Presented by:

Sushil Nirbhavane
Assistant Professor
 CONTENTS

1. Body Language, Gestures, Postures, Facial Expressions, Dress codes.

2. The Cross Cultural Dimensions of Business Communication

3. Listening & Speaking, techniques of electing response, probing

questions, Observation

4. Business and social etiquettes

 Introduction
Communication through words is called verbal communication.
Communication through other symbols is called nonverbal
Communication.

Nonverbal methods of communication include all things, other than

words and language, that can convey meaning. For example –graphics like
pictures, maps, charts, graphs and diagrams in a written document, and
body language and voice qualities in speech, are nonverbal
communication.

Nonverbal communication can be independent of verbal communication;

but verbal communication is always accompanied by non-verbal
communication.
 Introduction

Nonverbal communication can be used as a substitute for words.

Nonverbal communication is mostly involuntary and unconscious and

difficult to control.

There can be unintended and unconscious nonverbal communication.

“Nonverbal communication speaks louder than words.”

 Introduction
Benefits of Nonverbal Communication:

1. Nonverbal methods have almost instant effect because of quicker

grasp
by the receiver.

2. Visual nonverbal methods aid verbal communication.

3. Response to visuals and plain sounds is more powerful than to

language.

4. It is the best way to convey information to illiterate people.

 Introduction
Nonverbal Aspects of Written Communication:

1. Document appearance – font size and style, margins, spacing, quality

of
paper etc.
2. Color
3. Pictures
4. Diagrams
5. Graphs and charts – line graphs, pie charts, bar charts etc.
6. Maps
7. Signs and signals
8. Auditory symbols
 Body Language

Body language means the changes that occur in the body position and
movements that show what the person is thinking or feeling.

Much of it is involuntary and unconscious.

Most persons are not aware of their body language; but it makes a
powerful impact on others.

Body language can make or spoil a presentation.

 Body Language
Body language always conveys meaning. It is:

1. Omnipresent

2. Emotionally expressive

3. Dominates interaction

4. Seems trustable

Nonverbal communication can accent, complement, repeat and

Substitute for verbal communication. It can also contradict verbal
Communication.
 Body Language
Body language is complex and is influenced by many factors:
1. Biological
2. Habitual
3. Cultural

Body language can be divided into conscious and unconscious.

Conscious- deliberately used
Unconscious- biological origin, acquired habits cultural customs.

No one can gain full control on one’s body language, but it is possible to
enlarge one’s awareness of one’s body and gain a good deal of control on
one’s gestures, postures and voice modulation.
 Body Language
Aspects of body language:
1. Appearance
2. Clothing and accessories
3. Posture
4. Facial expressions
5. Smile
6. Eye contact
7. Gestures
8. Energy
9. Space
10. Time
 Body Language
Paralanguage – Nonverbal aspects of spoken words

- Tone
- Volume
- Pitch
- Speed
- Pronunciations
- Accents
- Stress
- Non-fluencies
- Silence
 Body Language

Body language is a non-verbal, sub-consciously interpreted and

generated set of body movements, postures, gestures, etc.

Since body language is not as neatly defined as a normal language is, it

can be understood and interpreted in many different ways.

This ambiguity and depth in understanding body language of humans

and the insight it gives into the human psyche is what makes it an
interesting subject to study.
 Body Language

These differences may arise due to many reasons:

• Time
• Economic status
• Social status
• Gender
• Cultural differences

In this modern world, where the horizons are always expanding, and the lines
between cultures are becoming thinner, it is very important to have an idea of
how body language varies across cultures around the world.
 Body Language

Greetings: How people of different cultures greet each other

Gestures: Different gestures mean different things in different cultures.

Knowing these differences is important.

