The Definitive Book of Body Language - Barbara Pease [54]
He's heard enough or is not impressed
This gesture is often mistaken as a signal of interest, but the supporting thumb under the chin tells the truth about the critical attitude. Holding a gesture cluster affects a person's attitude, so the longer a person holds it, the longer their critical attitude will remain. This gesture cluster is a signal that immediate action is required by the speaker, either by involving the listener in what he is saying or by ending the encounter. A simple move, such as handing something to the listener to alter his pose, can cause a change in attitude.
Rodin's “The Thinker” showed a thoughtful, evaluative attitude, but the body posture and hand supporting the head also reveal a dejected person
The Lying Interviewee
We interviewed a man who had arrived from abroad to apply for a position with our company. Throughout the interview he kept his arms and legs crossed, used critical evaluation clusters, had very little palm use, and he looked away frequently. Something was obviously worrying him, but in the early stages of the interview we didn't have sufficient information for an accurate assessment of his negative gestures. We asked questions about his previous employers in his native country. His answers included a series of eye-rubbing and nose-touching gestures and he continued to look away. We eventually decided not to hire him, based on what we had seen as opposed to what he had said. We were curious about his deceit gestures and when we checked with his overseas references, we discovered that he had given false information about his past. He assumed that a potential employer in another country probably wouldn't bother to check overseas references and, had we not been aware of the body-language cues and signals, we could have made the mistake of hiring him.
Chin Stroking
The next time you have the opportunity to present an idea to a group of people, watch them carefully as you give your idea and you may notice that most will bring one hand up to their face and use an evaluation gesture. When you come to the end of your presentation and ask the group to give opinions or suggestions about your ideas, the evaluation gestures will usually stop and a Chin Stroking gesture begins. This Chin Stroke is the signal that the listener is going through the decision-making process.
Making a decision
Female version of Chin Stroking
When you've asked the listeners for their decision and they start Chin Stroking, their next gestures will signal whether their decision is negative or positive. Your best strategy is to stay quiet and watch their next gestures, which will indicate the decision reached. For example, if the Chin Stroke is followed by crossed arms and legs and the person sits back in their chair, it's a fair bet the answer will be no. This gives you an early opportunity to resell the benefits before the other person verbalizes no and makes it harder to reach agreement.
If the Chin Stroke is followed by leaning forward with arms open or picking up your proposal or sample, chances are you have a yes and can proceed as if you have agreement.
Stalling Clusters
Someone who wears glasses sometimes follows an evaluation cluster by taking off their glasses and putting one arm of the frame in the mouth instead of using the Chin Stroke when making their decision. A cigarette smoker will take a puff of smoke. When a person puts a pen or a finger in their mouth after you've asked for a decision, it's a signal that he is unsure and reassurance is needed. The object in the mouth allows him to stall and not feel any urgency in giving an immediate response.
Sometimes boredom, evaluation, and decision-making gestures come in combinations, each showing different elements of the person's attitude.
The next illustration shows the evaluation gesture moved to the chin, and the hand may also be stroking the chin. This person is evaluating the proposition and drawing conclusions simultaneously.
Evaluation-decision-making