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Business communication and professional development

prepared by Ali Haider

Non Verbal Communication

Q: How will you define non- verbal communication?


Discuss the various forms of non- verbal communication?
Answer
Introduction:
(1) Verbal Communication: The communication through written, spoken, symbols and word
is called verbal communication.
(2) Non-Verbal Communication: we can also communicate non- verbally, without words.
Some tine non-verbal massages contradict the verbal; often they express true feelings
more accurately than the spoken or written language.
Kinds of Non- Verbal Communication:
Non-verbal communication can be divided into the following three categories:
(1) Appearance
(2) Body Language
(3) Silence, Time and Sounds
How Appearance Communicates?
Appearance communicates /conveys non-verbal impressions that affect receivers / recipients
attitudes towards the verbal message even before they read or hear them. Appearance can
affect various modes of communication.
Effect of the envelop On Written Message:
The overall appearance which includes its size, colure, weight, postage etc. may impress the
receiver as important or a junk mail.
For example: Telegram and letter have different envelop that signal urgency and importance.
Effect of Appearance on Spoken Message:
Whether you are speaking to one person face to face or to a group in a meeting, (1) Personal
Appearance (2) Appearance of the Surroundings covey non-Verbal stimuli/message that affect
attitude and even emotions toward the spoken words.
(a) Personal Appearance:
Clothing, jewelry, hair style and neatness are parts of personal appearance. Usually they convey
impressions regarding occupation age, sex, and nationality, social and jab status etc.
(b) Appearance of Surroundings:
These include room size, location, furnishing, architecture wall decoration, floors, lighting,
window, view and other related aspects wherever people communicate orally. For example an

Business communication and professional development

prepared by Ali Haider

executive or professional whose office is a luxurious top floor suite with a pleasant view
conveys a different non-verbal message about status, success, size of bill then f that sane
persons office were (had been) in a dingy, poorly lighted basement room.
How Body Language Communicates?
Body language includes noticeable non-verbal communication symbols. Sometimes they are
more meaningful than words. These include the following factors.
(1)Facial Expressions;
The eyes and the face are especially helpful means of communicating monvervally.They can
reveal hidden emotions such as anger, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, hatred, joy, love, interest,
sorrow, surprise, uncertainty, etc. They can also contradict verbal statements.
For example direct eye contact is usually desirable when two honest people convey face to
face. The person whose eyes droops or shift away from the listener is thought to be perhaps
dishonest and untrustworthy.
(2) Gesture:
Action speaks louder than words in some occupations as well as in many interpersonal
situations. Employees who direct traffic on crowded roads can effectively communicate by
pointing arms or fingers in the desired directions. And of course deaf people communicate
silently by hand and finger movements. Clinched fists poundings on a table may indicate anger
or emphasis. Continual gestures with arms while speaking may signal nervousness.
(3) Postures:
Posture non-verbally conveys impressions of self-confidence, status, and interest.
For example Confident executives may have a relaxed posture and yet stand more erect than a
timid subordinate. Interested persons occasionally lean forward toward the speaker, while
these who are bored or annoyed may yawn and repeatedly glance at there watches.
(4) Smell:
Various orders and artificial frightens on human beings con sometimes convey emotions and
feelings better than spoken words.
For example some orders on equipments can indicate smoke, fire, decay or dangerous leaks in
containers or pipes thus helpings to save lives if detected early.
(5) Touch:
Touching people in different ways and places can silently communicate friendship, love hatred,
approval, anger or other feelings .Example Hand Shakes.
(6) Voice:
You can also convey different meanings by the rate, pitch and volume of your voice.
Paralanguage is a term denoting the subtle variation in meaning between what is said and how
it is said. For example: Speaking fast may indicate nervousness or haste; a loud shouting voice
may foretell danger, urgency, a serious problem; joy or anger.

Business communication and professional development

prepared by Ali Haider

How Silence, Time & Sound Communicate:


(1) Silence: Though at first thought silence may seem unimportant but it can cause serious hard
feelings, loss of business and profit.
Example: Suppose you wrote an urgent letter to the customer relations manager of a large
company, stating, why you need a reply by March 5. If you receive no reply by that date, what is
your letter was lost? Do you worry whether your letter was lost? Do you angrily assume the
manager is rude adjust considers your request unworthy of his tine? Do you wonder if the
manger is annoyed by something in your letter etc.?
(2) Time: Waiting when an important appointment or request is ignored causes problems and
attitude changes.
(3) Sounds: In addition to a speaking persons voice, other human sounds like clearing the
throat, sighing, laughing, sneering, communicate non-verbally. Also nonhuman sounds of bells,
whistles, cars, trains, airplanes etc., all can be significant non-verbal communicators. Sounds
can also indicate leaky pipes or defective machines that need immediate attention.

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