The mouth speaks (without words)

This week, the 2 Minute Tip is all about reading non-verbal communication during virtual meetings. Yesterday, we looked at what the eyes say. Today, let’s hear from mouths.

If you want to know how someone feels about someone else, watch their mouth closely.

We’re all familiar with the fake smile -- when the corners of the mouth move toward the ears with little emotion in the eyes. The ability to distinguish between a false and real smile is an easy barometer of how people really feel about you or your ideas.

But there’s more that mouths have to say.

Have you ever seen someone in a high-pressure situation pinch their lips together to the point where the lips disappear? This can be a sign of stress or anxiety, rather than deception.

It’s as if the limbic brain is not letting anything “out” of the body or mind. Opposing attorneys will often do this when their opponent is making closing arguments.

The disappearing lip may be a sign of anxiety.

When watching the chin, remember the importance of upward or downward behaviors. Naturally holding one’s chin up may indicate high confidence. Tucking the chin in may be a form of withdrawal, distancing, or hiding when confidence is low.

At the end of someone’s statement, watch for tongue jutting, which some people do when they got away with something, or if they avoided getting caught, or if they messed up without anyone finding out.

If someone is tongue-jutting, they may think they’ve gotten the better of you.

Remember mouth gestures, like all non-verbal signals, may be brief, and no one signal can tell you what someone is thinking, but on Zoom calls, it’s easy to observe people and gather additional clues to help you figure someone out.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at the rest of the face and discuss what do to with mixed signals.