts
parts of
of nonverbal
nonverbal
communication.
communication.
•• Because
Because people
people react
react and
and respond
respond to
to these
these factors,
factors, they
they
all
all determine
determine theirtheir responses
responses in in interpersonal
interpersonal
encounters.
encounters. First
First impressions
impressions and
and images
images ofof others
others can
can
be
be associated
associated unconsciously
unconsciously with
with past
past experiences
experiences of of
people
people with
with similar
similar physical
physical characteristics.
characteristics.
 11
Paralanguage (Vocal Qualities)
•• Paralanguage
Paralanguage is is that
that part
part of
of language
language associated
associated with,
with,
but
but not
not involving
involving thethe word
word system.
system. It
It consists
consists of
of the
the
voice
voice qualities
qualities and
and vocalizations
vocalizations that
that affect
affect how
how
something
something isis said
said rather
rather than
than what
what is
is said.
said.
•• Voice
Voice qualities
qualities include:
include:
•• Pitch
Pitch range
range
•• Pitch
Pitch control
control
•• Rhythm
Rhythm control
control
•• Tempo
Tempo
•• Articulation
Articulation control
control
•• Resonance.
Resonance.
 Paralanguage (Vocal Qualities) 12

•• Vocalizations
Vocalizations also also give
give clue
clue to to the
the total
total message.
message.
Three
Three ofof these
these are
are shown
shown inin table.
table. The
The tones
tones of
of voice,
voice,
rate
rate of
of speaking
speaking andand voice
voice inflection
inflection areare an
an important
important
part
part of
of the
the total
total message.
message. AA tired
tired person,
person, for
for example,
example,
will
will speak
speak more
more slowly
slowly than
than usual,
usual, aa disappointed
disappointed
person
person may
may speak
speak with
with aa flat
flat tone,
tone, while
while the
the tone
tone of
of
voice
voice ofof someone
someone excited
excited about
about aa coming
coming holiday
holiday
reflects
reflects this
this excitement.
excitement.
Type Examples
Vocal laughing, crying, sighing, yawning, clearing the throat,
characterizers groaning, yelling, whispering

Vocal Qualifiers intensity (loud/soft); pitch height (high/low).

Vocal Segregates sounds such as ‘uh-huh’, ‘um’, ‘uh’; silent pauses.