How do you balance gestures with verbal and nonverbal cues to create rapport and trust?

2 Use open and positive gestures

Open and positive gestures are those that show your interest, confidence, and friendliness. They can help you create rapport and trust by making you appear more approachable, attentive, and respectful. Some examples of open and positive gestures are smiling, nodding, leaning forward, mirroring, and using palm-up gestures. These gestures can convey that you are listening, agreeing, or inviting input from others. They can also help you reduce tension, build rapport, and establish common ground.

3 Avoid closed and negative gestures

Closed and negative gestures are those that show your disinterest, insecurity, or hostility. They can damage your rapport and trust by making you appear more distant, defensive, or disrespectful. Some examples of closed and negative gestures are frowning, shaking your head, crossing your arms, pointing, and using palm-down gestures. These gestures can convey that you are rejecting, disagreeing, or dominating others. They can also create barriers, increase conflict, and undermine credibility.

4 Align your gestures with your words and tone

One of the most important aspects of balancing gestures with verbal and nonverbal cues is to make sure they are consistent and congruent. If your gestures contradict your words or tone, you may confuse, mislead, or offend others. For example, if you say you are happy but your face is tense and your arms are folded, you may send mixed signals and lose trust. To align your gestures with your words and tone, you need to be aware of your own emotions, intentions, and messages. You also need to monitor the reactions and feedback of others, and adjust your gestures accordingly.

5 Vary your gestures according to the situation

While gestures can enhance your communication, they can also distract or annoy others if you use them too much or too little. To balance your gestures with verbal and nonverbal cues, you need to vary them according to the situation. For example, in a formal or professional setting, you may want to use fewer and more subtle gestures to avoid appearing too casual or emotional. In a casual or personal setting, you may want to use more and more expressive gestures to show your enthusiasm or empathy. You also need to consider the distance, size, and duration of your gestures, and how they affect the space and attention of others.

6 Practice and improve your gestures

Like any other skill, balancing gestures with verbal and nonverbal cues requires practice and improvement. You can improve your gestures by observing and learning from others who communicate effectively with gestures, such as speakers, actors, or mentors. You can also record yourself or ask for feedback from others to identify and correct your gesture habits, mistakes, or gaps. You can also practice your gestures in front of a mirror, with a friend, or in a low-stakes situation, and experiment with different types and combinations of gestures.