Postures: Interpretations of postures vary across cultures

 Greetings
The way two people greet each other varies widely
and depends on the following factors apart from
the culture those individuals belong to.
• Level of acquaintance
• Location
• Gender
• Age

It is very important to know and understand the

greetings of a place when you are guest there.
 Greetings (…contd)

 The hug: This is a very common form of greeting in the US, where the

French consider it as a very intimate gesture.

 The kiss-on-two-cheeks: This is very common way of greeting the

France. However, people in the US might not be comfortable with it.

 Peck on the cheek: It is common in Britain between two females or a

male and a female.

 Greetings (…contd)
 Rubbing noses In New Zealand, among
Maori people, this is called ‘Hongi’
meaning ‘sharing breath’.

 Bowing In Japan this can range from a

slight nod in the head to a full 90 degree
bend.

 A hand shake A common way of

greeting in the US and Mexico, especially
among men or between a man and a
woman.
 Innocent yet Rude Gestures

In the US, a thumbs up means “OK” or “good”.

However, it is considered an abuse in Australia,
Brazil, South Italy, Germany, Greece, and some
Islamic nations.
 Slurping your soup is considered good manners in Japan and implies that you

actually like the food, but in most other cultures it is bad manners.

 In some societies like Germany punctuality is given utmost importance. Being 10

minutes late even to an informal gathering is considered very rude.

 It is a belief among some African people that photographing them steals their

souls from them.

 Pointing your feet towards a Buddha statue

is a serious offence in Buddhist countries.

 Pointing your finger in a direction might

mean showing that direction in many

cultures, but in Middle East and Russia, is a
no-no. It is preferable to show a direction
with an open palm.

 The victory sign may seem harmless; but in

Britain, if you show it with the palm facing

you, it is a very offensive gesture.
 Having your fingers crossed is generally

a sign of good luck in many a places, but

not in Paraguay. It is considered
offensive there.

 Snapping your fingers to get someone’s

attention sends a vulgar message in

France and Belgium.
 Hands in pockets might be common in some

places, but is considered impolite in many

regions around the world.

 Hook ‘em Horns are supposed to be a cheering

symbol in Texas, wishing good luck in Brazil and

a curse in Africa!
 Gestures with Multiple Meanings

The OK sign is one such sign which has many

multiple meanings.
• In America, it may mean approval.

• In Brazil, Italy, Germany, and Greece, it is a

very offensive insult.

• In southern France, it might also mean ‘zero’

or ‘worthless’ depending on the facial
expression.
 Shaking head sideways

• In the US, it means ‘no’.

• In Bulgaria, it means ‘yes’.

 Nodding the head up and down

• In the US, it means ‘yes’.

• In Bulgaria, it means ‘no’.
 Postures

Postures are a very important form of

body language, and are generally
involuntary unlike gestures.

Like gestures, even postures carry

various meanings across cultures.
 Crossing legs when sitting: In a survey it was found
that American men found their European
counterparts to be slightly feminine. This is
attributed to the way they sit.
 American men cross their legs in an ankle-on-knee
fashion whereas the European men cross their legs
in both the ankle-on-knee fashion and knee-on-knee
fashion.
 In America, the knee-on-knee fashion is exclusive to
women, and seldom do men sit in this way, which
causes American men to see a feminine side in the
way European men sit.
 Listening

“The greatest gift you can give to others

is the purity of your attention.”
 Listening

Listening is receiver’s activity in oral communication.

As the speaker has the responsibility to make effort to be understood, so

the listener has the responsibility to be attentive and to make effort to
understand the meaning of the speaker.

Of all skills of communication, listening is the most important of all.

The higher your position in an organization, the greater is your listening

responsibility.
 Listening
A manager has to spend more time listening to others than speaking.

