CUSTOMER

RELATIONS

MODULE 2:
VERBAL AND NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 NORMA ORTEGA ALAMO, LPT, MBA
Instructor

PREFACE
Customer Relations is one of the major subjects of the program Bachelor of Science in Office
Administration. Module 2 is all about the verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The
purpose of this module is to explain the importance of effective communication in customer
service. Another is to discuss the differences between verbal and nonverbal communication,
how to communicate effectively, how to provide feedback, avoid negative communication and
learn to deal assertively with customers.

Other topics included in the discussion are the following: the scope of nonverbal behavior, the
role of gender in nonverbal communication, the impact of culture on nonverbal communication,
negative nonverbal behaviors, strategies for improving nonverbal communication, and
customer-focused behavior. These topics are very much essential to the students of this
program in order to learn more on dealing with the customers, and how to handle sensitive
situations, which need utmost care in job performance. Customers are the most important
people in the business sector, that’s why we need to study on how to read and handle their
emotions, feedback and suggestions.

In line with this, there are three significant objectives in this module. At the end of the lessons,
you, as the learners should be able to:

1. Summarize the importance of Customer Relations when viewing organizational goals and
professional skills required of Retail employees.
2. Explain the impact that poor Customer Relations can have on a company’s reputation and
its impact on the organization.
3. Analyze the ideal characteristics of ideal customer relations as applied to individuals in
both small/large organizations.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PAGE
Cover Page 1
Preface 2
Table of Contents 3
Pre-Test 4
Lesson 1
1.1 Lesson Title – Verbal Communication Skills 5
1.2 Lesson Objectives 5
1.3 Opener 5
1.4 Contents 5
A. The Importance of Effective Communication 5
B. Ensuring Two-Way Communication Interpersonal 7
Communication Model
C. Communicating Positively 9
1.5 Activities 10
1.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials 10
Lesson 2
2.1 Lesson Title – Feedback 11
2.2 Lesson Objectives 11
2.3 Opener 11
2.4 Contents 11
A. Providing Feedback Effectively 11
B. Avoiding Negative Communication 13
C. Dealing Assertively with Customers 18
2.5 Activities 19
2.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials 19
Lesson 3
3.1 Lesson Title – Nonverbal Communication Skills 20
3.2 Lesson Objectives 20
3.3 Opener 20
3.4 Contents 20
A. What is Nonverbal Communication? 20
B. The Scope of Nonverbal Behavior 20
C. The Role of Gender in Nonverbal Communication 20
3.5 Activities 21
3.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials 22
 Lesson 4 on Nonverbal
4.1 Lesson Title – The Impact of Culture 23
Communication 23
4.2 Lesson Objectives 23
4.3 Opener 23
4.4 Contents 23
A. The Impact of Culture on Nonverbal Behavior 27
B. Negative Nonverbal Behaviors 27
C. Strategies for Improving Nonverbal 29
Communications 31
D. Customer-Focused Behavior 31
3.5 Activities
3.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials
Module Summary 32

Post-Test 32

References 33

PRE-TEST
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Write the letter of your answer on the space provided.

________1. Don’t jump to conclusion, every story has two sides to it.
a. keep an open mind b. think before you speak or act c. exceeds expectations

________2. Types of business communication needs best handled by phone, except:

a. urgent situations b. poor communication c. relationship building

________3. This often shows they are not confident and comfortable with their surroundings.
a. listening b. confidence c. body language

________4. One of the main reasons why you would want to collect feedback.
a. customer engagement b. misunderstands your customers c. project proposal

________5. A path along which information in the form of an electrical signal passes.
a. sender b. channel c. receiver
________6. This is also called manual language.
a. nonverbal communication b. verbal communication c. encoding

________7. The information provided by clients about whether they’re satisfied or dissatisfied with a
product or service.
a. decoding b. customer feedback c. verbal communication
________8. When one person is the sender and they transmit a message to another person, who is the
receiver.
a. communication b. one-way communication c. two-way communication ________9. These are
nonverbal communication, except:
a. physical test b. paralanguage c. facial expressions

________10. This can be understood as forming the strategy for customer orientation for the
salesperson or organization
a. customer orientation b. customer focus c. management focus ________11. Being
_______________ means standing up for yourself, but not at the expense of
others.
 a. aggressive b. polite c. assertive

________12. These include all of those gestures that supplant words, numbers, and punctuation marks.
a. signs b. quality c. productivity
________13. These applications include power supplies, audio electronics, and radio
communications.
a. encoding b. filters c. decoding

________14. The most crucial time for a person to develop and enhance their communication skills.
a. childhood b. old age c. teenage years
________15. Reserved for closer friends, some acquaintances, and colleagues.
a. personal zone b. intimate zone c. social zone

Lesson 1

1.1 Lesson Title: VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1.2 Lesson Objectives

1. Explain the importance of effective communication in customer service.

2. Recognize the elements of effective to-way interpersonal communication.
3. Project a professional customer service image through positive communication.

1.3 Opener

Communication is one of the essential social skills required for any individual to survive in the
world. Effectively communicating ensures that you not only convey your message to someone
but also let them know about your feelings and emotions. Whether it is amongst family
members, friends, or office colleagues, effective communication helps individuals get through
the tasks of life with ease.

1.4 Contents

A. THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Diane H Wong from the service where you can ask to write my essay suggests asking
yourself if effective communication skills wouldn’t have changed the results. For example:
• You were attracted to someone and weren’t able to get your feelings across.
• You were doing an excellent job at work but your boss had no idea.
• Your child’s behavior was troubling and you couldn’t get them to listen to you.
• You have high cholesterol and/or blood pressure but you can’t quit smoking or eating
poorly.
 Each of these scenarios illustrates the results of poor
communication.

Where Does It All Start?

The big question is, where does one start to learn effective communication? And the
answer to that question is simple; at home. For some, the idea might be difficult to grasp how
one can learn communication skills at home, but like many other foundational steps, effective
communication is part of a child’s early development stages. Parents need to encourage their
children to express themselves and teach them the basics of conveying a message or feeling
effective.

Communication Tools in The Digital Era

There are many ways people can communicate in the digital era. Besides using
smartphone minutes for making and receiving calls, communication apps are now widely
utilized for messaging and videoconferencing. Businesses use voice-over-Internet protocol or
VoIP technology such as small business phone systems for seamless, faster, and more
convenient communication among employees and customers. The VoIP phone tools, along with
unified communications (like video conferencing, live chat, and connected phone systems),
boost employee productivity and increase customer retention. Alternatively, employees can get
a read on customers when they send their customer feedback to the enterprise. Choosing a
flexible and scalable plan backed by reliable communication technology is essential to establish
good communication processes.
Business owners want to enhance their business communication. Hence, phones still play
a crucial role in various business situations. Here are just some of the types of business
communication needs best handled by phone:
• Pitching stories
• Relationship building
• Promoting creative collaboration
• Crisis communications
• Persuading people
• Urgent situations
• Sharing exclusive news
• Complicated customer support issues

Empuls’ social intranet capability allows businesses to create a centralized

communication hub for their distributed teams. Teams can connect and collaborate with each
other while staying updated about everything happening at work, whether they are at home, in
the office, or on the go. Call quality measures how effectively your agents handle customer calls.
In order to improve the quality of communication by phone, you will need to use call
monitoring. So, you can monitor agents’ tone of voice, emotional intelligence skills, use of the
right language, and so on.

