The Importance of Body Language

Have you ever shook someone’s hand and it was like grabbing onto a wet fish? Gives you quite the visual, doesn’t it? I had a teacher in high school that made every person in his class shake his hand and we got graded on it. I think that should be a requirement for everyone. Body language and personal contact say more than words many times.

By now everyone knows that hand-held devices have eliminated much of the personal contact we all had only 10-15 years ago, but when you get the opportunity to meet with someone face-to-face what you aren’t saying can speak volumes.

Take our President, for instance, when Mr. Trump opens his arms wide while speaking he is gesturing that his is being completely honest and transparent, a head shaking while someone is talking indicates that they are highly emotional about what they are talking about, or a slight shrug of one’s shoulders says, “I really don’t believe what I am saying”. So many things can be read into even the slightest movement and you sure don’t get that in a text.

Back to the hand shake, I have a very firm handshake and I look them in the eye while I am shaking their hand, many times, the person I am shaking with makes a comment about it. I believe it lets the people I meet know that I am confident, honest and trustworthy, they see from that that I’m not going to bull shit them.

There are people that read body language for a living, or heck, just a fun hobby, so be careful what you’re NOT saying, it may offend someone.