How To Read Body Language

When preparing for a job interview, first date or sales call, one of your greatest assets is the ability to read body language. If you want to learn to read between the lines and get ahead, follow these steps. Pay attention and you can read anyone’s body language.

1. Look at where the person positions themselves. Notice if they put obstacles in your path. If an interviewer plants themselves behind his desk and never moves, he is sending a message. Respect the distance he is establishing as a professional but be friendly in response.
2. Check posture. Good, tall posture is a signal of confidence and self-assurance. You won’t be able to intimidate someone who has straight posture. Good posture does not mean stiff and formal however. Posture to that extreme indicates tension and distance. On the other extreme, slouched or hunched posture indicates a lack of shyness, distrust or a lack of confidence.
3. Watch the lean. If the person you are speaking to is leaning toward you, this indicates interest in what you are saying. If he is leaning away, there is an indication of disinterest or distrust.
4. Evaluate a handshake. Most people involved in business and dealmaking can tell you that a handshake makes a lasting impression. Limp wrists, clammy hands and partial finger touches make an impression of weakness, disinterest or dislike. A handshake that is overly vigorous shaking or too firm of a grip comes across as false or trying too hard to impress. Feel most confident with firm yet brief handshakes.
5. Take note of where the hands go next. After facial expressions, hands speak the loudest in terms of body language. For negative body indicators, look for arms crossed over the chest, hands in the pockets, behind the back or wringing at waist level. Friendly body language for hands will be palm up or moving animatedly along with the speaker’s conversation.
6. Watch facial expressions. The easiest facial expression to interpret is a smile. Smiles can be tense or too wide (which indicates falseness). If the eyes are open (not squinty), and the smile involves the entire face, it is more likely genuine. The eyes are also a good indication of honesty and trust. Believe the person who can naturally look you in the eye when speaking but not the person who looks up or to the left when speaking, as that is a sign of dishonesty.

Reading body language can be a great tool. Sensitivity to such signals will give you an advantage in your business and personal communications.