Most Important Time in The Life of an Individual:

Although the basics of effective communication are learned by a child from the
beginning of their toddler years, the most crucial time for a child to develop and enhance their
communication skills are their teenage years. The habits, disciplines, customs, and values
learned by an individual when they are teenagers make up the foundation structure of how they
are going to live their life throughout their years. Having effective communication skills during
this time period not only helps an individual develop the right kind of moral values and habits
but also ensures that the correct communication skills are also instilled in them.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN SKILLS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION?
Listening
It is crucial to understand that any effective form of communication is not just getting
your thoughts through and voicing your opinions. The first step to gaining effective
communication skills is to be good listeners. Teaching your child, the importance of giving others
a chance to speak as well as listening carefully to what that individual has to say is crucial.
Encouraging your child to ask questions is also a good idea for effective communication.
However, they need to be taught to do so without interrupting anyone else.
Body Language
Another crucial element of any form of communication is the body language of the
speaker and listener. Many teenagers struggle with this as their body language often shows they
are not confident and comfortable with their surroundings. While we associate communication
with exchanging words, there is much more to it than just that. Non-verbal communication is
just as important as verbal communication. It is important to understand that rather than
involving just your brain and face into the conversation, your whole body needs to be involved.
When an individual is speaking, it is crucial to sit attentively and let them know you are not only
listening to but also hearing and understanding what they are talking about. Another element
that plays a crucial role in communication is eye contact. It is important to maintain eye contact
with the individual whom you are communicating with in order to let them know you are
listening to them and are interested in what they have to say.
Effective Speech and Expression
Once your child has learned to listen and pay attention, they will then be able to learn
the effective way of speech and gain the appropriate skills they require in order to express
themselves. Only once an individual has mastered the skills of expressing themselves, can they
communicate effectively. It is crucial to teach your child the etiquette they need to follow while
conversing with another individual. Some crucial elements of speech also need to be explained
and taught to the child. For example, they need to be taught the importance of the tone of their
voice and how it impacts what they are saying. It is also essential to let them know the
importance of being clear and to the point when they are speaking, so the listener understands
what they are saying.
Confidence
Another crucial element of good communication skills, confidence is key to getting heard
by a large group of people and convincing them to agree with what you are saying. A teenager
needs to understand the main elements of public speaking and must be encouraged to do so
from an early age, so they develop confidence and can get their point across effectively.
Understanding The Difference
It is also crucial to understand the difference between the various forms of
communication and how to deal with each situation. It is important that an individual learns the
different tactics and skills required during conversing with friends, family, or with a larger crowd.
Communication between family members will be slightly different from the communication
between colleagues, and that will, in turn, be different from the way you communicate with
your boss.
The Art of Balance
Balancing different phases of life is also a crucial skill for teenagers to learn. This not only
helps them with communication skills but also with other skills that are essential for living a
successful life. Teaching them to balance between family and social life, teaching them the
importance of managing the balance of studies, sports, and other fun activities help them
become strong individuals and help them enjoy all the phases of life in a well-balanced manner.
By learning the art of balance, young leaders will sprout for a better future. They’ll become
good leaders who know how to balance work and life, boosting productivity and promoting
genuine concern for others. Hence, better communication opens more doors of opportunities to
be of help to others.
Quality and Productivity
Aside from communication skills you need to make sure that your setup is effective and
will not hinder the quality of communication in remote teams. To make that work you will need
to pay attention to your audio quality when in a call. Choose the right microphone and make
sure to use team productivity tools which will help you communicate with your team more
effectively.
These tools can involve noise cancellation tech like Krisp, which allows you to remove distracting
background noises both from your side and on your team’s side, allowing you to have
uninterrupted professional team communication no matter where you’re calling from.
Removing background noise increases team’s focus and increases the quality of your
communication.
Effective communication skills not only help an individual enjoy their life in a balanced
manner but also develop good work ethics which allows them to develop a successful career. An
individual who has learned tricks as simple as leaning forward in a chair to show the speaker
they are interested in listening to what the speaker has to say will go long ways and develop a
very impressive personality.
While learning effective communication helps an individual develop a strong personality
and a healthy career, it also helps them in developing strong relationships with their parents,
partners, and siblings. These bonds and relationships are essential for an individual to live a
happy life in the form of having people around you who will look after you when need be and
reassure you when you are feeling unsure.

B. ENSURING TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

What Is Two-Way Communication?

'Can you hear me now? How about now?' Who can forget that iconic commercial for
wireless phone service where the hapless signal tester is wandering the countryside looking for
feedback? His quest for a response to his message is an attempt to engage in two-way
communication with the person on the other end. Let's look at a simple model for two-way
communication.
Two-way communication is when one person is the sender and they transmit a message
to another person, who is the receiver. When the receiver gets the message, they send back a
response, acknowledging the message was received. The model looks like this:
Two-way communication is essential in the business world. Messages are transmitted between
employers, employees, customers, and other stakeholders, and feedback is required to be certain
that the message was received and understood.

Two-Way Communication Systems

Many businesses and municipal services rely on two-way communication systems to stay
in touch with their employees on site and in the field. Some of the most common examples of
two-way communication systems are the radio, telephone, and computer-aided dispatch
systems used by police, fire, and emergency response personnel. These systems allow
dispatchers and supervisors to keep in touch with individuals and to coordinate the activities of
groups of responders.
Two-way communications systems are also routinely used in the construction and
building trades, public transportation, the trucking industry, and aviation by commercial and
non-commercial pilots, just to name a few.
Two-way communication systems vary greatly in sophistication and special features.
They range from simple handheld two-way transceivers that use a single dedicated channel to
more complex systems that allow a large number of users to share several channels. The type of
system chosen depends on many factors, such as the intended use, the location, the number of
users, the frequency band, and the cost of the system. Regardless of the type of system chosen,
the one common feature is that all of the components must be compatible and work together
to support a common purpose.
ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE TWO-WAY INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• ENVIRONMENT – the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life
of an individual or community.
• SENDER – to dispatch someone to convey a message.
• RECEIVER – one that receives the message.
• MESSAGE - something that is being transmitted.
• CHANNEL – a path along which information in the form of an electrical signal passes.
• ENCODING - the process of converting data from one form to another; the process of
applying a specific code, such as letters, symbols and numbers, to data for conversion. It
is the process of turning thoughts into communication.
• DECODING - the process of converting code into plain text or any format that is useful
for subsequent processes.
• FEEDBACK - the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action,
event, or process to the original or controlling source
• FILTERS - serve a critical role in many common applications. Such applications include
power supplies, audio electronics, and radio communications.

C. COMMUNICATING POSITIVELY 10 Ways to Become a More Positive Communicator

1. Think before you speak or act.

Don’t just react. Pause and take a minute to think about how you want to respond in an
accountable way.

2. Keep an open mind.

Don’t jump to conclusions. Every story has two sides to it and somewhere in the middle, you’ll
find the truth.

3. Discuss rather than argue.

Use your active listening skills and shovel any piles that need shoveling. Deal with the issues you
need to deal with and be tender on the person and tough on the issue!

4. Cultivate a soothing voice.

Remember, the tone of your voice means more than what you say. Watch your body language.
Keep your body open and relaxed.

5. Never lose an opportunity to praise or say a kind word.

Say something nice to someone. Look for what is good and say something about it.

6. Exceed expectations.
Always go the extra mile and do more than is expected of you. Better yet, do it with a smile.

7. Learn to be objective about personal criticism.

Don’t spend time worrying about things you have no control over. Be true to yourself.

8. Respect the feelings of others.

Treat others the way you believe they would like to be treated.

9. Refuse to discuss the shortcomings of others.

Discourage gossip. Gossip does not do anyone any good. We all know that, so why do we do it?
Try making a good and positive comment for every gossipy one you hear.

10. Let your virtues speak for themselves.

Dust off those communication skills you know, but you don’t always use, to work toward better
communication and understanding.

Use these tips to think about how you will communicate in a more positive way. When you
encourage positive communication within yourself, people will follow your lead and you will
encourage others to do the same!

In short, conversations go a lot better – and you’ll be happier with the results – when things
are approached in a positive way right from the start.

Prepare for Positive Customer Interaction

Let Your Customers Know they are Important

Address Your Customer’s Expectations Positively

Nurture a Continuing Relationship

1.5 Activities
A. Verbal Communication. Research on YouTube a short clip featuring verbal communication. Provide
at least 5 points that you have learned on the clip. Submit the short video clip together with the points.
You can choose 1 video from the required readings and learning materials.

B. Role Playing to Improve Verbal Communication (script). Prepare a scenario/script focusing on verbal
communication, showing the role of the 9 elements on effective two-way interpersonal communication.

C. Reporting. Prepare a narrative report projecting a professional customer service image through
positive communication. How can positive communication create a positive customer service image?

RUBRIC FOR ACTIVITIES A, B, and C

Structure of the Presentation and Content (35% Personal Assessment Total
Discussion(25% ) ) (40%) 100%

1.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials

9 Effective Communication Skills

Taylot, J. (2015)

Watch at least 1 or all the videos below to understand more about communication.

Lesson 2

2.1 Lesson Title: FEEDBACK

2.2 Lesson Objectives

1. Provide feedback effectively.

2. Avoid language that could send a negative message and harm the customer relationship.
3. Use assertive communication techniques to enhance service.

