Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I Some Initial Truths
- Part II The Truth About Getting Ready to Speak
- Part III The Truth About What Makes People Listen
- Part IV The Truth About Developing Support for Your Presentation
- Part V The Truth About Getting Up to Speak
- Part VI The Truth About Managing Anxiety
- Part VII The Truth About Nonverbal Communication
- Truth 36 Most information is transferred nonverbally
- Truth 37 The nonverbal process can work for you
- Truth 38 Nonverbal communication has specific functions
- Truth 39 Nonverbal communication is governed by key principles
- Truth 40 Nonverbal communication has an effect on your audience
- Part VIII The Truth About Visual Aids
- Part IX The Truth About Handling an Audience
- Part X The Truth About What Makes a Presentation Work
- References
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
Truth 38 - Nonverbal communication has specific functions
from Part VII - The Truth About Nonverbal Communication
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I Some Initial Truths
- Part II The Truth About Getting Ready to Speak
- Part III The Truth About What Makes People Listen
- Part IV The Truth About Developing Support for Your Presentation
- Part V The Truth About Getting Up to Speak
- Part VI The Truth About Managing Anxiety
- Part VII The Truth About Nonverbal Communication
- Truth 36 Most information is transferred nonverbally
- Truth 37 The nonverbal process can work for you
- Truth 38 Nonverbal communication has specific functions
- Truth 39 Nonverbal communication is governed by key principles
- Truth 40 Nonverbal communication has an effect on your audience
- Part VIII The Truth About Visual Aids
- Part IX The Truth About Handling an Audience
- Part X The Truth About What Makes a Presentation Work
- References
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
Summary
If an important fraction of the information transferred from speaker to listener comes in the form of something other than words, then you should understand the roles that such communication can play in the exchange. Nonverbal communication serves a number of important functions for public speakers, but researchers have identified these six as major functions.
Accenting. Nonverbal communication often highlights or emphasizes some part of a verbal message. A raised eyebrow might accompany an expression of surprise; a wagging finger might underscore an expression of disapproval.
Complementing. Nonverbal communication also reinforces the general tone or attitude of your verbal communication. A downcast expression and slumping posture might accompany words of discouragement or depression; upright posture, a smile and animated movement might reinforce a verbal story about winning a recent promotion.
Contradicting. Nonverbal communication, on the other hand, can contradict the verbal messages we send, sometimes deliberately, sometimes unintentionally. Tears in your eyes and a quiver in your voice might involuntarily contradict a verbal message telling friends and family that you're doing all right. A wink and a nod might deliberately send the nonverbal message that what you're saying just isn't so. The truth is, when verbal and nonverbal messages contradict, we tend— for a number of reasons— to believe the nonverbal. In the final analysis, it's simply much easier to lie than it is to control a range of nonverbal reactions, such as facial expression, pupil dilation, tension in your vocal cords, pulse rate, sweating, muscle tone and so on. Control of such things is, for most people, well beyond our voluntary reach.
Regulating. Certain nonverbal movements and gestures are 38 used to regulate the flow, the pace and back-and-forth nature of verbal communication. When you want someone to speak to you, you face that person, open your eyes, open your arms with hands extended and palms facing upward, and look expectantly into his eyes. When you want to stop someone from speaking so you can either talk or think of what you're about to say, then you will turn slightly away, fold your arms, put one hand out with palm facing forward, and either close your eyes or turn your head away.
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- Information
- The Truth about Confident PresentingAll You Need To Know To Make Winning Presentations, Fearlessly And Painlessly, pp. 151 - 154Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2019