Running head: BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

Body Language and Negotiation

Ashley Daniels
LDR655
Dr./Sr. Pat McDonald

BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

Body Language and Negotiation

Communication is used in every aspect of life. Whether we communicate verbally,
through sign language, technology, hand-written messages/letters, or with body language,
information is being interchanged. Interchanged information allows people to work together to
share or negotiate their thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Everyone communicates differently and
sometimes just by facial expressions, a message is being portrayed. This type of non-verbal
communication is considered body language. Body language makes up 55 percent of
communication (Pease, 2004). That means that without even speaking, typing, or writing,
someone else is interpreting a message that the body gave. Pease (2004), tells us that most
researchers now agree that words are used primarily for conveying information, while body
language is used for negotiating interpersonal attitudes and, in some cases, is used as a substitute
for verbal messages.
What is body language?
Body language is an expression of a persons emotion. It is a key to the inner
psychological and emotional state of an individual. Not surprisingly, research indicates that the
human body can produce more than 7 million unique movements (Hargrave, 2008) .Each
movement or gesture can indicate how someone is feeling at that time. This communication can
quickly send messages to the other person on the receiving end. It is up to the receiver to then try
to interpret what exactly that person may be trying to communicate. The interpretation is not
always correct. The lack of words can cause wrong information to be shared. Even when there is
an exchange of words, the words and the body language do not always match up either. People
with strong intuition can many times analyze both means of communication and decide whether
a lie may have been shared. Any time information is being shared, the communicator must be

BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

aware not only of the words they say, but also their body language. This body language also
includes facial expressions. The receiver of the information will then analyze the content by
witnessing these facial expressions.
Negotiations
The world is so connected today. There are negotiations going on in all aspects of life.
Verbal, non-verbal, and written communication used to be only means of transferring
information. In todays day and age, technology is booming. Communication can be made in real
time no matter where people are in the world. All it takes is the click of the button to send an
email, text message, or other uses of social media. This allows people to make decisions or find
out information much quicker. There is not a day that goes by where there are no decisions or
negotiations made. As soon as someone wakes up, the negotiation is made with themselves
whether to get up or not that day.
Negotiations are made at work, school, with families, and even internally in a person.
Most people spend most of their time each day working out some kind of arrangement with
someone (Pinet & Sander, 2013). This concept of being involved in these negotiations everyday
requires people to pay attention not only to the words spoken, but also to the body language
portrayed. The topic of conversation must be clearly communicated both verbally and nonverbally to ensure the message will be received properly. Being able to read body language skills
is extremely valuable. This will allow the person receiving the message to uncover hidden
agendas, discover true feelings, gain insight on someones character, predict reactions, and create
a self-awareness of ones own body language (Pinet & Sanders, 2013).
Interpreting Body Language

BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

There are some very simple communication signals that are automatically understood
without having to think about it. For instance, a smile generally means someone is happy, a
frown generally means someone is sad, a head nodding up and down means yes, and a head
turning side-to-side means no. These are all signals of communication used every single day.
The table below shows some common non-verbal cues. It is important to remember that the
receiver will be making their own interpretation of the body language, but will have to be sure
that there are no alternative reasons for the gesture.

(
Talwar, n.d.)
Making sure the whole picture is revealed is extremely important when communicating.
It does not matter if the communication is between a couple or between businesses, it is
important to make sure both parties have a full and correct understanding of the information. The
table above shows that there is not always one definite answer or interpretation to body language.

BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

Reading body language is all guesswork; no one can ever be 100 percent sure about what another
persons intentions are (Pinet & Sanders, 2013). Negotiations are a big part of business.
Negotiations allow two parties to work towards an agreement on a specific topic, hopefully,
creating a win-win situation. Being able to properly read people, allows both parties to get a
sense if the other is bluffing, telling the truth, or stretching the truth. Most individuals focus only
on the verbal part of an encounter; yet, during an average 30-minute meeting, approximately 800
different nonverbal messages are exchanged (Hargrave, 2008). These are important cues that
should not go unnoticed. People do business with people who make them feel comfortable and it
comes down to sincerity (Pease, 2004).
Personal Opinion
Body language fascinates me! To know that you can thoroughly communicate without
having to say a word is incredible. Charlie Chaplin entertained people for years without speaking
a word. There is a saying that I was taught when I was younger that has stuck with me, Actions
speak louder than words. This saying is fitting no matter what setting you are in. Whether it is a
relationship or in a business setting, your first impression is often given through body language.
Hargrave (2008), shares that the moment you meet a prospective client, he judges you by what
he sees and feels. The process takes less than 10 seconds, but the impression is permanent. This
statement puts a heavy weight on the our conscious and subconscious gestures. It is important to
be able to understand your own personal body language, before you can fully interpret someone
elses. Having this ability to read anothers body language and analyze the gestures within the
whole picture will allow you to effectively communicate verbally and non-verbally.
Conclusion

BODY LANGUAGE AND NEGOTIATIONS

Communication is the root of all relationships. Without clear communication, a strong

foundation cannot be built for a successful relationship. Even though most communication is
considered to be verbal, it is important to remember that 55 percent of communication is nonverbal. This puts even more weight in the gestures shared to portray information. Not all body
language is conscious. Much communication is done without even knowing it. The way someone
stands, holds his or her arms or hands, facial expressions, etc. are all modes of communication
that are used without thought every day.
Negotiations are used as means to accomplish a task between two parties.
Communication plays a vital role in these negotiations due to the fact that all of the information
needs to be laid out on the table so that the best decision can be made. Being transparent with the
facts is not always enough. One must really pay close attention to the others body language to
make sure the whole picture is being communicated. This happens to come down to a gut feeling
at times. A thorough understanding of body language allows an individual to be able to modify
his own reactions and thus improve his negotiating skills (Hargrave, 2008). Sister Pat always
speaks of the importance of head, heart, and gut. It is vital to use all three when analyzing and
interpreting body language.

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References
Hargrave, J. (2008). Do you speak body language? Forensic Examiner, 17(3), 17-22. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/207648613?accountid=28644
Pinet, A., & Sander, P. (2013). The Only Negotiation Book You'll Ever Need. Avon, MA: Adams
Media.
Pease, A., & Pease, B. (2004). The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York, New York:
Bantam Dell
Talwar, N., (n.d.). Body Language Basics. Retrieved from:
http://thisisnotpsychology.tumblr.com/post/4914055517/body-language-basics