Non-verbal communication is a very powerful mode of communication which has a prominent role in determining the success of an individual during group discussions and interviews. During a presentation, when a speaker walks up the stage with a big smile and greets the audience in a pleasant and a confident way looking into their eyes sets the tone for the rest of the speaking time. Even before he started speaking, he has connected with the audience and built up a friendly atmosphere. When a speaker makes eye contact with the audience, he shows his level of confidence and engages the audience. Facial expressions are also a reflection of emotions and add voluminous meaning to the spoken words. Posture or the way a person stands while giving a presentation is another important aspect to govern. One should stand straight with the body weight evenly distributed on both the feet. Leaning on the podium, rocking from side to side or putting your hands into pockets, unconsciously conveys one’s lethargic attitude. Paralinguistic elements like tone, volume, stress & pause are aspects which make the speech interesting and worth hearing. Maintaining an even tone throughout tends to make a speech boring. So, it is important to change the voice modulation to grab the attention of the audience.
During a group discussion, using non-verbal communication like nodding one’s head or waving hands can effectively demonstrate agreement or disagreement to some point. Not making eye contact shows your lack of attentiveness and distracted mind. Tone and pitch should be used properly to set the right tone of the discussion. The face is the most expressive part of the body and when used in the right way can convey all kind of emotions like happiness, fear, consent panic, etc. As one cannot speak throughout the discussion involvement could be demonstrated through non-verbal gestures. Your words and body language should complement each other. A group discussion is a situation where there is an amalgamation of verbal and non-verbal communication which varies from person to person, culture to culture and context to context. Using the right kind of non-verbal cues can aid in building a good rapport with the counterparts and smooth flow of the discussion. A right mix of verbal and non-verbal communication sends the messages in a better way leading to a better perception of what is being said. Non-verbal communication reflects an individual’s personality and professional stance.