Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2016: Hillary Clinton, Roosevelt Island, Building Rapport and Body Language (PHOTOS)

Like any candidate, Hillary Clinton needs to build rapport in order to get votes. People may agree with your policies and these will have already won-over one's political base - yet to win elections and not just primaries, candidates must capture that middle 1/3 of the electorate. And swing voters will vote for those the LIKE - and then rationalize their decisions with intellectual wallpaper. We of course believe we're doing this the other way around, but we're all human beings and that's not the way we operate. In short, to win you must possess - and project - likability. Few politicians truly understand this much past a superficial (and insincere) smile. Both Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan knew this instinctively - however Hillary does not.

We turn our whole body - eyes, head, shoulders, hips and feet - towards those we like and/or those we respect. When you're running for high political office - the crowds are huge and of course you can't begin to get to everyone. It takes much more time and effort. You'll end up greeting less people. Yet you will build more rapport - much more. And those who don't get to shake your hand and look you in the eye, will do so vicariously. You'll win their votes. This is another profound version of quality vs. quantity and sincerity vs. veneer.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3214: Chris Pratt, Jurassic World, Bad Acting and a Body Language Red Flag

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3212: LeBron James stealing ball from Stephen Curry - then pointing at his Temple

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2426:  Remembering Ronald Reagan,  "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall"  Body Language at the Brandenburg Gate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2861: Ronald Reagan and Variations on Thumbs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2577: Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe - Alpha and Beta Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2379:  Bill Clinton's Speech at the  George W. Bush Presidential Library Opening  Body Language of Former and Current President

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2973: Rand Paul's Body Language Tells Us His Plan B for 2016

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3134: Ted Cruz to Announce his Candidacy for 2016 Presidential Race - Why He Will Never Win 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3151: Barack Obama and Raúl Castro Shake Hands - Body Language (PHOTOS)

Handshakes are very crucial moments - particularly between World leaders whose countries' have not had formal relations in over 50 years.

Most of the time President Obama has significantly superior body language skills, yet during the recent meeting with Raúl Castro at the VII Summit of the Americas, POTUS dropped the ball.

There are many important components of a sincere and rapport-building handshake. These include the orientation of the feet, hips, torso, head and eyes. During the handshake, pointing these body parts towards the other person projects sincerity and respect. In both of these photos, Barack is significantly angled away from Raúl - thus some disrespect is being signaled here. Conversely, Mr. Castro is pointed toward the American President.

Can you name and do you practice the other ingredients of a quality handshake?

To engender optimum rapport, what should occur with the angle of the torso, hips and feet (relative to the other person) once the handshake is complete yet conversation is ongoing?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3150: Rand Paul Announces His Candidacy for Presidency of United States - Body Language Truth Check

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3008: President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe of Japan Meet in Beijing

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 1510: Handshakes, Statesmanship and Dominance - Manmohan Singh & Asif Ali Zardari

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2511:  Barack Obama & Vladimir Putin  Handshake at 2013 G20 Meeting

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2150:  Body Language Advice for  President Obama and Governor Romney in Tonight's Debate 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2: Body Language of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley Strongly Suggests an Impending Break-up in Near Future (PHOTOS)

Blake Lively and her boyfriend, Penn Badgley are shown hugging in this photo on the set of the TV show "Gossip Girl". But unless this is part of the script (and I don't think it is), this "Hug" is considerably non-affectionate and is a strong signal of an impending break-up of this actor couple. Let's start at the ground and work up. Notice their feet are not even close to pointing at each other. This is a very strong indicator of non-affection, especially during a hug. We point our feet towards those we love, like, are attracted to, or have affection for (even if not in an embrace) - or those we believe are important and deserve our respect. In the context of a married or dating couple, this is a flashing neon sign of non-affection and impending break-up. You heard it here first.

The couple's hips are far apart and also not pointed at each other (angled apart) - Blake's even more significantly. This is how you hug your cousin or your co-worker (see post on Cameron Diaz's and Tom Cruise's hug), not your significant other. Another detail here, is that Ms. Lively is bending more at the waist, while Mr. Badgley's waist is not bent at all. This particular waist finding is our emotional brain's attempt at keeping our hips further apart and our hugs less intimate, less affectionate and less committed. Blake is just not into it. To all men who get a hug like this on a "first date" - you won't get a second one.

Ms. Lively has a purse in her right arm, and she is hugging with only one arm. Blake's emotional brain is using her forearm to act as a barrier against affection. The purse is an additional barrier. These are two strong additional warning signs. Penn is hugging primarily with his left arm - his right arm is only slightly engaged.

Finally, look at their eyes, while Mr. Badgley's eyes remain closed, Ms. Lively's eyes open first (see photo below). We tend to close our eyes and keep them closed longer when the affection, the commitment and the love is deeper. Our emotional brain is focusing on the affection of the moment and trying to drink it all in. If one person never closes their eyes, or opens them quickly - there is less emotional commitment.

Using actors as examples to teach and coach body language is particularly illustrative, because it demonstrates so poignantly that although they are professionals and get paid millions to suspend our disbelief, faking emotion is extremely difficult to do. Truth always leaks, and often gushes out. It surprises me that more actors don't get body language coaching. It not only will help them become better actors, but as it does for everyone else - it gives profound understanding of all human emotion.

Update: Five days after this article-analysis was posted, Blake Lively and Penn Badgley split-up!

See also:

Secret # 702: Mouth of Fear, Trying to Smile and Forehead of Pain

Secret # 133: Surprise or Smile or Neither?

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 2091: Sincere Smiling (a la' Blake Lively) and Laughing Reduces Anxiety and  Heart Rate, Boosts Immune System and Relieves Pain

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2203: A Body Language Metric of Intimacy and Affection -  How Do YOU cuddle?

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