Assignment

On
Business Communication

Topic:- Non-Verbal Communication

Submitted To:- Submitted By:-

Sumit Sharma
Roll No. 9638
MBA COE 1st Sem

Department of Management Studies

JCDM College of Engineering
Contents:-

• Introduction
• Types of Non-Verbal Communication
• Advantages of Non-Verbal Communication
• Disadvantages of Non-Verbal Communication
• Definition
• Non-Verbal Communication Characteristics of an
Effective Communicator
• Conclusion
Introduction:-
Nonverbal communication is behavior, other than spoken or written communication, that
creates or represents meaning. In other words, it includes facial expressions, body
movements, and gestures. Nonverbal communication is talking without speaking a word.
It is very effective, maybe even more so than speech. Remember the saying, “Actions
speak louder than words.”

Definition:-
Non-verbal communication consists of all the messages other than words that are used in
communication. In oral communication, these symbolic messages are transferred by
means of intonation, tone of voice, vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures,
facial expressions or pauses (see chapter 3. examples).

When individuals speak, they normally do not confine themselves to the mere emission
of words. A great deal of meaning is conveyed by non-verbal means which always
accompany oral discourse – intended or not. In other words, a spoken message is always
sent on two levels simultaneously, verbal and non-verbal.

Non-verbal behaviour predates verbal communication because individuals, since birth,

rely first on non-verbal means to express themselves. This innate character of non-verbal
behaviour is important in communication. Even before a sentence is uttered, the hearer
observes the body gestures and facial expressions of the speaker, trying to make sense of
these symbolic messages. They seem to be trustable because they are mostly unconscious
and part of every-day behaviour. People assume that non-verbal actions do not lie and
therefore they tend to believe the non-verbal message when a verbal message contradicts
it. This was proven in tests in which subjects were asked to react to sentences that
appeared friendly and inviting when reading them but were spoken angrily. In short,
people try to make sense of the non-verbal behaviour of others by attaching meaning to
what they observe them doing. Consequently, these symbolic messages help the hearer to
interpret the speaker’s intention and this indicates the importance of non-verbal
communication in the field of interpretation. In daily conversations it often happens that
we do not understand what the other person wants to say. Thus we ask questions such as
“What do you mean by this” so that the speaker clarifies his message. The interpreter is
deprived of this possibility and therefore has to fall back on other means allowing him to
understand the speaker. This is the moment when non-verbal communication comes in,
giving him subtle hints on how the message is to be understood.
Types of Non-Verbal Communication:-

1. Facial Expression

Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication.

Consider how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. While
nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the
facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the
world.

2. Gestures

Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning

without words. Common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate
number amounts. Other gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.

3. Paralanguage

Paralanguage refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual language. This
includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch. Consider the
powerful effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a
strong tone of voice, listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words
said in a hesitant tone of voice might convey disapproval and a lack of interest.

4. Body Language and Posture

Posture and movement can also convey a great deal on information. Research on body
language has grown significantly since the 1970’s, but popular media have focused on the
over-interpretation of defensive postures, arm-crossing, and leg-crossing, especially after
the publication of Julius Fast’s book Body Language. While these nonverbal behaviors
can indicate feelings and attitudes, research suggests that body language is far more
subtle and less definitive that previously believed.
5. Proxemics

People often refer to their need for “personal space,” which is also an important type of
nonverbal communication. The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we
perceive as belonging to us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms,
situational factors, personality characteristics, and level of familiarity. For example, the
amount of personal space needed when having a casual conversation with another person
usually varies between 18 inches to four feet. On the other hand, the personal distance
needed when speaking to a crowd of people is around 10 to 12 feet.

6. Eye Gaze

Looking, staring, and blinking can also be important nonverbal behaviors. When people
encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate.
Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest,
and attraction.

7. Haptics

Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a
substantial amount of research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood.
Harry Harlow’s classic monkey study demonstrated how the deprivation of touch and
contact impedes development. Baby monkeys raised by wire mothers experienced
permanent deficits in behavior and social interaction.

8. Appearance

Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also
considered a means of nonverbal communication. Research on color psychology has
demonstrated that different colors can invoke different moods. Appearance can also alter
physiological reactions, judgment, and interpretations.
Advantages of Non-Verbal Communication:-
1 You can communicate with someone who is hard of hearing of deaf.

2 You can communicate at place where you are supposed to maintain silence.

3 You can communicate something which you don't want others to hear or listen to.

4 You can communicate if you are far away from a person. The person can see but not
hear you.

5 Non-verbal communication makes conversation short and brief.

6 You can save on time and use it as a tool to communicate with poeple who don't
understand your language.

Disadvantages of Non-Verbal Communication:-

1 You can not have long conversation.

2 Can not discuss the particulars of your message

3 Difficult to understand and requires a lot of repetitions.

4 Can not be used as a public tool for communication.

6 Less influential and can not be used everywhere.

7 Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-verbal communication.

