Lecture 12: Nonverbal BC and Intercultural BC 非言语商务沟通与跨文化商务沟通

1. Module 2:Principles and Tips for Business Communication 商务沟通技巧 Lecture 12:Nonverbal BC and Intercultural BC非言语商务沟通与跨文化商务沟通

2. Contents 1. Verbal communication and nonverbal communication 2. Paralanguage in BC 3. Body language in BC 4. Environmental language in BC 5. Categorization of cultures 6. Tips on intercultural BC

3. 1. Verbal and nonverbal communication • 1.1 Verbal communication • -- conveys meaning with words, either in oral or in written form • richer: express all kinds of ideas • easier: keep and transmit information • more clarified: less possible interpretations • more efficient: especially when people are separated • Then, why nonverbal?

4. Why nonverbal? • It is not what you say, but the way you say it. • It was written all over your face. • You are what you wear! • Smiling is contagious.

5. The way your message is conveyed:

6. 1.2 Nonverbal communication • -- conveys meaning without words, but through one’s voice qualities, facial expressions, gestures, body movements, or attitudes towards space and time • more reliable: natural and unconscious, without our consent, “Don’t lie to me!” • sometimes more economical • Nonverbal signals are not separated, but are inseparably linked to speech. • There is no dictionaries to provide commonly agreed meanings of nonverbal symbols. • The interpretation of nonverbal codes is culture-sensitive.

8. Categories of nonverbal symbols Para-language 副语言 also called voice qualities, has to do with the sound of a speaker’s voice; the closest to verbal communication; blends with speech to carry part of the message Body language 身体语言 Guild Designis one of aligned company with Microsoft Ltd, and we develop and provide the design templates for Office 97, 2000, and XP. physical movement of a communicator’s body Title Environ- mental language 环境语言 Guild Designis one of aligned company with Microsoft Ltd, and we develop and provide the design templates for Office 97, 2000, and XP. involves factors around the communicator, including time, space, seating, color, light, architecture, office arrangement, decorations and furnishings, etc. Title

9. 2. Paralanguage in BC • -- has to do with the sound of a speaker’s voice; the closest to verbal communication • 2.1 Volume 音量 • medium/low voice: mature and confident • very soft voice: young and inexperienced • very loud voice: angry, excited, or sentimental • practice increasing your volume without shouting • fail to exercise a good control over one’s volume = lack proper training in business communication

10. 2.2 Rate 语速 • normal speed: 110-150 words/min • speak in a hurried or very fast way = be arrogant (exception: Northeasterners) • slow down when making presentations • pause for a few seconds after raising a serious question

11. 2.3 Pitch 音高 • high-pitched voice: make others nervous, sounds like scolding • low-pitched voice: authoritative, sexier and more pleasant • if inevitable to use a high-pitched voice (e.g. calm down a noisy crowd or an excited group), quickly recover your normal pitch • handle the raise and fall to create dramatic effect

12. 2.4 Emphasis 强调 • Communication practice: • Read the following series of statement, emphasize different underscored words to feel how stress can change meaning. • I will give you a raise. • I will give you a raise. • I will give you a raise. • I will give you a raise.

13. To check the appropriateness of your paralanguage: • Ask a close friend: Do you like the way I speak to you? • Have your voice recorded and then listen to it

14. 3. Body language in BC • 3.1 Facial expression面部表情 • Your face is the primary site for expressing your emotions. • Facial muscles can form up more than 7,000 different expressions. • Koreans: traditionally regard a person with a serious face as more dependable, but now practice business smiling to meet the challenge of global business • What facial expression do you have when you are in: • anger • contempt • disgust • fear • happiness • sadness • surprise

22. Can you interpret these expressions?

23. 3.2 Eye contact 眼神接触 • -- the “listener/speaker connection”: the audience feels connected with you and you feel connected with them and can read their reactions • Westerners: look people in the eye to show honesty and frankness (“He wouldn’t look me in the eye!”); use eyebrow movements more frequently • low-look culture (e.g. the UK): watching other people (esp. strangers) regarded as intrusive • high-look culture (e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece): long gaze perfectly acceptable or encouraged • Japanese/Vietnamese: look down to show respect (doesn’t mean to be “shifty”) • Muslims: after the first eye contact, lower their gaze and try not to focus on the opposite sex’s (young or adult, other than their legitimate partners or family members) faces and eyes to avoid unwanted desires • Chinese?

