Verbal and Non Verbal Communication

Have you ever wondered what people think of you? When you walk into a room are you the guy people pretend to like, or someone people actually like? These are things you can find out without anyone telling you. The key is knowing how to read body language.

60% of the way people communicate is nonverbal, but most of us aren’t paying attention to what’s being said. For example, if you walk into the room and someone raises their eyebrows, it lets you know they are legitimately happy to see you. If they squint or close their eyes, they’d rather you weren’t there.

There are tons of subtleties people do that will tell you how they really feel and what they are really thinking. Believe it or not, most of these signals come from one place: the feet. Someone’s feet will tell you more than you can imagine. If they are still or moving, what angle they are at, and what direction they are facing are telltale signs about what someone is thinking and how they feel.

In this episode of Old Souls & Seekers, Ilan discusses the knowledge he gained from What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro. Joe was an FBI agent who trained everyone in how to read body language – from other agents to lawyers to poker players. No one knows more about the unspoken word than him.

Download this episode to learn more about how to tell what’s really on people’s minds.

People that like you will raise their eyebrows when they see you.

(click to tweet)

The Cliff Notes:

The human body can give you a glimpse into what people are feeling.
Non-verbal behavior makes up 60-65% of communication.
We have been taught to lie with certain parts of our bodies.
People that like you will raise their eyebrows when they see you.
When people don’t like you they will squint or close their eyes when they see you.
Observation is important when you look at physical communications.
Active listening does not come naturally to people.
Be aware of your surroundings, not just visually.
The more you understand the context, the better you’ll be at observation.
You have to know someone's normal behavior to really know the clues you are given.
Observe people’s changes in behavior.
People’s nose flair when they are about to take action.
Be able to distinguish between comfort and discomfort.
You need to be able to detect false behavior.
Always be subtle when you are observing people.
People freeze, then fight or flight.
People physically distance themselves from things they don’t like.
All reason goes out the window when we go into fight mode.
Your brain is a mega computer that remembers everything and doesn’t understand time.
The most honest part of the body is the feet.
Concentrate on people’s feet and legs first.
Your feet and lower body will affect the upper body.
Feet will shift towards people they like, and away from people they don’t.
If you see someone and they only turn their upper half to you they don’t want to interact with you.
When people turn their entire body, including their legs and feet, they want to see you.
People who are happy will have a bounce in their step.
If you want to diffuse an argument, put your feet together.
When people cross their legs while standing they are very comfortable.
If you meet someone and they stay in play, they are comfortable with you.
When you meet someone and they move away, they don’t want to be around you.
If someone steps toward you they want to meet and see you.
One sign is not enough, you need a cluster of indicators to know a situation.