Part IIII Exercises and Discussions
2 Tell your fellow students about the corporate culture of the company that you work in. What do you think of it? What are some of the most unique characteristics of it? What have been done by your company to maintain such culture?
2 According to the article in Part Two and your business experience, give examples on cultural differences between Chinese business people and Western business people. Why do we consider some of our approaches common?
2 DECODING BODY LANGUAGE- The four basic modes of body language in business
Knowing how to read body language is a useful communication skill. So is knowing how to use it. There are two basic groups of body language postures: OPEN/CLOSED and FORWARD/BACK
OPEN/CLOSED is the most obvious. People with arms folded and legs crossed and bodies turned away are signaling that they are rejecting messages. People showing open hands, fully facing you and both feet planted on the ground are accepting them.
FORWARD/BACK indicates whether people are actively or passively reacting to communication. When they are leaning forward and pointing towards you they are actively accepting or rejecting the message. When they are leaning back, looking up at the ceiling, doodling on a pad, cleaning their glasses they are either passively absorbing or ignoring it.
The posture groups combine to create four basic modes: responsive, reflective, combative and fugitive.
In responsive mode, OPEN/FORWARD the person is actively accepting. This is the time to close the sale, ask for agreement, demand a concession
In reflective mode, OPEN/BACK, people are interested and receptive but not actively accepting. Trying to close the sale or asking for agreement now may drive them away into fugitive mode. This is the time to present further facts and incentives. It may also be a good time to keep quiet and let them think.
In fugitive mode, CLOSED/BACK, people are trying to escape physically through the door or mentally into boredom. This is the time to spark interest in any way you can, even irrelevant to the message.
Finally, in combative mode, CLOSED/FORWARD, there is active resistance. This is the time to defuse anger, avoid contradiction and outright argument and to steer them into reflective mode.
How these modes are expressed in posture and gestures varies from culture to culture. See part V for some of the more common North American and European conventions of body language.