Posted by This is the concluding part of the blog post that appeared on 8th July. Some more lessons on the importance of a positive body language in a corporate environment.
Now try and replicate this in a corporate environment. Imagine the House of Commons to be a high-level conference table where the pitch, tonal quality, and the body language of the speaker (read employee) begins to matter. For, like in the case of Thatcher, it is recorded that higher the pitch and shriller the voice means less credible is the perception, adding to negative and patronizing nature of the leader! Therefore, even Thatcher had to go through a training rigor to downplay her natural tone and timbre as it is the ability to deliver a great line that determines the success of a political leader.
In a sales scenario, it has been observed that a ‘giant’ warm smile and the ‘great’ posture of a salesperson make a prospective buyer more engaged and raring to invest in the purchase of a luxury item, such as a branded car. It is the ‘near perfect’ experience of customer engagement that leads to a possible sale whereas the ‘rubbing, self-conscious’ unsure gestures including a zero eye-contact by the salesperson of another well-known brand leaves the prospect ‘disconnected’ enough to not consider buying the particular branded car.
Instructional videos on the postures and gestures only show how authentic a sale engagement could prove to be. Therefore, learning the art of body language, where micro expressions can be understood through the use of advanced technologies clearly indicate the growing emphasis that social media learning is deriving. Remember that studying the frame-by-frame expression of a person can have implications that can be tweaked to get a positive business outcome! Don’t forget that 55% of non-verbal communication is through body language while the balance directly relates to voice, wherein the tone, pitch, speed, and rhythm matter.
Let’s now consider a few lessons that compare Obama with those in the business enterprises keen to take up body language training! So, how did Obama do it?
- Used his voice to match his body to get the gravitas
- His words had a rhythm that flow to obtain an incredible resonance for his voice
- He builds his voice up with long pauses before he delivers his speech
It is now possible to analyze voice recording with some scientific precision. Investigative tools that have been used by 70 different law enforcement and Federal agencies prove that the demand for layered voice analysis is growing.
For those in the domain of learning, it will be good to pay heed to this aspect of skill training. An unguarded gesture may have an impact that has far-reaching implications. So, record, rewind and the ability to relook are all it takes to give this technology-embellished training method a thumbs-up when it comes to gauging competency and confidence of learners.
It will be worth-while to note that the Paul Ekman Group, “develops and offers online emotional skills-building programs such as the Micro Expression Training Tool, offers workshops, supports researchers in our field, and builds online community around these topics.” While they do not take individual cases, the group offers a micro expression and subtle expression training tool for sale on its website.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Nallon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ekman
http://www.ekmaninternational.com/paul-ekman-international-plc-home/training-courses.aspx
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jan/04/timeforchangehascome
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/politics/03obama-transcript.html?_r=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqsAhmTn7n4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFLjudWTuGQ