The Definitive Book of Body Language - Barbara Pease [33]
Salespeople and negotiators are often taught that it's usually safer not to proceed with the presentation of a product or idea until the prospect's reason for folding his arms is uncovered. More often than not, buyers have hidden objections that most salespeople never discover because they missed seeing the buyer's arms-folded cluster, signaling that he was feeling negative about something.
Reinforced Arm-Crossing
If a person has clenched fists as well as a full arm-cross, this cluster, called Fists-Clenched-Arms-Crossed, shows hostility as well as defensiveness. If it's combined with a tight-lipped smile or clenched teeth and red face, a verbal or even physical attack could happen. A conciliatory approach is needed to discover what is causing it if the reason is not already apparent. This person has an aggressive, attacking attitude.
Fists-Clenched-Arms-Crossed shows a hostile attitude exists
Arm-Gripping
The Double-Arm-Grip is characterized by the person's hands tightly gripping their upper arms to reinforce themselves and avoid exposure of the front of the body Sometimes the arms can be gripped so tight that the fingers and knuckles can turn white as blood circulation is cut off. It's a person's way of comforting himself with a form of self-hugging. Arm-gripping is commonly seen in doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms or with first-time air travelers who are waiting for liftoff. It shows a negative, restrained attitude.
The Double-Arm-Grip: feeling insecure and not buying what you're selling
In a courtroom, the claimant may be seen using a Fists-Clenched-Arms-Crossed pose while the defendant may have taken the Double-Arm-Grip position.
The Boss vs. The Staff
Status can influence arm-folding gestures. A superior type can make his superiority felt by not folding his arms, saying, in effect, “I'm not afraid, so I'll keep my body open and vulnerable.” Let's say, for example, that at a company social function, the general manager is introduced to several new employees. Having greeted them with a Palm-Down handshake, he stands back from them—a yard away—with his hands by his sides or behind his back in the Prince Philip Palm-in-Palm position (superiority), or with one or both hands in his pocket (noninvolvement). He rarely folds his arms across his chest so as not to show the slightest hint of nervousness.
Conversely, after shaking hands with the boss, the new employees may take full or partial arms-crossing positions because of their apprehension about being in the presence of the company's top person. Both the general manager and the new employees feel comfortable with their respective gesture clusters as each is signaling his status, relative to the other. But what happens when the general manager meets a young, up-and-coming male who is also a superior type and who may even signal that he is as important as the general manager? The likely outcome is that, after the two give each other a dominant handshake, the younger executive may take an arms-folded gesture with both thumbs pointing upward.
Thumbs-Up: defensive, but he still thinks he's pretty cool
This gesture has the arms-crossed plus both thumbs up showing that he's feeling “cool” and in control. As he talks, he gestures with his thumbs to emphasize points he is making. As we've already discussed, the Thumbs-Up gesture is a way of showing others we have a self-confident attitude and the folded arms still give a feeling of protection.
Someone who is feeling defensive but also submissive at the same time will sit in a symmetrical position, which means one side of their body is a perfect mirror of the other. They display tense muscle tone and look as if they expect to be attacked, whereas a person who is feeling defensive and dominant will take an asymmetrical pose, that is, one side of the body doesn't mirror the other.
Getting the Thumbs-Up
When you're presenting your case to someone and the Thumbs-Up-Arms-Crossed appears toward the end of your presentation