24. 3.3 Gesture 身体动作 • -- physical movements of arms, legs, hands and head • present and receive business cards with both hands • move with a purpose: e.g. walk to the other side of the room every five minutes or after you’ve completed a main section, step forward to emphasize a point in a presentation • avoid random, constant, repetitive or purposeless motion • some universal gestures:

35. Cultural difference in gesture: • Sri Lanka, Nepal and India: shake heads to express agreement, nod heads to show disapproval Case study: Handshake with the Arab officer (page 26-27) • Arab: never shake hands with a left hand (used for washing one’s lower part of the body) • some culture-specific gestures:

37. “OK” for many countries • anus for the Brazilians • sexual invitation for Greeks • yen for the Japanese

39. 3.4 Posture 身体姿势 • -- body position as a whole, a more or less stable state (vs. gesture as a movement), e.g. seating, standing, lying down, crossed legs, folded arms • Communication practice: Read your mind through your posture • Your classmates all have different postures. • Can you interpret them and tell his/her state of mind?

40. Interpretation of postures: • stand in an comfortably upright position: energetic • facing your audience: confident and respectful • leaning: nervous or tired • swaying or bouncing: nervous or naïve • sit with a hand supporting your chin: either deep in thinking or in the blues • lean forward while listening: attentive and interested • look away from time to time while listening: absent-minded or lacking interest • Always mind your posture or your image as a business person might be damaged.

41. Professional posture when stand:

42. Professional posture when sit:

44. 3.5 Appearance 个人外形 • -- clothing, hair style, cosmetics, accessories, etc. What is appropriate in the fashion industry may be totally inappropriate in the banking industry. • dress appropriately for the audience, the occasion, the organization, and the culture • avoid clothes that will distract from what you are saying, e.g. plaits, patterns, print • keep your accessories decent and simple (don’t wear a loud, flashy tie)

45. 4. Environmental language in BC • 4.1 Time 时间 • Do you make other people wait or always arrive early than scheduled, or, are you always on time? • Do you make an appointment before seeing any workmate? • Do you prioritize telephone calls? How long do you excuse yourself from a face-to-face conversation to respond to an interrupting call? • How long would you spend on a business lunch with your client?

46. 4.2 Space 距离 -- the physical distance between two communicators • Latin Americans: prefer a closer space • Scandinavians: prefer a more distant space • efforts to create distance: large desks in some offices (as a buffer zone to keep the visitors at a distance from the owner), a table between interviewers and the interviewee • efforts to shorten distance: the manager comes from behind his desk and sit with his subordinate on the same sofa to talk; the CEO occasionally have lunch with their bottom-line employees or join their wedding parties

47. 4 types of personal space: • within 50 cm: intimate distance, for exchange of within 50 cm: intimate distance, for exchange of important information and physical contacts • 50 cm – 1.2 m: personal distance, for casual conversations with friends for acquaintances • 1.2 m – 3.7 m: social distance, for an interview, a business talk, etc., not fit for sharing anything personal • 3.7 m – the limit of our sight: public distance, for public speeches and meeting strangers

48. Case study: The American and the Arabic space • Read the American and the Arabic space case on Page 28-29, and think it over: what lead to their communication failure? • The decrease in personal space would make the other party feel that he/she is distanced and rejected.

49. 4.3 Seating 座位安排 • -- the way you arrange the chairs for a group communication (meeting or presentation) • At a meeting: • strait lines of chairs: the least interactive • u-shaped lines: encourage more interaction In a presentation: • stand on a stage or platform that is higher than you audience: formal • stand while the audience sits: semiformal • sit together with your audience around a table (at the some level): informal In China’s formal banquet: the most powerful person has the seat around the table just opposite to the door

50. 5. Categorization of cultures • CULTURE: • -- a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, norms and social practices • We can never be too culture-conscious in business communication. • Few of us are experts in all the cultures in the world; either is it possible to know all cultures in the world. • What we should do is to enhance our cultural sensitivity.