2.3 Opener

Feedback can take many forms such as oral, written, informal, formal, descriptive,
evaluative, peer and self-assessed feedback. It is the quality of feedback that counts . Oral
feedback is usually given during a lesson while written feedback tends to be given after a task.
Everybody needs to be made aware of the different forms of feedback, and that comments or
oral feedback, can be just as impactful and important as marks. Feedback can take many forms,
some are more effective than others, some are equally as effective as others and some overlap
with each other.

2.4 Contents
A. PROVIDING FEEDBACK EFFECTIVELY
So you’ve done everything possible to satisfy your customers. You’re sure you and your
customer support teams are doing everything they can to service them in the best way you
know possible. You are literally treating your customers like kings and queens and are providing
an amazing super service to match their wants and needs at every step of the way – or so you
believe…
So how can you be sure your customer service strategies are working? How do you know
if your customers are happy with their experiences in your company? What do they like and
dislike about your products and services and more importantly, how can you best keep up with
their ever-changing requirements?
Let’s take a look at the brief answer as to why customer feedback is so important for
your business.
Why is customer feedback so important to your business? To fully understand your
customer’s requirements, it’s necessary to talk to them and evaluate their responses. This can
help with innovation, product development and also build a loyal customer base.
Now that we’ve taken a look at the short answer as to why collating the voice of your
customers is so important, let’s delve a little deeper.
Why collect customer feedback?
Customer feedback is one of the most important things for your business. It helps improve
product development, marketing, operations, and so much more. However, It’s one of the most
important aspects of running a business that often gets overlooked.
Many companies could find themselves lacking sales or simply not keeping the right
kind of customer base because they have not taken the time to listen to their customers as
much as they should. Listening to your customers and applying those insights is the best way to
move a business forward.
Making sure you align your product offering with exactly what your customers truly
want. By simply moving on to other business projects without taking this into consideration
could result in an offering that is a poor market fit.
The best option to make sure you’re fully understanding your product or service
marketplace is to obtain qualitative and honest customer feedback.
There are 5 main reasons why you would want to collect feedback.
• Customer engagement
• Understand your customers
• Product improvement
• Obtain testimonials, reviews, referrals
 • Evaluate and get better things

“Listening to your customers and applying those insights is

the best way to move a business forward”.
What is customer feedback?
The most important way of fully understanding a customer’s perception of your brand is
by asking them directly, and the best way to simply hear the voice of your customer is through
their own feedback.
So what exactly is customer feedback?
Customer feedback is information provided by clients about whether they’re satisfied or
dissatisfied with a product or service. This also relates to any general experience they’ve had
with a company.
Their opinion is a valuable resource for improving customer experience and adjusting
your actions to their needs.
This information can be collected from different kinds of surveys. You’re also able to
gather opinions and reviews your clients provide for you when asked to and collate them using
apps such as our customer satisfaction module.
Both sources are important to get a full picture of how your clients perceive your brand.
“The best way to simply hear the voice of your customer is through their own feedback”.
Finding out what your clients think is the only way that you can give them the best
customer experience. You can use this information to adjust how you do business and satisfy
your clients’ needs more effectively.
In turn, improving their loyalty and overall success with your company. Listening to your
customers is the best way to propel your brand forward.
How do you collect customer feedback?
It doesn’t always have to be face to face questions. One guide on how well you’re doing
is to take a macro view of all your customer interactions and conversations, along with analytics
and reporting capabilities similar to those you can get with our reporting system – complete
with its own dashboard for instant insights!
Call centers, being the focal point for customer interactions, hold a huge opportunity to
gather customer feedback that can provide valuable insights to improve every aspect of your
business.
Collecting and acting upon customer feedback is a must for any business looking to
provide users with the products they need. Customer feedback is essential to guide and inform
your decision making and influence innovations and changes to your product or service. It’s also
essential for measuring customer satisfaction among your current customers.
Getting a handle on how customers view your product, support, and the company is
invaluable. So, let’s take a look below at some of the great ways you can gather insights from
current and prospective customers who visit your site.
20 great ways of collecting important feedback from your customers.
• Regularly call your customers
• Provide live chat support
• Social media activity monitoring
• Collect feedback from your live chat sessions
• Provide feedback forms
• Customer service performance analytics
• Provide an active online community with support
• New and existing customer email surveys
• Use NPS to evaluate customer loyalty
• Create a feedback area on order confirmation page
 • Online Polls
• Review feedback on your competitor’s sites
• Display any Positive Customer Feedback
• Facebook reactions
• Make your online store more ‘human’
• Offer a gift or prize in return for feedback
• Use negative feedback to showcase professionalism
• Create a feedback area for cart abandonment
• In-App feedback
• Ask for feedback at the point of service

“Collecting and acting upon customer feedback is a must for any business looking to
provide users with the products they need”.

Companies often ask for feedback, but don’t do anything with it. So how do you approach
this? First of all, take a good look at the answers, categorize them, then share the feedback with
others at your company who can implement those changes. This could be a member of your
product team or your customer support team.
Those teams who have a better insight on the subject will be able to prioritize and decide
how to put the new strategies in motion. Also, it’s important to pay attention if customers
appear to be unhappy about the same things. If many people agree on something, it gives you a
good place upon which to start.

B. AVOIDING NEGATIVE COMMUNICATION

The following are 7 most dangerous ‘killers’ to watch out for in communication with your
customers, employees and co-workers, along with some proactive strategies for preventing
them.
1. Using One-Size-Fits-All Communication Approach
“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive
the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony
Robbins
Communication is all about perception, that is the processing, interpreting, selecting and
organizing of information. What you say is not necessarily what someone else hears, because
the same message can be interpreted differently by different people. How someone perceives
your message will depend on many factors such as culture, knowledge, past experiences,
stereotypes, personality, their own communication style, preferences, emotional intelligence,
mindset and more. The fact is that no one else thinks and perceives the world exactly like you.
When it comes to communicating your brand to your audience, a one-size-fits-all approach
definitely doesn’t work anymore.
According to the researchers from the London School of Economics and ESCP Europe
Business School, some of the world’s most recognized brands fall into the trap of marketing
their products in a global way, while ignoring cross-cultural differences in consumer psychology.
That puts them at a risk of failing to win new customers from Eastern countries, as the
psychology of consumers in the East is often vastly different to the West. In workplace
communication this approach no longer fits as well. This is especially the case with a multi-
generational workforce that currently presents a great challenge to management’s internal
communications.
Obviously, a seasoned professional in his sixties is not likely to consume communications
in the same way that a recent college graduate does. In fact, a study from Robert Half
Management Resources revealed that many business leaders have some real work to do when it
 comes to communication, with 35% of workers saying communication and diplomacy are the
areas where managers need to improve most.
To achieve better communication with employees, managers and leaders need to tailor their
communication style to each age group.
Another research by Robert Half and Enactus found that baby boomers tend to be more
reserved, while Gen Xers prefer a control-and-command style.
Conversely, Gen Y employees prefer a more collaborative approach to communication, and the
youngest workers, Gen Z, prefer in-person interactions.

