Importance of Non-Verbal Communication in Business Communication

This article discusses the importance of non-verbal communication in business communication. It explains different types of non-verbal communication, their role, three aspects of non-verbal communication, and their impact on speaking and listening skills.

Running Head: COMMUNICATION
Communication
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Page 0

1COMMUNICATION
Introduction
The business communication can be referred to as the act of interchanging
information so that people become clear about what is said. In any business
organization, communication plays a key role to manage the workforce, deliver any
important decision or understand the employee queries or demands. There are
primarily four types of business communication methods such as verbal communication,
non-verbal, written and electronic communication too. It can be also referred to as an
effort for promoting its services or products to the customers. Hence, communication
can be both internal and external (Luangrath, Peck and Barger 2017). In this paper
different types of nonverbal communication will be discussed giving examples of each.
The paper will also briefly explain the importance of non-verbal communication in
communication. It will further identify and discuss three main aspects of nonverbal
communication outlining then relationship between speaking and listening along with
non-verbal communication. It will lastly discuss how the non-verbal communication can
affect the listening and speaking skills.
Discussion
Types of non-verbal communication
Few most common types of non-verbal communication are facial expressions, gestures,
body languages, space and distance, silent communication and visual communication.
Facial expressions- In this type of non-verbal communication, face becomes the
foremost communicator. It expresses emotions such as joy, interest, love, sorrow,
confusion, enthusiasm , uncertainty and may others. The facial expressions are given
through the eyelids, mouth, nose, forehead and cheeks. Taken for example, when a
person smiles frequently, he /she is seen as a friendly and approachable person.
Gestures- The gestures are movements of legs, arms and head. This is considered to
be a deliberate movement used for expressing something intentional. For example, a
waving hand means good-bye or hello. However, it differs culture wise.

2COMMUNICATION
Body languages- It is another widely identified non-vernal form of communication which
convey messages and meanings. The body languages can take two forms such as
consciously controlled movements and unconscious movements. For example, a
person may bite his/her nails in situation of nervousness.
Space and distance- This is the one of the most used non-verbal tools in business
context. It expresses the intimacy and personal acceptance by visiting a particular room.
Silent communication- It is considered to be a powerful communication tool. It can
convey both positive and negative meaning (Phutela 2015). For example, silence can
symbolize a person taking instructions and understanding what actions are required.
Visual communication- It can occur by means of some visual aids as posture, personal
appearance, signal, diagram, chart, table, graphs and may others. For example, red
sign is used for indicating danger.
Role of non-verbal communication
The nonverbal communication plays a significant role in the communication.
The verbal messages are well complemented with the support of nonverbal
communication and there is an extra value added to the expression. The silent
communication and the audio-visual communication help in presenting certain
information smoothly increasing the effectiveness. Moreover, people with verbal
disability and less education can take support of the nonverbal communication to
express themselves. It can further save time and conveys the message to the receiver
within short time with the use of few signs and symbols. It is deliver the message faster
than verbal methods.
Three aspects of non-verbal communication
Three aspects of nonverbal communication are proxemics, kinesics and
paralanguage. Proxemics is the use of space, kinesics is the body signals and
paralanguage is the use of voice. The physical space is used for communicating various
nonverbal messages such as intimacy signals, dominance and aggression. The
personal space is particular distance maintained during interacting with people. On the

3COMMUNICATION
other hand, the physical space is he real space belonging to oneself (de Gelder, De
Borst and Watson 2015). The office cubicle can be considered as the example. The
paralanguage is on the other hand use of voice. It considers aspects such as timing
and pace, inflection and tone of voice during speaking. Kinesics comprises of various
body signals which amplify the meaning between people who are communicating. The
body language should match with what a person is speaking. The body signals consist
of the gestures, the eye contact, locomotion, posture, facial expression and Haptics. In
this regard, haptics can be referred to as the communication through touch. It also
varies culture wise. For example, holding hands is a symbol of friendship in some
countries whereas in few other countries, it is found to be a relationship that is more
intimate.
Relationship between speaking /listening and nonverbal communication
People usually find talking to be easier than written communication since some
phrases, which can be used orally, are inappropriate in written form. However, when the
understanding needs to be in the effective and complete, the spoken language has to
be selected carefully (Behoora and Tucker 2015). The listening is half of the oral
communication which needs to be taken equally and practiced as seriously writing and
speaking. When a person speaks, messages are conveyed through the tone of voice
transforming into a verbal language.
Impact of nonverbal communication on speaking and listening skills
The nonverbal communication is helpful in managing conversation. These
communication techniques affect the way people connect with each other. This allows
others to understand that a person is listening and helping them to receive the
messages. Since the nonverbal communication is mostly based on the listening and
comprehending skills, the speaking skills are given less importance in this. The listening
skills are given more importance.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be said that communication is all
about the exchange of information through speaking, writing or using few other

4COMMUNICATION
mediums. It is also the sharing of information between few people in an enterprise
which is performed for some commercial profit of an organization. There are some
parts of the non-verbal communication which complements the verbal communication.
This report has highlighted some of the most important aspects of nonverbal
communication.

5COMMUNICATION
Reference
Behoora, I. and Tucker, C.S., 2015. Machine learning classification of design team
members' body language patterns for real time emotional state detection. Design
Studies, 39, pp.100-127.
Bonaccio, S., O’Reilly, J., O’Sullivan, S.L. and Chiocchio, F., 2016. Nonverbal behavior
and communication in the workplace: A review and an agenda for research. Journal of
Management, 42(5), pp.1044-1074.
de Gelder, B., De Borst, A.W. and Watson, R., 2015. The perception of emotion in body
expressions. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 6(2), pp.149-158.
Luangrath, A.W., Peck, J. and Barger, V.A., 2017. Textual paralanguage and its
implications for marketing communications. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(1),
pp.98-107.
Phutela, D., 2015. The importance of non-verbal communication. IUP Journal of Soft
Skills, 9(4), p.43.