Business Women, Avoid This In Your Body Language

Ladies, when it comes to business we want to be:

• Taken seriously
• Seen as intelligent
• Viewed as experts and
• Respected as professionals

But there is something that we women naturally do that can ruin our credibility in a second.

It’s the lateral head tilt.

Body language experts say that empathetic people tend to tilt their heads sideways to show they are interested and really listening. It’s a signal to the other party that we are trustworthy and encourages others to keep talking.

If that’s true, then what’s the big deal?

Why Women Should Not Tilt Their Heads In A Professional Setting

#1 – The Head Tilt = Submission

Tilting the head is a sign of submission ”because it exposes the throat and neck and makes the person look smaller and less threatening.” Is submission what you want to convey during a negotiation?

#2 – The Head Tilt = Flirtation

Depending on which direction you tilt your head, you may be perceived as flirting. There is a time and place for the “come hither” look; a power meeting is not one of them.

#3 – Men Don’t Tilt Their Heads

The heart of effective communication is to communicate in the other person’s language, not your own. Very few men tilt their heads. Although men can be just as empathetic as women, men are not as demonstrative of their empathy as women are. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a man tilt his head in a power meeting or negotiation?

Still don’t believe me? Take a look at these two pictures of the iconic Elizabeth Taylor. What do they convey?

 

 

 

 

 

Want more information about what to do with your head? Check out this article on head body language. This article from Forbes is a great one about body language in general.

 

Shut the front door! There are more posts on this topic? Yes!

We have a whole blog category “For Women In Business.”

• Do You Apologize Too Much?
• Why Women Ask More Questions Than Men
• A Client Called Me A B*tch And Why I’m Kind Of Okay With That