2. Speaking More and Listening Less

“Talking more than is necessary is a barrier to effective communication and effective
listening.” – Clodagh Swanson
Speaking and listening in a balanced way is the foundation of effective communication.
However, most people tend to fall into the trap of treating conversation like a competitive sport,
in which the person who speaks the most is the winner. But in reality the person who speaks
least benefits most and the person who speaks most benefits least.
Why is that? Take a look at some of the benefits of speaking less and listening more:
 You will think more before you speak
 You can better process what the other person is talking about
 You will only say what’s important
 You won’t say anything you’ll later regret
 You will have all of the facts before making a decision
 You can get to know others better
 Your customers/employees/co-workers will appreciate being listened to and understood
According to the Harvard Business Review, there are 3 levels of listening:
 Internal listening (focused on your own thoughts, worries, and priorities)
 Focused listening (being able to focus on the other person, but you’re still not connecting fully
to them), and  360 listening.
The latter is what every business leader should strive for. With 360 listening, you’re not only
listening to what someone is saying, but also how they’re saying it and most importantly, what
they’re not saying.
Listening can be a challenging skill to master. Below are some helpful tips to develop your
listening skills and improve your business communications:
1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact
2. Listen without distraction and interruptions
3. Remember to use an active-listening attitude
4. Pay attention to what isn’t said – to nonverbal cues
5. Listen with the intent to truly understand
6. Try to put yourself in their shoes
7. Listen without judging the other person or mentally criticizing
8. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions
9. Avoid trying to offer an immediate solution
10. Give the speaker consistent reactions to show you’re attentive
3. Assuming Instead of Asking More Questions
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” – Peter
Drucker
Effective communication greatly relies on the ability to receive the messages that are
being sent to you. Making quick assumptions instead of asking more questions is a huge
communication mistake in business.
 If you need clarification to get a better understanding – simply ask for it. People are
usually happy to clarify when they see you’re making the effort to fully listen.
On the other side, don’t assume that everyone perfectly understood the message YOU
were trying to deliver – always take the time to follow up and confirm comprehension.
Some of the most successful companies and brands are those that have a deep
understanding of their customers and their needs, not just from ‘big data’ analytics, but from
asking questions through surveys or focus groups, speaking with them in person, via phone,
email or social media channels.
When engaging with your customers, whether one on one or through your marketing
communications, ask them what they expect from you, how you can improve your products or
services, and how you can make their experience richer. Just in the same way, when it comes to
corporate communication, very often leaders and managers run their teams on auto-pilot,
assuming that they know what their employees are doing and what they are thinking. Here are
some of the great examples of questions you can ask your employees to get to know and
understand them better, and improve engagement:
 Do you know what exactly you should do to help the company meet its goals?
 Do you have enough information to make correct decisions about your work?
 How can I help you do your job better?
 What’s something about your job that bugs you?
 If there’s one thing you would change at work, what would it be?
 What’s the one thing holding you or the team back?
 Why did that mistake happen and what can be done differently next time?
4. Using Negative Tone
“10% of conflicts are due to difference in opinion. 90% are due to wrong tone of voice.” –
Unknown.
Tone is naturally present in all form of communication. It’s reflected in the way you phrase
your message and the words you choose to use. Watching your tone is especially important in
written communications, where there is no voice, facial expression and body language to
convey intent or emotion behind a message. Words alone can carry a certain tone, and by
choosing your words more carefully you eliminate negative reactions.
Check out these 10 tips to avoid negative tone in your business communications:
1. Be friendly but maintain an appropriate level of professionalism
2. As much as possible, avoid using negative words
3. Use positive phrasing to convey negative news
4. Use antonyms to remove the word “not”
5. Use passive voice instead of active voice to soften the tone
6. Use non-discriminatory language
7. Don’t break the negative news right at the start or right at the end of the conversation
8. Focus on what can be done instead of what cannot be done
9. Avoid long explanations, and focus on the solution
10. In written communications always re-read before hitting send
In workplace environment, avoiding negative tone when communicating with employees /
co-workers can help leaders and managers to prevent conflicts and improve engagement.
Take a look at the following statement:
“The project deadline is in two days. There’s still a lot to do and we don’t have much time left. I
need you to put in more effort and extra hours from now on.”
Now consider this one:
“Our project deadline is Wednesday. I know how hard you’ve been working on it. I
hope you’ll continue giving it your best to make this project a success.” While the
meaning is the same, the tone makes a huge difference.
 5. Avoiding Difficult Conversations
“Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.” – Margaret Wheatley
Nobody likes to have tough conversations that could lead to conflict, and it might be
tempting to try to avoid them. Whether it’s dealing with angry customers, firing someone,
giving negative feedback, apologizing for a mistake or delivering bad news, many people
naturally choose avoidance as often as possible.
However, it’s far worse to let a problem fester as it could potentially cause further
damage. Learning to deal head-on with your emotions can minimize the anxiety and make
difficult conversations easier to handle. How to stop avoiding difficult conversations?
Here are some steps you can take:
1. Ask yourself, what is the cost of not having the conversation?
2. Ask yourself, what are you really trying to avoid? The other person’s reaction or your
own emotional labor?
3. Practice managing your emotions and being patient.
4. View a tough conversation as an opportunity to do business in a better way or to be a
more effective manager/ leader.
5. Don’t assume the worst and focus on a positive outcome.
How to address difficult conversations with customers:
 Be well prepared and stick to the facts, take responsibility.
 Choose the right place/ customer service cannel to have the conversation.
 Let your customer know right away you recognize the problem, and you’re working to make it
right.
 Look at the situation from the customer’s viewpoint, show empathy and understanding.
 If necessary, apologize with sincerity and without rambling.
 Maintain a calm and professional tone while also remaining assertive.
 Don’t abandon honesty in hopes of satisfying the customer’s desires. How to address difficult
conversations with employees:
 Don’t delay – especially if the issue is having a negative impact on the team or the company.
 Do your homework – the more you prepare, the better the conversation should go.
 Set up a private meeting and think of the most suitable location in a relaxed environment.
 Watch your attitude and language – be positive, respectful and non-confrontational.
 Leave your emotions at the door so that they don’t take over and block your rational side.
 Make sure your criticism is always constructive and very specific.
 End the conversation by agreeing on clear goals with an employee.
6. Reacting, Not Responding
“When you react, you let other control you. When you respond, you are in control.” – Bohdi
Sanders
Reacting, instead of responding is a huge mistake in business communication, especially
when dealing with angry and disappointed customers, colleagues or employees.
A reaction doesn’t take into consideration long-term effects of what you say or do, and
it’s very often something you’ll regret about later. Responding, on the other hand, is more
thoughtful, and it’s predominantly guided by logic and reasoning.
For those working in customer service, it’s extremely important to be able to hold back
impulsive reactions when handling frustrated customers, and knowing how to respond
appropriately.
What’s the difference between reacting and responding?
 Reaction is immediate – response takes time.
 Reaction is driven by the beliefs, biases, and prejudices of the unconscious mind – response is
based on information from both the conscious and unconscious mind.
 Reaction is emotionally charged – response is the outcome of thoughtfulness, reflection, and
consideration.
 Reaction is often aggressive – response allows for assertiveness without aggression.
 Reaction typically provokes more reactions – response typically provokes discussion that leads
to conflict resolution.
Learning how to go from reacting to responding in conflict situations will dramatically
improve your business communication skills and help you handle conflicts better.
They key is to practice mindful awareness that allows you to monitor your automatic
reactions, so you can stop them before they become distractive. Most people have probably
heard of the old trick of counting to 10 before speaking. While that is a rather cliché example,
the basic concept is correct – instead of reacting immediately, be mindful, pause, take a deep
breath, recognize the damage your reaction might do, then start to deliberately formulate a
thoughtful response.
7. Not Keeping an Open Mind
“Without an open-minded mind, you can never be a great success.” – Martha Stewart
Finally, being close-minded can influence business communication in a negative way and
even ruin your relationships with customers or employees. Closed-minded people usually spend
more time talking than listening, tend to ignore opposing viewpoints and beliefs, rush to
judgement and conclusions, and are generally not willing to consider new ideas and opinions.
Those having an open mind, on the other hand, easily accept people from diverse
backgrounds and respect their differences, understand others better, listen without judging, and
consider all sides if an issue before jumping to conclusions.
Benefits of being open-minded in business communication
 Open-minded people are better leaders, more effective communicators and collaborators.
 They are good listeners, have a higher tolerance level and greater patience when
communicating with others.
 They can easily build trust and engagement with employees, team members and customers no
matter their diversity.
 Being able to see things easily from different perspectives, they are better problem solvers and
decision-makers in conflict situations.
How to become open-minded person
To maintain an open mind in your business communications, you need to strategically work at it
as it doesn’t happen by accident. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:
 Practice being an active and engaged listener without interrupting or getting absorbed in your
own thoughts.
 Challenge your thinking by embracing differing viewpoints, perspectives and beliefs.
 When you reach a conclusion quickly, ask yourself whether it’s true 100% of the time, don’t
limit yourself to that one thought being the only right one.
 Evaluate your options from every angle rather than being predisposed to one way of looking at
things.
 Generate several good possibilities to choose from rather than settling for the first answer that
comes to your mind.
 Broaden your horizons by educating yourself and constantly expanding your knowledge.

C. DEALING ASSERTIVELY WITH CUSTOMERS

Being assertive is completely different from being aggressive. Being assertive means
standing up for yourself, but not at the expense of others. Training yourself to be assertive can
truly benefit your workflow and self-confidence, especially when faced with persistent or
difficult clients. But how can you say NO to a client without being rude or hurting your own
career?
 Here's an introduction on mastering the art of assertiveness.

