Friday, October 22, 2010

Negotiation Secret # 9 - Lip Pursing Redux






















A few days ago, I posted an example of Lip Pursing which showed U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi with an fairly extreme example of this facial expression. Here's an example from the other side of the political fence. Above, Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State (along with other subtle emotional displays) exemplifies a much more subtle version of pursed lips. Examples such as this are difficult to spot and are often more fleeting.  Lip pursing is a sign of disagreement in the context of confidence. Thus it also is significant in that the person who wears this expression is intent on taking action so that their plan, at least in some significant part, is brought to fruition. This is an extremely valuable negotiation tell. Once you hone your Body Language observational skills - you'll be surprised at how often you see this expression.

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