The Definitive Book of Body Languagestrategies including cutting 4 inches (10cm) off his lectern,
which would give the same visible distance between the top of
the lectern and his chin as candidate B had. We also suggested
that A should arrange for his TV camera to be slightly lowered
to shoot upwards, giving him a taller appearance. We told him
to pitch his message directly to the camera so that each voter
felt as if they were being addressed personally. It worked. After
the next debate, candidate A was seen as being the clear
winner and the media reported that he 'had a new sense of
authority and leadership'. After the election that followed,
candidate A became leader of the country. The lessons here
were that voters generally aren't deeply interested and don't
remember much of what politicians say in election debates.
Voters cast their final vote based on the belief that the winner
is best suited to be the leader.
How to Placate Angry People
It's possible to avoid intimidating others by consciously
making yourself appear smaller in relation to them. Let's
examine the body language of the situation in which you have
committed a minor driving offence, such as failing to stop at a
stop sign, not giving way or speeding, and you are pulled over
by the police. In these circumstances, the officer may regard
you as an adversary as he approaches your vehicle, and most
drivers' reaction is to remain in the car, wind the window
down and make excuses or deny the offence. The body lan-
guage negatives of this are:
- The officer is forced to leave his territory (the patrol car)
and come across to your territory (your vehicle). - Assuming that you are in fact guilty, your excuses may rep-
resent an attack to the officer. - By remaining in your car, you create a barrier between
yourself and the police officer.