Learn how to say 'NO'

Don't feel obliged to accommodate every single person who wants to take some of your
time. One small commitment after another will gradually build up and lead you to stress out
over having too much to do and having too many clients to please. Set your priorities, be aware
of your schedule and, if you need to say NO, say it firmly without beating around the bush or
apologizing profusely. After all, you have the right to reject a project you don't have time for or a
suggestion you don't believe in.

Be polite yet firm

Your approach towards difficult clients should never be aggressive or hurtful. Be true to
yourself and stand your ground, but communicate your side of the coin politely. Be sincere,
explain your honest opinion to your client and suggest alternatives. Show your client that you
respect and appreciate their request, but don't talk down to them. Nor should you sugar coat
your response by being extremely nice and apologetic. Balancing assertiveness with good
manners and appropriate wording is absolutely key.

Remember that you are your own boss

No one should be able to control the way you operate and run your own business apart
from yourself. Your client is not your superior, so take charge of the situation and maintain your
worth. When clients attempt to unfairly whittle down your prices or request additional services,
be confident in the quality of your work and demand that it is respected.

Be the expert and own it

When you think that a client's plan is almost impossible to fulfil or potentially dangerous
to execute, don't be afraid to let them know. Honesty really is the best policy, especially if you
have experience and knowledge to back it up. This is more about looking out for the best
interests of both your client and your own business, rather than being cocky or arrogant.

Value your time

Never sacrifice other important commitments for persistent clients if you cannot satisfy
their request. Time management is essential in everything, including managing your multiple
commitments. Lay out your schedule, look for gaps and be realistic when faced with client
requests that are almost impossible to carry out by their desired deadline.

Be OK with walking away as the last resort

It becomes too difficult to reach some sort of agreement with a relentless client,
renegotiate with them to the best of your abilities. If this still doesn't work, consider walking
away. As long as you break ties with a client on good terms, don't be afraid of moving on to new
(and hopefully better) clients. You pave the way for the success of your own business. So don't
let clients get you down just because they fail to agree with the way you work. Being assertive
can be extremely challenging, but standing up for yourself in a confident and professional
manner is essential in the business world.

2.5 Activities

A. Individual Role Playing: Portray a role of a customer service assistant while communicating to a
customer. The scenario is, the customer service assistant is answering a query from the customer about
how to pay a certain bill. Submit a video of the activity.
B. Individual Reaction Paper: Prepare a reaction paper on the topic “Perceptions are Reality”. Page
113, Customer Service 6th Edition, by Lucas W.

C. Individual Role Playing: Standing Up Assertively Role Play. Portray a role of a customer service
assistant while answering a personal query of the customer. (You can choose any scenario that you want
to portray).

Rubric for Activities A, B, and C.

Structure of the Presentation and Content (35% Personal Assessment Total
Discussion ) (40%) 100%
(25% )

2.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials

Verbal Communication
www.business.qld.gov.au

What is Feedback? Definition of Feedback in Communication

bizcommunicationcoach.com

Lesson 3
3.1 Lesson Title NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

3.2 Lesson Objectives

1. Define nonverbal communication.

2. Recognize various nonverbal cues and their effect on customers.
3. Explain the effect that gender has on communication.
4. Describe the effect of culture on nonverbal communication.

3.3 Opener

Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through the use of body

language including eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and more. For example, smiling
when you meet someone conveys friendliness, acceptance and openness. Everyone uses
nonverbal communication all the time whether they know it or not.
Nonverbal communication is dependent on seeing and analyzing physical movements as
opposed to verbal communication, or the use of language to transfer information through
written text, speaking or sign language.

3.4 Contents

A. WHAT IS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION?

Nonverbal communication, also called manual language, is the process of sending and
receiving messages without using words, either spoken or written. Similar to the way that
italicizing emphasizes written language, nonverbal behavior may emphasize parts of a verbal
message. The term nonverbal communication was introduced in 1956 by psychiatrist Jurgen
Ruesch and author Weldon Kees in the book "Nonverbal Communication: Notes on the Visual
Perception of Human Relations."
Nonverbal messages have been recognized for centuries as a critical aspect of
communication. For instance, in "The Advancement of Learning" (1605), Francis Bacon observed
that "the lineaments of the body do disclose the disposition and inclination of the mind in
general, but the motions of the countenance and parts do not only so, but do further disclose
the present humor and state of the mind and will."

B. THE SCOPE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Types of Nonverbal Communication

"Judee Burgoon (1994) has identified seven different nonverbal dimensions:"
1. Kinesics or body movements including facial expressions and eye contact;
2. Vocalics or paralanguage that includes volume, rate, pitch, and timbre;
3. Personal appearance;
4. Our physical environment and the artifacts or objects that compose it;
5. Proxemics or personal space;
6. Haptics or touch; 7. Chronemics or time.

"Signs or emblems include all of those gestures that supplant words, numbers, and
punctuation marks. They may vary from the monosyllabic gesture of a hitchhiker's prominent
thumb to such complex systems as the American Sign Language for the deaf where nonverbal
signals have a direct verbal translation. However, it should be emphasized that signs and
emblems are culture-specific. The thumb and forefinger gesture used to represent 'A-Okay' in
the United States assumes a derogatory and offensive interpretation in some Latin American
countries." (Wallace V. Schmidt et al., Communicating Globally: Intercultural Communication
and International Business. Sage, 2007)
C. THE ROLE OF GENDER IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Women and men differ in their nonverbal behavior. Or, to be more exacting about it, some
women and some men differ in their nonverbal behavior some of the time. Is this latter
statement needlessly overqualified or heedlessly overstated? Whatever the topic, the issue of
sex differences tends to engender vigilance and caution even beyond the normally high
academic custom. This is, in part, because the suggestion of differences on the basis of sex is
controversial whatever the content of these differences.

Nonverbal communication mainly focuses on the way of expressing the thought that arise in
an individual's mind so that the sender receives the correct information. Nonverbal
communication “involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated
by both the source speaker and his or her use of the environment and that have potential
message value for the source or receive. Here we have a topic which distinguishes the nonverbal
communication based on gender and give immense knowledge how a men and women will
communicate nonverbally when both has a totally different view about the topic they are going
to talk.
When we say gender communication, it doesn’t 't mean anything related to the relationship
between the men and women. Communication can be either verbal or nonverbal. Nonverbal
communication is more immediate, but more ambiguous than verbal communication. Men and
women differ significantly in their propensity to use nonverbal communication, their skill in
interpreting it and their means of signaling their meaning. Accordingly, understanding gender
differences in nonverbal communication is important when dealing with the opposite sex. One
of the reasons that men and women differ in their use of nonverbal communication is that their
reasons for communicating are often different, according to John Gray, author of the best-seller
"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Men generally communicate to transmit
information and solve specific problems, while women usually use communication to express
feelings and achieve emotional intimacy. Consequently, women tend to use nonverbal
communication more than men.

Skill

Women are better than men at interpreting nonverbal signal, according to the website
Body Language Expert. They are also better at reading unintentional nonverbal messages, such
as signals of deception. Although men often send nonverbal signals, they typically do so with
less subtlety than women.

Gestures

In accord with their greater desire for intimacy, women are generally more tolerant of
close bodily proximity than men; in fact, men are more likely to perceive close proximity as a
sign of aggressive or confrontational intent. Nevertheless, different cultures have different
tolerances for bodily proximity, and these differences often exceed the difference between
genders.

Touching

Since men are more likely than women to associate touching with sexual intentions,
heterosexual men are less likely to use touch during conversation with other men. Women, on
the other hand, are far less reticent about touching other women because they also use
touching as an expression of friendship or sympathy.

3.5 Activities
A. Long Quiz: Quiz using google form will be provided. The activity will be posted to the group chat.

B. Essay: Prepare an essay with not less than 200 words, discussing the “The Scope of Nonverbal
Behavior”.

C. Reflection Paper: Search a video clip in YouTube about “The Role of Gender in Nonverbal
Communication”. Create a reflection paper about the video clip and provide its title in the paper.

Rubric for Activities B and C.

Structure of the Presentation and Content Personal Assessment (40%) Total
Discussion (35% )
(25% ) 100%

3.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials

Nonverbal Communication: Definition, Types, Importance

www.iedunote.com>nonverbal communication
Lesson 4

4.1 Lesson Title THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

4.2 Lesson Objectives

1. Describe the effect of culture on nonverbal communication.

2. Identify unproductive behaviors.
3. Use a variety of nonverbal communication strategies.
4. Demonstrate specific customer-focused nonverbal behavior.

