Before getting into the subject of body language in service delivery, it is important to define what language and service are.
Language: Human ability to use articulated sounds to communicate, any method of communication through signs, signals and others. Way of expressing yourself.
Service: It has many meanings but all about the action of paying attention to customers in a store and being useful for a purpose.
The body is a reflection of our internal sensations, sometimes it gives us away, other times it hides us. Body language is nothing more than everything that is transmitted through movements or gestures. The body has its own language, it is a mute language, but so expressive that it communicates more than words. The body language of others reveals the interest they may have in what you say.
Humans can deceive with words but not with gestures. There is a science called Kinesia, which studies the so-called “body language”, which is what we use when communicating with others, generally unconsciously.
There are a series of gestures that we must avoid and that can also appear in others, giving away their thoughts and words.
Body language, which is nothing more than everything you transmit through movements or gestures, completely reveals your feelings or perception about the person with whom you are interacting.
Non-verbal language contains information that represents much more than half of what our message tries to communicate.
For communication to be clear, gestures must be clear, synthetic and free from the distortions that a body and psyche generate, not very fluid.
Non-verbal language is part innate, part imitative, and part learned. Generally, different areas of the body tend to work together to send the same message, although sometimes it is possible to send contradictory messages, such as when someone is telling a funny anecdote but the expression on their face is sad. This may be due, for example, to the fact that while you are speaking you are thinking about something else, perhaps about what you are going to say next, and the expression on your face corresponds to what you are thinking and not to what you are saying. a way that perplexes your interlocutor.
At other times, the messages are confusing because several emotions can be transmitted at the same time, such as anger, fear and anxiety, which
sometimes appear together.
According to specialists, it is stated that personal communication processes are represented by the following components: 55% of personal communications are made through body language; the tone of voice represents 38% and only the remaining 7% is made up of words.
This means at the level of the body, people act based on representations. Indeed, each part of the body has a representation, and the set of these representations constitutes the body scheme.
General characteristics of non-verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication generally maintains an interdependent relationship with verbal interaction. Non-verbal messages often have more meaning than verbal messages. In any communicative situation, non-verbal communication is inevitable. In non-verbal messages, it predominates the expressive or emotive function on the referential. In different cultures, there are different non-verbal systems. There is a specialization of certain behaviors for communication.
There are many that bodily acts that reflect something, below is a table that presents the acts that are commonly performed:
| ACT | WHAT REFLECTS |
| Stroking the jaw | Decision making |
| Intertwine fingers | Authority |
| Give an ear tug | Unsafety |
| Look down | Not believing in what you hear |
| Rub hands | Impatience |
| Pinch your nose | Negative evaluation |
| Tap fingers | Impatience |
| Sitting with hands holding head from behind | Self-confidence and superiority |
| Nod | Interest |
| Open palm | Sincerity, frankness and innocence |
| Walk upright | Confidence and self-assurance |
| Stand with your hands on your hips | Good willingness to do something |
| Play with hair | Lack of self-confidence and insecurity |
| Nail biting | Insecurity or nervousness |
| Head resting on hands or look down at the floor | Boredom |
| Join the ankles | Apprehension |
| Hands clasped behind the back | Anger, anger, frustration, and apprehension |
| Cross your legs, slightly swinging your foot | Boredom |
| Arms crossed at chest level | Defensive attitude |
| Walking with your hands in your pockets or with your shoulders hunched | Dejection |
| Hands on cheeks | Evaluation |
| Rub one eye | Doubts |
| Lightly touch the nose | Lying, doubting or rejecting something |
Some tips for using body language:
| Use your eyes to speak | The eyes are the windows to the soul. The person who looks cleanly into the eyes of others is a confident, friendly,
mature and sincere person. Your eyes and your look can say so much because they express practically all emotions: joy, sadness, restlessness, tension, worry, esteem or respect. By his eyes you can often tell what he is thinking. Through that, they create a strong help in the conversation. |
| Proper use of hands | Your hands can be used very well to complement your words and give more strength to your conversation. Do not
use them uselessly and much less to do anything that distracts the other person. Also, do not use them violently, slapping or rubbing them almost in the face of the other person. |
| Gestures that denote impatience or boredom | The physical attitude shows what the soul is feeling. If someone pretends to be interested in a
conversation, the other person will easily notice by your gestures and gestures. Fidgeting or getting up, crossing and uncrossing your legs, moving in your seat, or constantly looking at the clock shows boredom and is grossly disrespectful. If you have to look at the time, do it on someone else's watch. |
| Gaze control | When you're talking to someone , don't be looking everywhere: at the window, the ceiling, the floor, or cleaning
their nails. Do not look morbidly and curiously at the shoes, pants, shirt or hairstyle of which he speaks. Maintain eye contact, but do not fix your gaze too much: crazy people do that. Anyway, if you want to fix your gaze on someone for a long time without getting psychologically tired, look at his brow. For the other, there is no difference. |
| Control of facial expressions | Smile!
Inserting warm, candid smiles into your conversation conveys confidence, joy, and good will. However, don't overdo it. Smiling too frequently can turn the gesture into a kind of grimace and give the impression that it is something hollow, empty and fake. Pressing your lips excessively can reveal that you have doubts or mistrust about what the other is saying or suggest that you are not really expressing what you think or feel. |
Infographics:
