The Definitive Book of Body Language

Space Invaders - Territories and Personal Space

which could be as wide as 18 feet (6 metres). They often prefer
not to shake hands but would rather stand at a distance and
wave.

People from a

sparsely populated

area keeping their

distance

Farming equipment salespeople who live in cities find this

information useful for calling on farmers in sparse rural areas.

Considering, for example, that a farmer could have a 'bubble'

of 3 to 6 feet (1—2m) or more, a handshake could be seen as a

territorial intrusion, causing the farmer to react negatively or

defensively. Successful country salespeople state almost unani-

mously that the best negotiating conditions exist when they

greet the rural customer with an extended handshake and the

farmer from a remote area with a distant wave.

Territory and Ownership

Property a person owns or a space he regularly uses constitutes

a private territory and, just as with his personal bubble, he'll

fight to defend it. A person's home, office and car represent a

territory, each having clearly marked boundaries in the form of

walls, gates, fences and doors. Each territory may have several

sub-territories. For example, in a home a person's private ter-

ritory may be their kitchen and they'll object to anyone

invading it when they're using it; a businessman has his

favourite place at the conference table; diners have their

favourite seat in the cafe; and Mum or Dad have their favourite

chair at home. These areas are usually marked either by

leaving personal possessions on or around the area, or by fre-