4.3 Opener

Nonverbal communication plays many important roles in intercultural situations. As

messages delivered within the verbal channel convey the literal and content meanings of words,
the nonverbal channel is relied upon to carry the undercurrent of identity ties and relational
meaning. Occurring with or without verbal communication, nonverbal cues provide the context
for interpreting and understanding how the verbal message should be understood. As such, they
can create either clarity or confusion. Usually, however, they can create intercultural friction and
misunderstandings for three main reasons. First, a single nonverbal cue can have different
meanings and interpretations in different cultures; second, multiple nonverbal cues are sent
simultaneously; and third, a high degree of display rules need to be considered, such as
variations in gender, personality, relational distance, socioeconomic status, and the situation.

4.4 Contents

A. THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Nonverbal messages are generally the primary means of conveying emotions, attitudes,
and our relationships with others, and we rely on nonverbal cues to "say" things that are
difficult to vocalize. A quick look away when one attempts to make eye contact with you can be
interpreted in myriad ways, from "I'm too busy" to "I don't want to talk to you" or "I'm
embarrassed."
Nonverbal cues are defined as those messages embedded in nonlinguistic and
paralinguistic cues that are expressed through multiple communication channels in a particular
social setting. Nonlinguistic cues can be eye contact, smiles, touch, hand gestures, or silence.
Paralinguistic lies in your voice, and can be speed, volume, tone or pitch. Multiple channels
mean that nonverbal cues are sent through multiple channels at once, e.g. eye contact, facial
expressions, and body movement. Sociocultural setting reflects the importance of our cultural
norms and expectations in evaluating appropriateness and inappropriateness of a nonverbal
message.
FORMS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Researchers have identified numerous forms of nonverbal communication: physical
appearance, paralanguage (vocal cues), facial expressions, kinesics (body movements), haptics
(touch), eye contact, and proxemics (space).
 Physical appearance includes body type, height, weight, hair, and skin color. These
characteristics affect our daily communications with others. We also wear clothing, and we
display artifacts, which are ornaments or adornments that themselves communicate. Our
clothing and artifacts mark our unique or co-cultural identity, or the many smaller cultural
groups to which we belong within a larger culture. Whatever you wear or don't wear, this says
something about you.
Paralanguage, or vocal cues, also mark our cultural, ethnic, and gender identity. This is
how we say something, not what we way. Paralanguage includes the following areas: accent
(how words are pronounced together); pitch range (high or low tone); pitch intensity (high or
low carrying of your voice); volume (loud or soft); articulation (precision or slurring); and rate
(speed). We tend to evaluate others' speech based on our own standards. If you raise your voice
during a conversation, chances are that will be interpreted as you being angry or irritated.
However, raising your voice is common among many cultural groups as an indication of sincerity
or authenticity.
For example, some African Americans tend to have expressive voices and are passionate
about their speaking points, which can be mistaken for anger. Also, putting the accent on a
different part of a word or a different word in a sentence can send very different meanings, as
can shifts in tone at the end of the phrase (rising or falling). Consider the different ways to
pronounce just really? Decoding nonverbal cues at this level requires a sophisticated
understanding of the language.
Facial expressions fall under a larger category of nonverbal communication, kinesics, or
body movement. The face is capable of producing 250,000 different expressions. Many of these
vary cross-culturally, but some can be recognized across cultures. These are the facial
expressions accompanying emotions represented by SADFISH: sadness, anger, disgust, fear,
interest, surprise, and happiness. People of some cultures are taught from a very young age not
to show certain emotions, making it more difficult for people from these cultures to identify
these emotional expressions when they see them.
The most expressive part of the face is the eyes, and for this reason, many scholars
categorize gaze separately from facial expressions. Eye contact is a very powerful
communication tool. Holding eye contact can be a sign of respect, truthfulness, attraction,
attention, or domination and power, for example. Failure to make eye contact can similarly be
an indication of respect, fear, intimidation, lack of interest, and more. Some of this depends on
the culture. For example, in most Western cultures, it's considered appropriate behavior to look
someone in the eye during a conversation, and to comfortably hold that gaze with the other
person. In fact, failing to make eye contact often raises suspicion about ulterior motives. In many
Eastern cultures, however, making and maintaining eye contact can indicate disrespect when it
involves people of different positions along the social hierarchy; it's considered impolite to look
a teacher in the eye, for example.
Gestures, another form of kinesics, are culturally specific. Researchers have sub-divided
gestures into four areas: emblems, or gestures shat substitute for words and phrases, such as
raising your shoulders for "I don't know"'; illustrators help illustrate what we are trying to say,
perhaps by indicating "this big"; regulators are used to control, maintain, or "regulate" the pace
and flow of conversation, such as putting up your forefinger to indicate you're not finished
speaking; and adaptors are habits or gestures that fulfill some kind of psychological need, such
as picking lint off your shirt or playing with your hair. Some cultures rely far more heavily on
gestures as accompaniments to their verbal communication than others. For example, the
Italian language employs such a high degree of emblems that entire conversations can almost be
held using emblems alone. Adaptors are often employed when someone is nervous or perhaps
being dishonest, but not always. Because gestures are culturally specific, their intended meaning
can become very confusing when communicating across cultures.
Haptics is the study of touch, and its rules vary considerably across cultures. Arabic men
often hold hands while most U.S. men wouldn't dare. In the U.S. we often hug hello and
goodbye while in many other nations kisses on the cheeks are the standard salutations. There
are also different places on the body where touch is appropriate given your relationship with
that person. It's generally considered fine around the globe to pat buttocks on sports teams, but
try this with your boss and you're probably asking for trouble.
The study of space is proxemics, and it too is culturally regulated. We each live within our
personal "bubble", the space around us reserved for intimate others, and feel offended or at
least awakened when someone violates the boundary of that space bubble without the
permission that accompanies greater intimacy. Some cultures are comfortable speaking at a
distance of 12-18 inches with non-intimate others while other cultures need at least 2 feet, and
others still require as much as 5-6 feet of distance when speaking with a non-intimate
conversation partner. These differences can create discomfort and confusion when you
accidentally violate someone's space bubble. The next section discusses this concept in greater
detail.

