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- Body Language Basics Course (2 days)
Body Language Basics Course (2 days)
Staff who read the non-verbal signals in a room and make sure their own body language supports what they say.
Much of what people take from a conversation comes from posture, expression, gesture and tone rather than the words themselves. Staff who miss these signals misread customers and colleagues; staff who send the wrong ones lose trust without knowing why. This two-day body language course turns non-verbal communication into a conscious, practical skill.
Day one is about reading and using body language: head position, gestures, open and closed postures, eye contact, facial expressions and micro-expressions, personal space, and common mistakes such as fidgeting and poor posture. It covers how body language builds trust in business, including mirroring and cultural differences, and looks honestly at what body language can and cannot tell you about whether someone is being truthful.
Day two puts non-verbal skill into conversation: the tone, pitch and pace of your voice, listening signals, questioning, language and cultural barriers, body language on video calls, and practice conversations in which delegates learn to match their words to their movement.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Customer-facing staff who read and respond to customers more accurately
- Managers who notice disengagement and tension early
- Fewer misunderstandings across cultures and languages
- Staff who come across as confident and trustworthy with clients
For your delegates
- A practical vocabulary for reading posture, gesture and expression
- Awareness of the signals you send without realising
- Techniques to look and sound confident
- Practice conversations with feedback on your own body language
What delegates will be able to do
- Read head position, gestures, posture and eye contact in context
- Distinguish open from closed body language
- Recognise common facial expressions and micro-expressions
- Avoid body language habits that undermine trust
- Adapt to differences in personal space and gesture across cultures
- Use posture and mirroring to build rapport
- Match the tone, pitch and pace of your voice to your message
- Listen and question in a way that shows genuine attention
Who should attend
Sales and customer-service staff, receptionists and frontline teams, managers and team leaders, HR practitioners and interviewers, and anyone who meets clients or leads people and wants to read situations better and come across with more confidence.
Course outline
Day 1 – Reading and using body language
Why body language matters
- Body language as a second language you already speak
- What words alone cannot carry
- When actions contradict words
- Case study: a client meeting that went wrong
Reading the signals
- Head position and what it may suggest
- Hands, arms and legs
- Open versus closed body language
- Eye contact and what the eyes reveal
- Reading clusters of signals, not single gestures
Faces and expressions
- Expressions linked to emotion
- Micro-expressions and how quickly they pass
- An introduction to the Facial Action Coding System
- Expressions recognised across cultures
Mistakes, space and differences
- Slouching, fidgeting and sudden movements
- Personal space and what happens when it is invaded
- How people tend to differ in expression and distance – and the limits of generalising
- Cultural differences in gesture in South African workplaces
Body language in business
- Building trust and rapport
- Mirroring without mimicking
- Signs of discomfort and deception – and why they are not proof
- Improving your own posture and presence
Day 2 – Body language in conversation
Voice and paraverbal signals
- Pitch, tone and speed
- How the same words change meaning with delivery
- What the Mehrabian research actually found
- Practice: one sentence, five meanings
Barriers in conversation
- Language and cultural barriers
- Differences in time and place
- Body language on video calls
- Reducing misunderstandings in diverse teams
Listening with your whole body
- Visible signs of active listening
- Sending positive signals to the speaker
- Open, closed and probing questions
- Reading the response to your question
Matching words and movement
- Involuntary movements that give you away
- Saying what you mean, consistently
- Practising in front of a mirror or camera
- Confident posture and positioning in a room
Practice conversations
- Customer, team and interview scenarios
- Observer feedback on non-verbal signals
- Personal action plan
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online (in-person delivery works best for the practice conversations). One delegate or a group of up to 20. Workbook, case studies and observation checklists included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The course was efficiently organized and aligned with our schedule. We were impressed by the quality of the training and the expertise of the facilitator.”
“They were very professional, and they never failed us at any point during the process. They have met our expectations with both trainings.”
“BOTi has consistently and expertly delivered quality training services in respect of our Soft Skills requirements. We feel confident in recommending BOTI as a training services provider par excellence.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Will this teach us to tell when someone is lying?
No body language reliably detects lies. The course covers signs of discomfort and inconsistency, and explains why they are a prompt to ask more questions rather than proof of anything.
How is this different from Communication Strategies Training?
Communication Strategies Training is a one-day course on the whole spoken message. This course spends a full day on non-verbal communication and then applies it in conversation on day two. The three-day Business Communication Strategies course adds business writing.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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