The Secret Language of Business: How to Read Anyone in 3 Seconds or Less

Chapter 8. The Secret Language of Influence in Business

Most of my speaking events in 2007 were to teach employees, salespeople and upper management of large companies how to use body language to be more influential.

If no one has shown your people how to effectively influence others with a primary focus on the context, environment and non-verbal communication, this is the biggest untapped resource in your company.

I used to tell people how much money companies make after implementing changes, but the numbers are so ridiculously out of line with standard training or speakers, I literally quit doing it.

The Secret Language of Business is nowhere more important or profitable than at the office and in the field.

Let your salespeople learn how to understand nonverbal cues and they become confident. Let them learn how to send "buying messages," and they increase sales ... a lot.

A great deal of research and study is focused on the effects and practical applications of body language and nonverbal behaviors in the world of business. Everything from the way you dress to the way you walk to the way you talk have influence on your business interactions, often in ways that might surprise or even horrify you. In this chapter I'll take you through the basics of body language in the general business environment and then go into more detail about specific business situations—meetings, selling, hiring, peer-to-peer interactions, and manager-to-subordinate interactions.

The Business Environment

The business ...