REGULATING BOUNDARIES

As human beings, we are definitely somewhat territorial, and tend to mark our spaces as
a way of claiming our territory. Our boundaries exist in space and time. We feel attached to and
develop a sense of ownership over a particular spot. When someone invades our territory, we
begin to feel sensitive, vulnerable, and threatened. If our territory is a precious commodity, we
tend to react without first thinking through our reactions and actions because we feel violated.
This is psychological ownership, not physical ownership. For example, in cities where parking
spaces are extremely limited, people complain when others "park in their spot," even though all
spots are publically owned. Research suggests that there are three main areas of boundaries:
interpersonal boundaries, environmental boundaries, and psychological boundaries.
In the consideration of interpersonal boundaries, what is a comfortable distance for
members of one cultural group can feel like crowding to those of another. In the US, research
suggests that we have four spatial zones: intimate, personal, social, and public. The intimate
zone is reserved for those closest to us such as family, close friends, and an emotional situation.
Its distance is zero to 18 inches. The personal zone is reserved for closer friends, some
acquaintances, and colleagues. Its distance is eighteen to forty-eight inches. The social zone is
what we typically find at a larger event such as a party, and its distance is forty-eight inches to
twelve feet. Finally, the distance of twelve feet or more is the public zone. When any of these
zones is violated, anxiety or discomfort can result.
For European Americans, the average conversational distance is approximately twenty
inches. In many Latin American and Caribbean cultures, that distance reduces to fourteen to
fifteen inches. In Saudi Arabia, among same-sex speakers, the ideal conversational distance
reduces even further to nine to ten inches. The concept of personal space is unseen, yet can
result in a good deal of intercultural discomfort and misunderstanding. Consider the colleague
from a place with a smaller comfortable speaking distance, who enters your intimate zone
unwittingly, engendering some discomfort to you. You back away slightly to regain your
comfortable space bubble, yet your colleague matches your step with one of his/her own, again
closing the space. This can make for a rather awkward conversation, regardless of the topic.
Unconsciously, we deem our personal space our protective territory that we carry around with
us; it is sacred, non-violable, and nonnegotiable. Different cultures have different space
requirements for each of the above zones, but the experience of space and space violation
carries across cultures and gender groups.
Environmental boundaries are the space we claim and to which we become emotionally
attached along with other members of our communities. Territory and identity are
interconnected concepts because of the amount of time, effort, emotion and self-worth that is
invested in what we claim as our primary territories. Our home territory or environment
immediately surrounding us strongly influences our everyday lives. Further, our behavior is
defined by the people we interact with and the environment where the communication occurs.
For example, middle-class neighborhoods in Canada or the U.S. are very different from those of
Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, and those varied environments strongly influence the
behaviors of their inhabitants. Middle class homes in the U.S. are physically separated from
neighbors with a fence, gate, yard, or some combination thereof. Within the home,
environmental boundaries are exercised through separate bedrooms and bathrooms, and many
locks.
In Mexico, however, we see a very different approach to the neighborhood structure.
Homes are built and arranged around a central plaza, perhaps with a community center and
church. Family members share bedrooms and bathrooms, and there are not many interior locks.
Thus, U.S. homes tend to reflect individualistic values while Mexican homes tend to reflect
collectivistic values.
Psychological boundaries can be defined as the expectation of space around you in an
empty elevator or movie theater. How do you feel when someone sits right next to you on a
park bench, when there are many other park benches free? These are examples of psychological
space. Crowded conditions in cities such as Hong Kong, Mumbai and Bangkok make it nearly
impossible for people to experience privacy as we know it in the U.S. Privacy itself can be
deemed offensive in some cultures who value a more communal-collectivistic way of living.
Some languages have nonexistent or at minimum very different terms for the expression of
privacy, indicating the minimal or different importance this concept plays in the lives of the
people sharing this language.
 Together, these three types of spatial boundaries are invisible, yet we feel uncomfortable
and violated when our boundaries are not respected. Cross-culturally this can lead to some
discomfort and confusion – it's hard to respect a boundary that you can't see and aren't aware
is there.
TIPS FOR INTERCULTURAL FLEXIBILITY
There are a few things we can do to increase our intercultural flexibility and move away
from intercultural incompetence. These suggestions follow. First, as you observe and identify
nonverbal cues, try to be flexible. Remember that your interpretations may not match the
intentions of those using the nonverbal cue.
Second, go deeper into the meaning of the nonverbal cue. Many intended meanings
don't match superficial explanations.
Third, focus on how someone says something rather than what someone says. Cues in
voice, or paralanguage, can lend great insight toward how a person feels toward what they're
talking about.
Fourth, be adaptive and sensitive to the appropriate nonverbal display rules in a
particular situation and cultural community.
Finally, learn to decrease your judgmental tendencies and be more tentative in interpreting the
nonverbal cues of others which may be unfamiliar to you. Following these few tips can help you
become more open-minded, flexible, and intercultural communication competent.
B. NEGATIVE NONVERBAL BEHAVIORS
* Unprofessional Handshake
* Fidgeting
* Pointing a Finger of Other Object
* Raising an Eyebrow
*Peering Over Top of Eyeglasses
C. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
* Seek Out Nonverbal Cues
* Confirm your Perceptions
* Seek Clarifying Feedback
* Analyze your Interpretations of Nonverbal Cues

HOW TO IMPROVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

By now, you should be convinced of the importance of developing strong nonverbal
communication skills. The next step is to start developing your skills so you can put them into
practice. Here are just a few ways for you to do just that.

1. Establish Eye Contact

Making eye contact with people can help to encourage a sense of trust because it shows
that you’re open and communicative. Just make sure that you’re not overdoing it because you
don’t want to seem creepy.
It should feel natural and one-on-one eye contact should be interspersed with regular
breaks so that it doesn’t get too intense. When you’re speaking to a group or presenting in front
of an audience, consider making eye contact with different audience members as you look out
into the crowd.
2. Face People
No matter whether you’re delivering a keynote or whether you’re in a meeting with an
important client, you need to make sure you’re facing the people you’re communicating with.
Make sure that you’re not looking down at a screen or some notes and failing to look at
your audience. If you’re meeting in person, then face them head-on instead of giving them
silent glances.
3. Smile
Languages vary from country to country, but smiles are universal. By simply smiling at
the people that you’re talking to, you’ll send out nonverbal signals that you’re approachable and
open to a two-way dialogue.
It shows that you’re talking to your peers and not in a formal situation. Smiling can also
win people over to your cause, especially if you’re saying something controversial or picking a
side in a debate.
4. Match Other People
Keep an eye on what other people are doing when you’re talking to them and consider
adapting your own body language to suit theirs. If they’re gesturing rapidly, then follow suit, and
do the same if they lean towards you.
At the same time, though, it’s important not to copy any negative body language, such
as frowning, fiddling or crossing your arms.
5. Concentrate On Your Tone of Voice
Technically, this one is verbal, but it’s also nonverbal in that it’s not about what you say
but how you say it. The way that you speak can convey everything from awed respect to
boredom and outright hostility.
That’s why you should use the way you speak to reflect the content of what you’re
saying. If you’re excited about something, show it!

6. Shake Hands Firmly and Sit Up Straight

Doing this will show that you’re confident, serious and professional. First impressions
count for a lot, and not just when it comes to your nonverbal communication.
Nevertheless, taking these two small actions will make you seem much more professional.
Sitting up straight will also help you to pay more attention to the conversation you’re having.

7. Brush Up Your Appearance

Building on the last point, you’ll want to take the time to brush up and to make yourself
look beautiful ahead of any big presentations or public speaking engagements. This will signal
that you take care of yourself and pay attention to detail. It will also give you a little
selfconfidence and make you feel more prepared for the task in hand.
8. Pay Attention
One of the major habits that successful people have in common is their tendency to
make everyone they meet feel like the most important person in the world. You can borrow
from this by paying as much attention as possible to everyone you speak to.
They’ll notice – and you won’t have to say a word to make them notice. As part of this,
it’s a good idea to minimize distractions where possible so that you can focus solely on the
conversation you’re having.
9. Respect Personal Space
Different people prefer different amounts of personal space, so take the lead from the
people that you’re talking to. If they’re happy to get up close and personal, then be prepared to
do the same.
But if they keep a wide berth and like to have a lot of space, then don’t get up in their
face and push them outside of their comfort zone.
10. Practice!
They say that practice makes perfect, which means you’ll never stop improving. If you
want to be a strong nonverbal communicator, you need to keep practicing and getting better so
that when you’re called upon, you’ll be ready.
One way to spot ways to improve is to film yourself and then to watch it back to look out
for any potential pitfalls. You can even watch it on mute to get a fuller idea of what you’re
expressing outside of the words you’re saying.

