Communication skills are a must for advancement but communication just does not mean good speaking skills only it is a complete combo of the non-verbal communication skills or the smart act of the body language plus the gift of the gab or the super speaking skills!
It is just not what or how you speak for good Communication Skills – Your Body language Matters!
Communication skills are indispensable and essential for not only job interviews and entrance exams but also do absolute justice to your job profile and work experience right through the tenure of service! Also, See article Before During and After an Interview – A Few Tips
Getting your point across efficiently is paramount to progress.
Effective Communication has few keywords- clarity, conciseness, friendliness, confidence, empathy, open-mindedness, respect.
Between the lines is non-verbal communication– there a few conscious and unintentional expressions and impressions of our body and face which leave a very profound impact on the other person and they become an imperative part of communication skill at a formal level.
Also See articles By improving your vocabulary – you improve your Communication skills
Non-verbal communication becomes equally important! For that good listening, body language, eye contact, hand gestures, general appearance, aptness of dress code, hairdo, facial expressions, face makeup, clean turnout, graceful and confident walk, from sitting down to picking up a pen or from pulling a chair to greeting the examiner; every move and twitch of your nerve is under scrutiny.
- Impression and look must be in coordination. These are your very obvious public signals. The clothes you wear and your facial expression and the impression you give way must have a positive strength . Right expression on the face depending on the topic of discussion adds to the credibility.
- Posture while sitting includes hands, wrists and forearms parallel to the floor. Head is straight or slightly forward facing. Back should be vertical and inline. This is major part of the body language.
- Gestures they are important feedback to the interviewer and they can give him/ her the power to decide a lot about your performance, your gestures ought to be intelligent and smart while he talks or you explain anything that is required. They must be confident and not over explicit.
- Emotions: You must be practiced at concealing your true emotions. One cannot be overjoyed or too sad or angry at anything said during the interview or the meeting. Your emotion must be in total control. Sometimes the examiner tends to say certain things to test your control on yourself or give you emotional situations to talk about. Your job is to talk at calm and poise about the matter given giving the just right amount of importance to the emotion concerned; that is the expression and gesture must be in complete coordination to speech.
- Eye contact: it is absolutely important to maintain eye contact with people in the interview room. Else it shows escape motive or less confidence.
- IN the meanwhile, to make verbal communication more effective we need to follow some effective DO NOTs of nonverbal communication, whether at a job interview, or a group discussion, or national level competitive exam interview. Some of these precautions can really do magic and add to the credibility of the candidate to score much more at the interview level. Do not forget you being watched all the time! The next few minutes of your body language and gestures could change your life forever without having much to do with what you spoke in front of the interviewer!
- We do not slouch while talking, a straight back and smartly sitting looking straight is ideal body language.
- If the message is serious no smile or laughter; this can convey the wrong motive to the examiner and can get offensive at your end.
- Phones and other irrelevant material can be disturbing during the interview or meeting: all unnecessary gadgets should be left outside the interview room.
- Do not interrupt the interviewer/don’t talk too much: you are not at the liberty to anchor the interview do not forget that you are at the receiving end. It is rude to talk more than required or interrupt the interviewer every now and ten and waste his time.
- Fidgeting around is disturbing and boring; especially for the interviewer who is observing you; nobody wants to see more that they must. It is beneficial for you to be still and calm while the meeting is going on.
- Remember your time is limited; focus on the speaker and each person in the room in case of a group meeting/discussion; because you are the center of their focus at that moment.
- Do not look at the clock time and again it shows boredom on your behalf.
- Don’t get familiar with the interviewer. During the interview, you are not in a situation to get over friendly to the interviewer. This can work adversely for you.
- Don’t be over smart. Showing inappropriate and superior airs than required can also be negated in the interview as improper.
In our bodies, we all have a charismatic positivity to charm the person behind the desk, the right amount of components come with knowledge and practice.
Meticulous knowledge of the Subject and poise of the body language, easy eye contact, stable arm movements, listening patiently, and appropriate dress code are the icing on the cake for the speakers.
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Nice Article Amber. I agree that Non Verbal communications is very important in effective communication. They are a crucial addition to the overall message. Our facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement plays an important role in communication.