The Power of Nonverbal Communication

Life experience has definitely shown me that non-verbal persuasion can be more effective in gaming compliance than words alone.

My first trial in this form of persuasion was with waitressing. I soon discovered I received much better tips if I connected with the customers enough to lay a hand on a shoulder, play with a baby or sit with them in the booth as I took orders. When I explained the specials using “vocal immediacy cues” (Seiter & Gass, 2006, p. 169), rather than monotonously running through them, they actually sold.

Later on, as a nurse in a nursing home, the use of physical touch and a pleasant tone became extremely relevant in reassuring and motivating elderly folks who had already “checked out” in a sense and were not easily persuaded to push themselves by the more hardened nurses who rarely even looked them in the eye.

Now that I have children, it has become very obvious (especially when they are too young to understand many of the words we use) that it is predominantly body language and vocal cues that persuade them to comply. When my children are tuning me out, simply getting down to their level, holding them, and looking into their eyes when presenting my request is much more effective than shouting from the other room.

A New York Times article confirms the influence of touch, and the power in the messages it sends:

“The evidence that such messages can lead to clear, almost immediate changes in how people think and behave is accumulating fast. Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have founAd. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched. Research by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute in Miami has found that a massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship” (Benedict, 2010, p.D5).

References

Benedict, C. (2010, February 23). Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much :[Science Desk]. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. D5. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from Banking Information Source. (Document ID: 1968310011).

Gass, R.H., &Seiter J.S. (2003). Persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn &Bacon/Longman


How can you utilize nonverbal communication skills to find success in your workplace?