D. CUSTOMER-FOCUSED BEHAVIOR
* Stand Up, if Appropriate
* Act promptly
* Guide Rather Than Direct
* Be Patient with Customers
* Offer Assistance
* Reduce Customer Wait Times
* Allow Customers to Go First
* Offer Refreshments, If Appropriate
* Be Professional
What does customer focus mean?
To properly understand what the concept ‘customer focus’ refers to and what being
customer focused means, let’s first look at the broader picture and how customer focus relates
to and differs from ‘customer orientation’. At this point, some might ask “Aren’t they the same
thing?”. Well, not really, they’re not. But, they are closely related. To understand how they
interrelate, a good place to start is to define customer orientation (in the context of selling and
buying).
Customer orientation
When searching for a definition, nowadays many people turn to a search engine for help.
A quick Google search results in the Business Dictionary being awarded a top hit for defining
customer orientation. That definition is rather narrow, merely focusing on actions. This is to
some extent helpful but doesn’t quite solve the riddle, which is why a somewhat more scientific
approach is selected.
According to the seminal scientific study on sales vs. customer orientation of salespeople
in the Journal of Marketing Research by Saxe and Weitz (1982), customer-oriented selling refers
to: “the degree to which salespeople practice the marketing concept by trying to help customers
make purchase decisions that will satisfy customers’ needs” (Saxe & Weitz, 1982: 344). In their
article, they present a scale that can be used to determine the degree to which a salesperson is
sales oriented or customer oriented, the SOCO scale. Being sales oriented refers to focusing on
the salesperson’s and selling firm’s interest, whereas being customer oriented refers to focusing
on the customer. As Saxe and Weitz state, “highly customer-oriented salespeople engage in
behaviors aimed at increasing customer long-term satisfaction” (1982:344). Moreover, as they
point out, adopting a customer-oriented way of working involves avoiding actions that sacrifice
customer interest and satisfaction to increase the likelihood of making an immediate sale.
However, as argued by Viio and Nordin (2017), customer orientation and focus on the
customer not only manifests in one’s behavior or actions. For an organization or salesperson to
be truly customer oriented, this involves a customer-oriented behavior and mindset. In the
context of sales adaptation, Viio and Nordin (2017) refer to this as double-loop sales adaptation,
which they present and discuss in their recent article Double-Loop Sales Adaptation: A
Conceptual Model and an Empirical Investigation published in the Journal of
Business-to-Business Marketing. For those who are interested, the study by Viio and Nordin that
resulted in the model of double-loop sales adaptation was inspired by Chris Argyris’ model for
organizational double-loop learning (see, Argyris, 1977, 2002).
Customer focus
With the above introduction, customer orientation can be understood as an approach,
as a mindset that puts the customer and his/her interest first. Although customer focus is
closely related to that, customer focus can be understood as forming the strategy for customer
orientation for the salesperson or organization. Upon closer examination, customer orientation
is – or seems to be – on a higher level of abstraction than customer focus. This is not always
prevalent or even included in definitions for example found through a simple Google search
(see, for example, customer focus by the Business Dictionary). In the context of sales and the
interaction between the seller and buyer, being customer focused refers to the seller taking the
viewpoint of the customer. This means putting yourself in the shoes of your customer and
viewing things from the buyer’s or customer’s perspective. This entails feeling what your
customer is feeling, thinking of what the customer is dreaming of and what he/she is aspiring to
achieve or become. In brief, it means putting the customer in the driving seat and focusing on
his/her needs, wishes, aspirations and dreams – as opposed to you focusing on yourself and
your business.
Why is it advisable to be customer focused?
Now that we have defined, discussed and clarified the concepts customer orientation
and customer focus, it probably makes sense to elaborate on why it makes sense to be customer
focused. Putting yourself in the customers’ situations and viewing things from their perspective
is important because it helps us better understand the customer and what is likely to form the
right solution for him/her. It helps to take away some of the guesswork and puts the seller on
the same page with the buyer/customer.
Being customer focused puts you in a better position to help your customers, in an
honest way. Your customer will sense and see that you are making an extra effort to understand
the situation at which they are and to really understand them to be better able to help them get
where they want to be.
Focusing on your customer usually makes it more appealing for customers to work with
you, it creates mutual engagement. A problem that your customer first thought they are facing
suddenly becomes a mutual project between you and your customer. Also, the goal becomes a
mutual goal that both you and your customer are aiming at. For example, perhaps your
customer wants to be awarded a contract with their customer, but they are missing something
that their competitor has. Once you focus on your customer and understand their situation, you
are in a better position to help them. Their challenge/problem becomes your mutual problem.
Their challenge to become awarded that contract becomes your mutual goal. (See, double-loop
sales adaptation, Viio & Nordin, 2017).
As a result of being customer focused, you will not only feel good about what you are
doing and how you are working, but you are also likely to sleep better (knowing that you are not
taking advantage of others, in this case, your customers), and – maybe most importantly, at
least from a sales perspective – you will probably be more successful than your competitors. In
fact, it is not unlikely that the “tide will turn” and that you are more frequently than before
contacted by customers who want your help, as opposed to you having to chase them to offer
your support. The power of word-of-mouth should not be underestimated.
How to become customer focused?
As pointed out in the study on double-loop sales adaptation (Viio & Nordin, 2017), also
being customer focused can be understood as occurring on two levels: behavior and mindset. Of
course, these two are interconnected. Hence, one needs to work at both levels.
Customer-oriented mindset
First, we need to switch on the mindset of focusing on the customer. This involves letting
go of our own priorities – and ego. Let go of focusing on your own needs and wants, and focus
on those of your customer. Ask yourself: How can I help my customer?
You can train and practice your customer focus skills in reverse: when being in a situation where
you are the customer, work on your senses and reflection. Ask yourself how the seller or service
provider makes you feel. Is he/she interested in your needs, wants, priorities, situation, and
desires? Or, is he/she more interested in just making a sale. Does the service and attention that
you receive from the seller or service provider increase or decrease your level of satisfaction
and wellbeing? Customer-oriented behavior
When it comes to improving your customer-focused behavior, also there you can work in
reverse. When you are the customer, reflect on what the seller or service provider does that
causes you to feel the way you do. How do they behave, what do they do, and how do they do
it? Analyze what they could do better, how they could improve their performance? Consider
what you would do in their situation that could increase the level of satisfaction, appreciation,
and happiness that you are experiencing. Train yourself in customer focus skills by making the
most of service encounters in daily situations, no matter how small or big they might be.
Combining mindset and behavior
When you are selling to or serving a customer, focus on both your mindset and behavior.
Ask yourself if your mindset is tuned to primarily help your customer and if you are acting in the
best interest of your customer. Be honest, be sincere. If not, customers will sense your
dishonesty and insincerity, and you will not sleep well (I hope). Keep your focus on your
customer and act in the best interest of your customer.

4.5 Activities

A. Individual Reflection Paper: Search from YouTube a nonverbal short video clip presentation
and create a reflection paper about it.

B. Personal Action Plan:

Record a video focusing on speech patterns, identify the negative areas. Once identified the
negative areas in the communication, craft an action plan in the following areas: Areas for
Improvement, Target Improvement Date, Resource Needed, Support Persons.

C. Demonstration/Role Play/ Video Clips from You Tube. Choose one of the activities, then perform the
following:
- If demonstration/role play was chosen, go for critiquing.
- If video clips, prepare a reflection paper.

RUBRIC FOR ACTIVITIES A, B, and C:

Structure of the Presentation Content (35% Personal Assessment (40%) Total
and Discussion (25% ) )
100%

4.6 Required Readings and Learning Materials

Nonverbal Communication in Different Cultures www.businesstopia.net

Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures www.psychologytoday.com

Module Summary

Module 2 is all about communication: verbal and nonverbal communication. Communication is

very essential in the business world because it is the means on how the business owners can
offer their products and services to the customers. Through communication, the seller can
describe and demonstrate well the benefits of their products and services.
Another important topic is feedback. Collecting feedback from customers can contribute to the
refinement of the job. Positive feedback can create good mood and high morale to the business
owner, while negative feedback can help them offer a better performance.
Culture also has an impact to nonverbal communication. Each of us has different culture and
we need to study these different cultures to be familiar and for easy adjustments in the future.
There are discussions about negative nonverbal communication and the strategies for improving
it, so when time comes that the students will be exposed in the real business world, they will
know how to deal with it and culture shocked will be avoided.
All of the topics discussed herein can contribute to the know-how of the students; will help
them establish the right skills and character that they will need after their graduation.

Post-Test

I. Identification. Write the correct answer on the space provided.

________1. The space we claim and to which we become emotionally attached along with other
members of our communities.
________2. This can be understood as forming the strategy for customer orientation for the
salesperson or organization.
________3. The most crucial time for a person to develop and enhance their communication skills.

________4. This is also called manual language.

________5. These applications include power supplies, audio electronics, and radio
communications.
________6. Includes body type, height, weight, hair, and skin color.
_______ 7. Paralanguage that includes volume, rate, pitch, and timbre
________8. The information provided by clients about whether they’re satisfied or dissatisfied with a
product or service.
________9. Being _______________ means standing up for yourself, but not at the expense of
others.
________10. This often shows they are not confident and comfortable with their surroundings.
________11. When one person is the sender and they transmit a message to another person, who is the
receiver.
________12. These include all of those gestures that supplant words, numbers, and punctuation marks.
________13. Reserved for closer friends, some acquaintances, and colleagues.
________14. Don’t jump to conclusion, every story has two sides to it.
________15. A path along which information in the form of an electrical signal passes.

II. Enumeration. Abbreviations are not allowed.

1 - 10 How to improve nonverbal communication
11 – 14 Spatial zones of interpersonal relationships
19 – 25 Types of nonverbal communication
III. Essay (10 pts.).
1. Discuss 1 scenario that illustrates poor communication.

References

The Importance of Effective Communication

www.europeanbusinessreview.com 7/21/2020

What is Two-Way Communication?

study.com

10 Ways to Become a More Positive Communicator

By Betty Lochner 5/11/2021

What is Nonverbal Communication?

By Richard Nordquist 6/29/2020

Gender Differences in Nonverbal Communication with Culture www.ipl.org

Roles of Nonverbal communication www.universalclass.com.articles.business

What is Customer Focus, why is it Important and How to Become Customer Focused By
Paul Viio 7/3/2018

How to Improve your Nonverbal Communication Skills? By

Valerie Soleil 9/10/2017