Body language: Make it an asset!

We know the power of words and the power of the voice (tone, volume, flow...). However, it has been proven that body language has the most impact in our face-to-face communication. Communicating effectively means matching our words, the way we pronounce them and, for more than 90%, what our audience sees of us during an exchange.

Our posture, our gestures, our facial expressions, our gaze... are elements that say a lot - and quickly - about our opinions and our internal feelings. The body seems to be 7 seconds ahead of the mind: it would therefore speak before us! And yet it is very often this same body that is the most difficult to master! Stammering, facial redness, jaw contraction, receding eyes, raised eyebrows... sometimes betray our emotions in spite of a desire to hide or control them. And in many situations, they give us precious indications on the state of mind and reactions of our interlocutors, in order to encourage a positive outcome of the exchange.

A discipline that is still too little known, synergology, is interested in body language. If you are a fan of the American series "Lie to me", this exciting concept may be familiar to you!

Focus on Paul Ekman's work and synergology 

As early as the 1950s, the American psychologist Paul Ekman emphasized the importance of gestures, attitudes and facial expressions beyond words. The practice of photography also helped him to develop a method of reading facial expressions. One of the pioneers in the comparative study of emotions in different cultures, Ekman asserts that facial expressions are universal and biologically determined.

Synergology, founded at the end of the 1980s by Philippe Turchet on the basis of Ekman's work, aims at decoding and reading body language. Its practitioners observe the body in movement and thus bring to light emotions and thoughts that may be different from those expressed in words. Their work consists of verifying the congruence between speech and gesture, an indicator of a person's internal state.

Many professional fields use this discipline to understand the other beyond the spoken word: health, justice, security, education, training, negotiation, management, communication... 
It is useful when the understanding of the interlocutor is not limited to verbal language and when authenticity has a real added value.

Decode body language of your counterparts (level 1)

3 july 2020 in French
1 day (7 hours)

PRICE: 450 € (Soft-skills trainings are guaranteed for a minimum of 3 registrants.)
PLACE: Key Job
TARGET AUDIENCE: This training is intended for anyone wishing to improve their interpersonal relationships through a better understanding of body language.
Professionals in customer relations, reception and communication. Marketing staff, salespeople, negotiators. Consultants, lawyers. HR, recruitment and training professionals. Managers, local supervisors, tutors.

A training course focusing on the use of synergology in customer relations will be offered at the beginning of the school year: WATCH THIS SPACE!