Body Language in Negotiation: Reading People to See if They Are Connecting With You

How do you read people in negotiations or conversations?
Have you ever wondered whether someone is really connecting with you?
What shows you someone is ready to leave a negotiation?

I interviewed David M. Schneer, Ph.D., the founder and CEO of The Merrill Institute for Nonverbal Intelligenceβ€”a body language certification and training organization founded in 2016. He is also the co-founder of Merrill Research.

According to David, signs of engagement include, but are not limited to:

πŸ”Ž A smile
πŸ”Ž Head tilt
πŸ”Ž Chin grasp (but watch the video to see the differences)
πŸ”Ž Engaged eyes and/or hands
πŸ”Ž Torso leaning in
πŸ”Ž Feet pointed to you

David also discussed how to determine if people aren’t connecting with you. Signs of disengagement include, but are not limited to:

πŸ”Ž Social/fake smile
πŸ”Ž Head titled back
πŸ”Ž Looking askance
πŸ”Ž Lint picking
πŸ”Ž Facial micro expressions of: disgust, contempt, sadness, fear, or surprise

This video gives more detail on reading the different signs.Β 

Here are a few questions to my friends who are body language experts including my fellow negotiating guru, Greg Williams, CSP, lie detection expert, Traci Brown, CSP, silent advantage consultant, Robin Barnhart, and expert in the science of influence, Melinda Marcus, M.A., CSP

Does David’s information ring true?

Anything else you would add to determine if someone is connecting with you or not in a negotiation or high-stakes conversation?