Skills for a Competitive Edge

in Today's Global Marketplace

  • ABOUT TNI
    • Who We Are
    • Faculty
    • Insights & Publications
    • Careers
    • Newsroom
  • WHAT WE DO
    • On-Site Corporate Training
      • Program Customization
      • Seminar Style
      • Customized Case Studies
      • Post-Seminar Reinforcement
    • CPNTM Certification Programs
      • CPN-CMTM Category Management
    • Conference Events
    • Women’s Programs
  • PROGRAMS
    • Negotiation
    • Sales
    • Procurement
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Leadership
    • Presentation & Communication
    • International Business
    • Women’s Program
    • Regulatory Affairs: US & Global
    • Construction Project Management
    • All Corporate Training Programs
  • CLIENT SUCCESS
    • Client Testimonials
    • Client List
  • EVENTS
    • WIN Summit – Women in Negotiation
  • 2020 CATALOG
  • CONTACT
Pros Fill In the Blinks on W’s Gestures

Pros Fill In the Blinks on W’s Gestures

Published on: 2 Oct 2004 | Tags: facial expressions, quote by Nierenberg | Category: Press
Share Button

CONFRONTED WITH A debate challenge from John Kerry, President Bush blinked. And blinked, and blinked, and blinked, and blinked. And the cutaway camera shots that Bush’s handlers did not want the networks to broadcast also caught an embarrassing smorgasbord of smirks that graced the President’s face as Kerry made his case. “Normally, excessive blinking is a sign of discomfort,” said Barbara Laskin of Laskin Media, a Manhattan communications training and consulting firm. “He was uncomfortable and defensive and his blinking and body language reflected that.

“Convinced that Bush’s grimaces are campaign gold, the Democratic National Committee spliced together a video, set it to music, dubbed it “Faces of Frustration” and placed it on its Web site. But frustration isn’t the only thing Gerard Nierenberg, author of “How to Read a Person Like a Book,” saw. “When someone is not sure of the truth, their eyes blink rapidly,” he said. Bush’s eyes didn’t betray him until the end of the debate, said Joseph Tecce, a psychology professor at Boston College who taped the debate and then counted the blinks. Both candidates blinked at a normal rate of 30 to 50 times a minute for most of the back-and-forth. In fact, Kerry blinked more than Bush. But when it came time to sum up, Bush’s blink rate skyrocketed to 109 times a minute while Kerry’s held steady at 48. Unfortunately for Bush, “the last impression is what sticks with people,” Tecce said. Bush’s body language also undermined him, especially when Kerry was speaking, the experts said. The President looked peevish, his shoulders slumped, and at one point he issued a sigh that was nearly Al Gore-worthy in its intensity. “It surprised me he didn’t try to look more engaged when Kerry was talking,” said Maxine Fiel, a Long Island-based communications consultant. “He knew the cameras would be on him. “Maybe he was tired. Maybe he should have taken an afternoon nap.” csiemaszko@edit.nydailynews.com

link to the article article in PDF format

Related Posts

  • I don’t care what he says, I know what he means.
    All people who talk to other people—whether in business negotiations or social conversation—have a tremendous advantage if they have an understanding of the messages being conveyed by the gestures of the participants. Gerard I. Nierenberg, a prominent New York attorney and a founder of the General Semantics Foundation, has written…
  • Tagged: facial expressions, quote by Nierenberg
Corporate Headquarters (US)
  • The Negotiation Institute
  • 101 Park Ave., 27th Floor

    New York, NY 10017
  • Tel: +1 (212) 796-5600
  • Mail:info@negotiation.com
  • Web:negotiation.com

Media Contact
+1 (212) 808-5158
press@negotiation.com

101 Park Ave., 27th Floor

New York, NY 10017

 

Live Feed

[fetch_tweets id="7688"]
CONTACT US    MADE IN NYC    PRIVACY POLICY    TERMS OF USE    SITEMAP    FEEDBACK   
© COPYRIGHT 2020 THE NEGOTIATION INSTITUTE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.