Advantages of Nonverbal Communication in Business

There are different types of nonverbal communication methods, each of which has certain advantages. The advantages of nonverbal communication are discussed below from different perspectives and also Disadvantages of Nonverbal Communication:

  • Control: Nonverbal cues may also be used to control the behaviors of other. Silence controls by refocusing attention. A finger placed against the mouth is a cue for silence. To get the best example of the use of nonverbal communication as control, consider the functions of the referee in a football match or the functions of an umpire in the cricket match.
  • Complement: Nonverbal communication can also be used as a complement of verbal communication. We use different nonverbal cues for reinforcing our verbal message. We use sweeping hand or motion when we indicate something to others. For example, Your teacher may hold up a copy of a textbook at the time of telling you the title, author and the publisher of the book to be used in your course.
  • For Traffic Control: For traffic signs and signals, nonverbal communication is absolutely essential because there must be instant responses from drivers or pedestrians. There is no time or scope to read sentences; it is the red or green signal that tells the drivers and the pedestrians when they are safe to cross the road and vice verse. No other communication except the nonverbal one is effective here. Business Communication

Advantages of Nonverbal Communication

  • Substitute: The major importance of nonverbal communication is that it may be used as the substitute of verbal message. For example, while using phone if someone comes to the door of your office, you may motion for the person to come in and gesture toward a chair. These nonverbal expressions mean come in and have a seat.
  • Instant Effect: All nonverbal cues have almost instant effect as the receivers perceive them quickly. For example, it takes less time to see a color or picture and to hear a horn or bell than to speak out and understand or to read and understand words and sentences. This quality of being speedy in conveyance and response makes nonverbal methods extremely useful in many situations.
  • Aid to Verbal Communication: Non-verbal methods are extremely useful as an aid to verbal communication. Maps, charts and graphs are absolutely necessary for conveying ideas related to geography, locations, data and most of the sciences. Beside these, non-verbal methods can present a large amount of complex data in a compact form; a single page can contain materials that would require several pages to convey in language.
  • Sign or Marks of Identity: Nonverbal communication also functions as the sign or marks of identity for some objects or people. For example, the dress and ranking sign of USA Navy differentiate it from USA Army.
  • Color as a Powerful Means of Communication: Color is a very important and powerful means of communication. It is a part and parcel of our daily life. We use it in clothing, design, and decoration. It has a psychological effect also. Black and other dark colors are gloomy; very bright and gaudy colors may be disturbing and over exciting; well-matched and softly blending colors are pleasant and soothing.
  • Pictorial Presentation of Mass Communication: Pictorial presentations are best for mass communication. In a country like Bangladesh, with a large number of illiterate and semi-illiterate people, pictorial symbols are more suitable for mass communication. They are universally accepted and more easily understood. Graphs and charts are used as pictorial representations of statistical information. Signs and signals are also used as representation of something.
  • Arousing Stronger Response: All human beings respond more powerfully to pictures, colors and plain sounds than to language. A cry of agony arouses a much stronger response than a tale of woe, a film showing the actual events or representing a story is more effective than the verbal representation. News on the TV is more interesting, effective and realistic than on the radio.
  • Contradict: Sometimes, nonverbal behaviors can be also used to show contradiction to verbal communication. For example, you may say to someone, YES I have time to talk to you, but then you continue to work on something else’s instead of listening him. Here, the verbal message, I have a time to talk to you, is contradicted by your action, which clearly says, I am too busy for you right now.
  • Restate or Emphasize: Gestures and facial expressions may be used to restate or emphasize a particular point. We sometimes nod our heads YES while verbally expressing agreement. We sometimes nod our heads YES while verbally expressing agreement. We may smile broadly as we say How nice to see you again. Sometimes, our dress may convey the degree of importance we place on a particular meeting. In many cases, we reaffirm our verbal communication by using nonverbal behaviors.
  • For Illiterate People: For the illiterate people, the only method of conveying important information is by nonverbal symbols. Bottles and containers of poisons are marked with skull and crossbones as a warning; illiterate drivers can manage with the nonverbal traffic signals and signs. Films are used to explain processes to people who may not follow oral explanations easily.

From the above discussion, we find that nonverbal communication offers various advantages for us. We should use different nonverbal methods of communication to capitalize on these advantages. And more information about Different Types of Nonverbal Communication in Business.

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