Talking without speaking: a masterclass in non-verbal communication

Incredibly, 70% of all communication is non-verbal, and it pervades all spheres of social life through our physical behaviour, expressions and mannerisms. Non-verbal communication is a key issue within the rubric of market research.

Please note that this is a face-to-face event.

Although a lot has been written about this area there’s been less discussion on how to actually read non-verbal messages and signals. In this fascinating MRS speaker evening, Julian shares practical advice to help you decipher nuanced non-verbal messages in a range of research settings including focus groups and interviews - as well as in a general work environment.

What you’ll learn:

• How to read emotions effectively and better predict intention
• How to understand and demonstrate empathy to help strengthen relationships
• How to consensus-check verbal signals against non-verbal signals to establish veracity and truth
• How to identify and manage conflict situations
• How to convey and accentuate a verbal message with carefully placed non-verbal signals
• How to spot key personality traits in the moment
• How to improve networking at conferences and industry events
• How to deliver a compelling sales pitch

We transmit and receive an infinite number of non-verbal signals every day. Whether conscious or not, we’re continuously giving and receiving wordless signals through how we physically behave, our facial expressions, body language and mannerisms.

As Julian Adams explains during this MRS speaker evening, how we communicate non-verbally is an outward expression of our state of mind. If we’re nervous before a presentation we might tug at the skin under our chin, or during a meeting cross our arms or legs as a defence mechanism. We also express empathy through non-verbal communication.

Within market research, understanding non-verbal communication could be said to be just as important as interpreting the words being used. So to better understand those we interact with, we must learn to decipher what’s being silently spoken. Better able to read these signals can empower researchers to make better decisions in a whole range of settings. That might be during a job interview, when delivering a presentation, at a sales pitch, or moderating a focus group.

But as we give and receive thousands of non-verbal messages each day, how do we know what to look for and what inferences to draw? Using video clips and practical examples, Julian focuses on the technique of ‘reading’ non-verbal communication, including cold reading, and the key principles of interpretation. He also covers how to decipher different types of non-verbal communication, including universal gestures, touch, facial expressions, eye signals, proximity, para-linguistics and mirroring.