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A second advice is as follows: concentrated on posture. This advice will be treated in depth in the course of this unit, because the control of one's body is fundamental to communicating effectively. Remember, non-verbal communication and para-verbal communication together are more than 70% of the communication in its entirety and therefore leave very little space to verbal communication, which is mistakenly considered the fundamental component. Before a videoconference, but even before conferences in physical presence, do not overeat: this will allow you to feel fully at ease with yourself. Drink a lot of warm water: it will allow you to stay hydrated and help you control your emotions. If you are in the midst of people, try to stand in the most natural way possible. If you are at home in Smart Working or if you participate in a video conference, sit straight on the chair. A correct posture will communicate to your listeners expertise and trust, but it will also allow you to feel at ease with yourself! The language of the body, posture, gesture, constitute a fundamental part of our communication. Becoming aware of this means being able to control our non-verbal communication. What are the postures and gestures that a good speaker must exhibit its listeners to better communicate? We see together some tricks will allow you to become more conscious of your gestures and your posture and will therefore allow you to communicate more effectively. Before describing them in detail, however, here are three simple rules that a good speaker should always follow when he has to deal with listeners. Rule number one: Do not put a "wall" between you and your listeners. Let your body speak by creating a connection between you and your listeners. Do not take closure attitudes, as a low head or crossed hands: gestures like these can be interpreted as synonyms for insecurity, uncertainty, and weakness of arguments. Rule number two: shows the palms of your hands. Do not close your hands to punch, this is also a synonym of insecurity. Don't show the back, but the palms of the hands: this will allow your listeners to feel confident and consequently they will expect more attention. Showing the palms of the hands is also an opening sign, it will also help you respect the number one rule: don't interpose a barrier between you and your listeners. Rule number three: feel at ease, use your body with naturalness; This will be perceived by your listeners who will trust your comparison and listen to your speech with more attention. Non-verbal communication therefore includes the set of non-verbal aspects of communication and concerns body language, gestures and posture. As we have said, non-verbal communication is mostly involuntary. Knowing the reason for its importance will help you become the most conscious of what you communicate through your gestures and your postures and can help you keep control and not let yourself be taken from anxiety. Speaking in front of the camera and faced with many listeners, as is the case with a videoconference, it can be for many a reason for anguish and shyness. The uncontrolled emotions can also emerge through some of your non-verbal communication acts: the trembling voice or the tendency to cross the arms on the chest as a defensive sign. Learning some strategies that can help you communicate more effectively through gestures and posture will also help you feel more secure, thus creating a virtuous circle. Non-verbal language is parallel to the verbal level of communication: allowing your listeners to better understand how much you have to say. Furthermore, the non-verbal language communicates independently of the message that you intend to convey through words: your listeners can understand a lot about you simply observing your posture, your attitude, the tone of your voice. They can for example understand if you are a shy or extroverted person, if you feel comfortable in a specific situation or if you feel uncomfortable, if you are a calm and quiet person or an anxious person. Non-verbal language is also stronger than the content of the verbal message: if the contents of the respective communication acts do not coincide, your listener will take faith more in what you communicate through your gestures, your posture, your facial expressions. Moreover, what is usually sought after in a good communicator is the consistency in the speech, especially when it comes to working relationships. Monitor your non-verbal communication, aligning it to the verbal one will therefore help you be perceived as a sincere, reliable and competent individual. What about the body and posture? How much can our body communicate through posture and attitudes that we assume? First, there are two positions we can take during an oration, as can be a conference. We can stand or sit: this second position is certainly the one that arises when you participate in video conferences, when inevitably between you and your audience the distance and computer monitor stands. The sections of the body to which care must be taken are three: the arms and hands; trunk; legs. In the sitting position, many tend to overlap the legs: but it is not recommended. Instead, it is preferable to pay attention to your legs, keeping your feet firmly planted to the ground, because in this way you can be sure not to blast your bust, gesture that can cause serious discomfort. By ensuring the bust and legs a straight position instead will allow us to communicate composure, safety and competence. When sitting, greater attention is usually placed to the arms and hands. Very often, nervous people repeatedly move their hands, chew pens and tear the paper into small pieces: it is not recommended, since the listeners will easily perceive the tension. A very similar attitude is to swing continuously on the chair or incessantly move the legs and feet: despite the sitting position and despite the camera, the nervous movement of the legs is noted with clarity. Try to pay attention to these bust movements, legs, arms and hands: your listener will easily perceive your tension. Always taking into account the need to communicate trust, safety and opening, pay attention to your arms and hands: do not hide them, show them to the listeners, for example by placing them on your desk. Avoid touching your face, hair or other parts of the body: this attitude is also synonymous with closure and your listeners will notice it easily. There are many people who fear a "virtual" and "digital" audience. Summary Thanks to this unit you learned something new and unexpected: despite many to believe the opposite, it is actually not the verbal level of communication to be the most important and effective levels, but the levels of non-verbal and para-verbal communication. Becoming aware of the importance of these levels of communication is fundamental because by paying attention in particular to posture, look and gesture it is possible to learn some strategies to communicate more effectively. In this unit, we have illustrated a series of simple rules that you can follow in order to improve your communication skills. How to move your hands? Where to watch? Look towards the camera. Prepare your speech in advance. Assume opening attitudes. Thanks to this unit, you have therefore been able to understand how fundamental the opening attitude is and how much it is possible to communicate even through simple gestures, such as the simple way in which you were seated.