NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AS A PERSUASIVE TOOL IN PUBLIC APPEARANCE

Abstract

In everyday communication, consciously or unconsciously, we use non-verbal communication to convey the message to the interlocutor in the most effective way, express emotions, impressions or convince him of our views. Nonverbal communication involves eye contact, facial expression, posture and body position, hand gestures, tone of voice, and touch. Personal appearance also belongs to one type of nonverbal communication. For example, the dressing style leaves an impression on the interlocutors, which can significantly impact the overall presentation. Public speaking involves presenting certain information to a larger group of listeners. Such presentation may be prepared, unprepared, formal, informal, spontaneous or structured. In public speech and verbal speech, non-verbal parameters of presentation are also of great importance. They represent a crucial tool used to not only convince listeners of the reliability and correctness of what is being said but also to gain their attention to keep the listener's interest present throughout the presentation. For this reason, non-verbal communication is essential as a subject of study within public speaking. Overall nonverbal communication, as well as speaking skills, can be improved through practice. By using different persuasion techniques, it is possible to influence the listeners and bring them closer to the views and message being conveyed to them. This paper sought to explore the impact of nonverbal communication as a tool of persuasion in public speaking. The paper analyzes what and to what extent nonverbal expression impacts the overall impression of the speaker. The empirical part of the paper is based on the analysis of opinions and attitudes of respondents collected by the survey on nonverbal communication. The results obtained by processing the survey questionnaire indicate that non-verbal expression significantly impacts the overall impression of a person who conveys a specific message through public speech. The impression gained may ultimately leave a generally negative or positive attitude towards the speaker, and the fact that nonverbal communication often leaves a stronger impression on the listener's attitude towards the speaker than verbal communication has been confirmed.

Keywords

• nonverbal communication
• verbal communication
• public speaking
• persuasion tools