8 Can not create an impression upon people/listeners.

Non-Verbal Communication Characteristics of an Effective

Communicator:-
Good communication skills can help you in both your personal and professional life.
While verbal and written communication skills are important, research has shown that
nonverbal behaviors make up a large percentage of our daily interpersonal
communication. How can you improve your nonverbal communication skills? The
following top ten tips for nonverbal communication can help you learn to read the
nonverbal signals of other people and enhance your own ability to communicate
effectively.

1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Signals

People can communicate information in numerous ways; so pay attention to things like
eye contact, gestures, posture, body movements, and tone of voice. All of these signals
can convey important information that isn't put into words. By paying closer attention to
other people's nonverbal behaviors, you will improve your own ability to communicate
nonverbally.

2. Look for Incongruent Behaviors

If someone's words do not match their nonverbal behaviors, you should pay careful
attention. For example, someone might tell you they are happy while frowning and
staring at the ground. Research has shown that when words fail to match up with
nonverbal signals, people tend to ignore what has been said and focus instead on
nonverbal expressions of moods, thoughts, and emotions.

3. Concentrate on Your Tone of Voice When Speaking

Your tone of voice can convey a wealth of information, ranging from enthusiasm to
disinterest to anger. Start noticing how your tone of voice affects how others respond to
you and try using tone of voice to emphasize ideas that you want to communicate. For
example, if you want to show genuine interest in something, express your enthusiasm by
using an animated tone of voice.
4. Use Good Eye Contact
When people fail to look others in the eye, it can seem as if they are evading or trying to
hide something. On the other hand, too much eye contact can seem confrontational or
intimidating. While eye contact is an important part of communication, it's important to
remember that good eye contact does not mean staring fixedly into someone's eyes. How
can you tell how much eye contact is correct? Some communication experts recommend
intervals of eye contact lasting four to five seconds.

5. Ask Questions About Nonverbal Signals

If you are confused about another person's nonverbal signals, don't be afraid to ask
questions. A good idea is to repeat back your interpretation of what has been said and ask
for clarification. An example of this might be, "So what you are saying is that..."

6. Use Signals to Make Communication More Effective and

Meaningful
Remember that verbal and nonverbal communication work together to convey a message.
You can improve your spoken communication by using nonverbal signals and gestures
that reinforce and support what you are saying. This can be especially useful when
making presentations or when speaking to a large group of people.

7. Look at Signals as a Group

A single gesture can mean any number of things, or maybe even nothing at all. The key
to accurately reading nonverbal behavior is to look for groups of signals that reinforce a
common point. If you place too much emphasis on just one signal out of many, you might
come to an inaccurate conclusion about what a person is trying to communicate.
8. Consider Context
When you are communicating with others, always consider the situation and the context
in which the communication occurs. Some situations require more formal behaviors that
might be interpreted very differently in any other setting. Consider whether or not
nonverbal behaviors are appropriate for the context. If you are trying to improve your
own nonverbal communication, concentrate on ways to make your signals match the
level of formality necessitated by the situation.

9. Be Aware That Signals Can be Misread

According to some, a firm handshake indicates a strong personality while a weak
handshake is taken as a lack of fortitude. This example illustrates an important point
about the possibility of misreading nonverbal signals. A limp handshake might actually
indicate something else entirely, such as arthritis. Always remember to look for groups of
behavior. A person's overall demeanor is far more telling than a single gesture viewed in
isolation.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice

Some people just seem to have a knack for using nonverbal communication effectively
and correctly interpreting signals from others. These people are often described as being
able to "read people." In reality, you can build this skill by paying careful attention to
nonverbal behavior and practicing different types of nonverbal communication with
others. By noticing nonverbal behavior and practicing your own skills, you can
dramatically improve your communication abilities.

CONCLUSION
Words are accented and punctuated by body movements and gestures, while the face
shows a myriad of expressions. Men are like Geneva watches with crystal faces which
express the whole movement.
It is important to be aware of the dominance of the nonverbal message. If there is
disagreement between the verbal and nonverbal message, the nonverbal will win. Also,
the validity and reliability of verbal messages are checked by nonverbal actions. Again, if
discrepancy exists, the nonverbal will dictate.
Therefore students see the teachers� nonverbal messages as more honest reflections of
what he is really thinking or feeling.

Based on this, and all other stated findings, we can reasonably conclude that further
serious investigation of the effects of nonverbal signalization in the classroom could
result in extremely useful pedagogical information.

Effective teaching depends on successful communication and successful

communication - on successful. By definition of NVC (non-verbal communication),
without uttering a single word, teachers and students constantly send messages to each
other.

In this paper, I highlight certain aspects of nonverbal classroom communication. There is

certainly much more to explore in this area, and this discussion encouraged me to pursue
the topic further.

In writing this paper my primary interest was to gather useful knowledge for my own
later reference. Wonderful books I found on this topic were real discovery because this is
the first time I am dealing with this with topic in this way.
Before this, I just knew from experience that there is extremely powerful nonverbal
communication going on in every classroom all the time and.

Being aware of this, I thought it could be useful to find out more about it� - and I was
right. At first I tried to describe my observations in real classrooms but it was too subtle
for describing and without any experimental or other objective evidence (I could not
interview students or teacher after class and ask them if they really felt like I thought in
some particular moment).
So I took this approach with intention to benefit from already known resources instead of
discovering new knowledge.