When communicating with others we are not just communicating through words that are spoken - our bodies send messages and signals too. Body language is actually something that is biological. Humans and animals all share similar body language expressions. Across cultures, everyone smiles, including babies, before they are even taught what a smile is. Animals can smile too, and yawn like humans when they are tired or bored. So it shouldn’t come to a surprise that basic body language (smiling, crying, yawning, etc.) is something that everyone is born with.

But body language goes deeper than just the basic emotions. To make the most of contact center management, it’s vital that body language can be understood and used as a tool to communicate better.

Identifying Attitudes

Sometimes when sharing an idea, you may get agreement from someone on the idea, but you may have an inkling that they don’t really mean what they’re saying. In many cases when this happens, it’s because our minds are reading their body language along with what they say, and our minds can establish deeper meanings behind the words due to that body language. You know the saying “actions speak louder than words,” and in this case, the action of expressions or gestures will let you know how they may honestly feel about something. That’s why it’s important to be able to read body language, because it can help with addressing certain issues and can give you a better insight on how someone feels.

Communicating

Body language is all about communicating, but it’s important to understand how you normally communicate with others. Are your arms always crossed? Do you shift your weight from side to side? Most of the time people are oblivious to their own body language because they don’t see it; it’s usually a habit that they are comfortable with. But sometimes your body language can be sending out signals that you don’t mean to send out, which in return can explain why some people respond to you the way they do.

To address what certain body gestures mean, look at the list below to help you identify how others may feel in the workplace.

Disengagement 

When others are disengaged, it’s easy to see, and every once in a while that disengagement can come from call center managers. Most of the time people will be looking down, or in other directions, they may be fidgeting with something, arms will be crossed, and if sitting they might not be sitting all the way up in their seat (slouching).

Upset

Besides tears and a frown, there are many nonverbal cues that hint someone is upset. They can be looking down and avoiding eye contact, giving soft-spoken answers, changing the topic, tensing their muscles (fists, legs, etc.), and they may have a flushed (red) face.

Lying

Lying can be easy to spot when you know the body language signs of lying: little eye contact or rapid eye movement, change in voice pitch (usually higher), constant fiddling with something, flushed face, and their breathing rate increases.

Attentiveness

When someone is attentive it is very obvious because they will: sit up straighter, maintain eye contact, listen, sit still, and lean forward.

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