The Definitive Book of Body Language - Barbara Pease [83]
Next time you have a Straddler coming to visit you, be sure to seat him on a fixed chair that has arms to stop him from taking his favorite position. When he can't straddle, his usual next move is to use the Catapult.
The Catapult
This is a seated version of the Hands-on-Hips pose except the hands are behind the head with the elbows menacingly pointed out. Again, it's almost entirely a male gesture used to intimidate others or it implies a relaxed attitude to lull you into a false sense of security just before he ambushes you.
The Catapult: cool, confident, knows it all, and thinks he has more bananas than anyone
This gesture is typical of professionals such as accountants, lawyers, sales managers, or people who are feeling superior, dominant, or confident about something. If we could read this person's mind, he would be saying things such as, “I have all the answers,” or “Everything's under control,” or even “Maybe one day you'll be as smart as me.” Management personnel regularly use it and newly appointed male managers suddenly begin to use it, despite the fact that they seldom used it prior to their promotion. It is also used by “Know-It-All” individuals and it intimidates most people. It's the trademark gesture of men who like you to realize just how knowledgeable they are. It can also be used as a territorial sign to show that the person has staked a claim to that particular area.
It is usually clustered with a Figure Four leg position or Crotch Display, which shows that he not only feels superior, he's also likely to argue or try to dominate. There are several ways you can deal with this gesture, depending on the circumstances. You can lean forward with palms up and say, “I can see that you know about this. Would you care to comment?” then sit back and wait for an answer.
Women quickly develop a dislike for men who
use the Catapult in business meetings.
You could place something just out of his reach and ask, “Have you seen this?” forcing him to lean forward. If you are a man, copying the gesture can be a simple way to handle the Catapulter because mirroring creates equality. This doesn't work for a woman, however, because it puts her breasts on display, leaving her at a disadvantage. Even flat-chested women who attempt the Catapult are described as “aggressive” by both men and women.
The Catapult doesn't work for
women, even flat-chested ones.
If you are a woman and a man does this, continue the conversation standing up. This forces the Catapulter to change position so he can continue the conversation. When he stops the Catapult, sit down again. If he catapults again, stand up. This is a nonaggressive way of training others not to try to intimidate you. On the other hand, if the person using the Catapult is your superior and is reprimanding you, you will intimidate him by copying this gesture. For example, two equals will use the Catapult in each other's presence to show equality and agreement, but if a mischievous schoolboy did it, it would infuriate the school principal.
In one insurance company, we found that twenty-seven out of thirty male sales managers used the Catapult regularly around their salespeople or subordinates but rarely in the presence of their superiors. When they were with their superiors, however, the same managers were more likely to use submissive and subordinate gesture clusters.
Gestures That Show When a Person Is Ready
One of the most valuable gestures a negotiator can learn to recognize is seated readiness. When you are presenting a proposal, for example, if the other person were to take this gesture at the end of the presentation, and the interview had gone well up to that point, you could ask for agreement and would be likely to get it.
The classic position showing readiness for action
Our video replays of salespeople interviewing potential buyers revealed that, whenever the