Joe Navarro

Every February, the guy that, Brian Hall, who encouraged me to write one of my books called Louder Than Words, invited me to go to Harvard. And I'll never forget, I had a complete Harvard class. I think there were 76 students. And I had them all saying the word, no, no, no. No, going down lower. He had stepped out of the room to take a call. When he came back, he thought I had a cult going on.

I said, no, Brian, I'm teaching them the right way because these are going to be future executives. You don't say, no, no, no, no, no, no. Now, that sounds like a complete sentence. No. No. That's not how it's going to work. And it's always lower. So we work on the words. More importantly, we work on the gestures, how much territory you occupy.

I said, no, Brian, I'm teaching them the right way because these are going to be future executives. You don't say, no, no, no, no, no, no. Now, that sounds like a complete sentence. No. No. That's not how it's going to work. And it's always lower. So we work on the words. More importantly, we work on the gestures, how much territory you occupy.

Because the territory that you occupy, if you're here.

Because the territory that you occupy, if you're here.

You're shriveled. You don't want to be excessive. You don't want to look like a clown, but you want to have the space that you're entitled to. And then I think it's very important to learn to speak in cadence. When you speak in cadence, and I do it, is people listen. They have time to process what you're saying, but they can also attach the emotion that goes with it. Who spoke in cadence?

You're shriveled. You don't want to be excessive. You don't want to look like a clown, but you want to have the space that you're entitled to. And then I think it's very important to learn to speak in cadence. When you speak in cadence, and I do it, is people listen. They have time to process what you're saying, but they can also attach the emotion that goes with it. Who spoke in cadence?

Churchill, Martin Luther King.

Churchill, Martin Luther King.

Powerful. Can you imagine if he stood up there and said, I have one dream that one day might... It's like, who would listen to that? But he was a preacher and he knew how to command an audience. And when Churchill said, we will fight them in the air, we will fight them on the beaches.

Powerful. Can you imagine if he stood up there and said, I have one dream that one day might... It's like, who would listen to that? But he was a preacher and he knew how to command an audience. And when Churchill said, we will fight them in the air, we will fight them on the beaches.

The cadence is not just seductive, it is powerful. And a lot of executives don't know how to use it. They just, I've been to presentations where people just let go. They're not even listening to what's being said. And yet somebody begins to talk to them in cadence and says, this is our offer. It is not final. But for the moment, it is our best offer. Now, you're paying attention.

The cadence is not just seductive, it is powerful. And a lot of executives don't know how to use it. They just, I've been to presentations where people just let go. They're not even listening to what's being said. And yet somebody begins to talk to them in cadence and says, this is our offer. It is not final. But for the moment, it is our best offer. Now, you're paying attention.

You're paying attention not just to what I said, but the emotion behind it. That's a lot better to say, well, this is not our last offer, but, you know.

You're paying attention not just to what I said, but the emotion behind it. That's a lot better to say, well, this is not our last offer, but, you know.

Which goes back to what I said, who controls time, controls life. You're establishing control over the theater of the negotiations. They don't teach that. Your hand gestures as well.

Which goes back to what I said, who controls time, controls life. You're establishing control over the theater of the negotiations. They don't teach that. Your hand gestures as well.

And my fingers are spread out. Establishing how much we care about something. When we fear, our fingers come together. When we fear a lot, our thumbs tuck in. I've seen people in negotiations give up a lot of information because all of a sudden they tuck their thumbs in. I say, okay, they're scared. Because dogs tuck their ears in. Humans tuck their...

And my fingers are spread out. Establishing how much we care about something. When we fear, our fingers come together. When we fear a lot, our thumbs tuck in. I've seen people in negotiations give up a lot of information because all of a sudden they tuck their thumbs in. I say, okay, they're scared. Because dogs tuck their ears in. Humans tuck their...

The hands, no matter how dark you are, your hands, the palm of the hands are very visible. That evolved with us because they're expressive. So even in low light, we can use our hands to communicate. The more confident we are, the further our fingers are. I care. Imagine if I said, I care about you versus I care about you. It's a big difference.