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10 body language mistakes that ruin your credibility - communication non verbal
You can have the best speech in the world, but if your body contradicts you, no one will believe you. Nonverbal communication mistakes are "silent killers" of opportunities. Often we are not aware of them because they are ingrained habits, nervous tics, or defensive postures we adopt without thinking.
Based on the module of Common Errors and Correction from our course, we have compiled the most serious mistakes you should remove from your repertoire today.
Constant movement denotes extreme anxiety. Bouncing your leg under the table, rocking in a swivel chair, or shifting your weight from one foot to the other when you're standing. Solution: "Ground yourself". Plant your feet on the floor and imagine you are a tree. Stillness conveys control.
Crossing your arms is the classic closing gesture. Even if you say "I'm open to suggestions," your arms say "you won't convince me." It can also indicate cold or comfort, but in business it is almost always interpreted as defensive. Solution: Keep your arms open or hold a pen gently to keep your hands occupied without crossing them.
Putting your hands in your pockets, sitting on them, or keeping them under the table. Evolutionarily, hiding the hands meant hiding weapons. Today it means hiding intentions. Solution: Hands always visible on the table.
They are "manipulative" or appeasing gestures. Touching your nose, mouth, or scratching your neck are signs that the brain is trying to calm itself in a stressful situation or when lying. They immediately reduce authority. Solution: Keep your hands away from your face.
Nothing kills a first impression faster than a limp, sweaty, or "dead fish" handshake. It conveys a lack of character. Solution: Practice firmness and discreetly dry your hand on your pants before greeting if they sweat from nerves.
Looking at the floor makes you seem submissive or like a liar. Staring without blinking makes you seem aggressive. Solution: Natural eye contact, blinking and occasionally looking away to process information.
Shrinking in the chair, rounding your shoulders and lowering your head. You tell the world: "I'm not important." Solution: Shoulders back, chest open and chin parallel to the floor. Take up your space.
Appearing like a bobblehead nodding at everything the boss says makes you look desperate to please, not competent. Solution: Nod only at key points to emphasize agreement.
Getting too close when speaking (breaking the 45 cm bubble) is aggressive and very uncomfortable for the other person. Solution: Respect social distance (approx. 1 meter) in professional settings.
It is the ultimate gesture of disrespect. It says: "I have more important things to do than listen to you." Solution: Be fully present. Phone off and put away.
Correcting these mistakes requires self-awareness. Record yourself on video simulating a conversation and you'll be surprised by how many of these tics you perform without realizing it.
