Emotional Intelligence: Body Language

Body language speaks in sentences, like verbal communication. Do not take any one item in isolation. Study the body language in context, with other gestures, congruence with the words, and the circumstances of the person. Here are a few tips:

POSTURE: Sit in a comfortable, relaxed posture, so that your client also will be comfortable with you. Be natural.
SEATING: Maintain a comfortable distance from him. You should neither be too close nor too far from your client. Do not have any unnecessary barriers between yourself and your client.
FACE YOUR CLIENT: Only if you sit facing the client, he will know that you are interested in listening to him and that you are attentive. Your face as well as your body should be turned towards him.
EYE CONTACT: Eye contact wins client's confidence. Do not stare fixedly making him uncomfortable. Keep looking at him most of the time (at the zone between his eyes and mouth). Avoid looking towards the door, or at your watch.
Have an INTERESTED look. This will make the client feel comfortable. Have genuine expressions, and be natural.
Have an OPEN POSTURE Your body should be expressing to the client that you are open to receive his communication and that you care for him as a friend.
MAKE ENCOURAGING SOUNDS helping the client to continue with his narration. Saying "Hmm, hmm", or "I see" or "Yes" is enough to carry on the conversation. Smiling at the right time is an indicator that you have understood and accepted.
OBSERVE the client's non-verbal behaviour. If there are discrepancies between what he says and what he expresses, he has still not opened out with his real problem.
ALLOW SILENCES. When the client feels overwhelmed by his emotions or when he has said something critical he is likely to become silent for sometime. Silence may mean that the client is feeling sad, guilty, scared etc. Silence is not an inactive stage. The client is thinking something important and is communicating non-verbally.
Do gentle probing only when the silence becomes too long. If silences are handled well they make communication more effec tive.
Use appropriate QUESTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS and summarizing to understand what is being said clearly.