Importance of Non-Verbal Communication in Business Communication

Running Head: COMMUNICATION
Communication
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Author Note
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
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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.
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

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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
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