An executive’s communication time is spent roughly in the following

proportion:

Writing: 9%

Reading: 16%

Speaking: 30%

Listening: 45%
 Listening
The Four Steps of Listening

1. Hearing – simply attending the speaker

2. Interpretation: depends on listener’s vocabulary, knowledge,

experience, attitudes, culture and background

3. Evaluation: listener decides what to do with the received information

4. Response: through words or body language

 Listening
The Activity of Listening:

1. Listening is not a passive activity.

2. It takes good deal of effort and self-discipline to listen attentively.
3. Listening involves not only understanding content of the message, but
also understanding the feeling of the speaker. Understanding the feeling
is called empathetic or active listening.
4. Listening is an intellectual and emotional activity
- Appreciative listening – poetry and music
- Attentive listening – presentations, lectures, instructions
- Evaluative/critical listening – political speeches, sales talks etc.
 Listening
Importance of Listening:

Benefits of listening include being able to:

1. Find out more information

2. Learn about people and how their minds work
3. Improve relations with people
4. Raise morale of employees/subordinates
5. Obtain suggestions and new ideas
6. Discover why employees perform as they do (well or poorly)
7. Help with solving problems
 Listening
Blocks to Effective Listening:

1. Distraction in Your Mind

2. Wandering Attention
3. Planning a Reply
4. Lack of Interest
5. Tendency to Criticize
6. Being Self-centered
7. Avoiding What is Difficult
8. Excessive Note-taking
9. Emotional Blocks
 Listening
Blocks to Effective Listening:

10. Emotional Excitement

11. Impatience
12. Poor Health
13. Personal Anxieties
14. External Noise and Disturbance
 Listening
Profile of an Effective Listener:

Research has shown that good listeners-

- consider listening to be an opportunity to learn something new

- are aware of their personal prejudices and can avoid judging the
speaker
- are not influenced by words filled with emotions
- listen to the ideas behind the speaker’s words
- use the time lag to evaluate what they hear
- consciously notice the speaker’s nonverbal behavior
 Listening
Profile of an Effective Listener:

The following behavior indicates that you are a good listener:

- making and maintaining good and comfortable eye contact
- reflecting appropriate feelings in facial expressions
- sitting/standing in an attentive position
- tuning in to the speaker’s line of thought
- using empathic questioning technique
- asking open-ended questions, seeking information and clarification
 Listening
Guidelines for Effective Listening:

1. Stop talking. Be attentive. Make the speaker feel important.

2. Put the speaker at ease.
3. Be patient.
4. Show that you are listening.
5. If the speaker has many things to say, write down main points.
6. Do not create or allow distractions – do not interrupt, do not advice, do
not take conversation in different direction, do not criticize.
7. Listen “between the lines.” Take clues from body language
8. Ask questions only to get clear understanding
9. Keep an open mind; do not jump to conclusions.
 Speaking
Art of Public Speaking:
1. Dress maketh a man
2. Radiate confidence
3. How to begin your presentation
4. Body movements with gestures, posture, eye contact
5. Your voice with clarity
6. Eschew bombastic language
7. Get closely attached to your topic
8. Give auto-suggestions for your success
9. Never memorize your speech
10. Know your audience
11. Stick to your topic
 Speaking
Art of Public Speaking:
12. Give examples and illustrations
13. Use humor
14. Exhibit your histrionic talent
15. Give praise to your audience
16. Establish good rapport with audience
17. Do not blow your own trumpet
18. Speech should be organized
19. Avoid technical jargon
20. Use visual aids
21. Do not overshoot time limit
22. Closing should be crisp and apt
 Speaking
Types of Presentations:

1. Reading from the prepared text

2. Recalling from memory

3. Extemporaneous – fluent delivery aided by short notes

4. An impromptu speech
 Speaking
Probing Questions:

1. The speaker should invite questions from audience during the speech.

2. Audiences get involved

3. Encouragement to speaker

4. Helps the speaker develop a good rapport with the audience

 Cross-Cultural Dimensions of Business
Communication
1. English, which English?

2. Postures

3. Hand gestures

4. Facial expressions

5. Gaze

6. Proxemics – public, social, personal, intimate distance

7. Touch