Although Neon Lizard is primarily focused on visual communication, being able to read body language is critical to success in almost any career. Only 7% of communication is actually verbal, meaning the other 93% comes from visual cues. Based off these traits and non-verbal communication signals, humans are able to predict intentions and personalities in under seven seconds. First impressions are everything.
 
Body language is a physical transcription of all our subconscious thoughts and emotions.
Body language is essentially how we feel, but visible. Though a lot of nonverbal communication is subconscious, it can be controlled by the communicator to influence social situations. 
 
The number of people who can effectively interpret and project body language is shrinking as our world relies more and more on digital communication. A great way to change that is by putting yourself in social situations that allow you to follow these tips. 
 
To better understand body language, we need to understand animals. It may seem silly, but in many ways, human body language mirrors animal behaviors.
 
When animals want something from us, they will point with their nose in the direction of their focus and will periodically look back at us for approval or to make that they still have our attention. Say your dog wants to go outside. Likely he will nudge the door with his nose. Admittedly, it would be weird if a person did this, but humans communicate directional attention with their feet rather than their noses.  In social situations, your feet point to the person you are most comfortable with. Perhaps you are uncomfortable, in which case you may notice that your feet are instinctively pointing towards the door as you subconsciously desire to leave. ​

If you can’t leave and you are still uncomfortable, you may make a subconscious effort to distance yourself by building a barrier.  Crossing one’s legs, crossing arms, or zipping up jackets are all ways of showing social discomfort.  On the other hand, standing with your legs slightly apart or using more open body language will communicate that you are comfortable and confident.
 
Humans typically identify body language subconsciously, but unless we know the person in question, it won’t always be accurate.  This is because there are over 700,000 signals and visible expressions; 250,000 of which are facial expressions, 5,000 distinct hand gestures, and approximately 1,000 different postures. The best way to improve your body language reading skills is to read more body language. Analyze people (In a non-creepy way) and get to know them better in order to discern habits and traits from the relevant signals.

Here are some key common signals that you can watch out for while reading people:

• Palms out and open hands show honesty and trustworthiness.
• Nose scratching indicates lying.
• Eyes brows slightly raise when uncomfortable, both socially and physically.
• Inflection shows interest.
• Read the eyes. They show positive and negative reactions.  When they shift, they may be trying to hide something, looking up shows they are trying to recall something, looking down shows guilt

• If they are mirroring your body language, the conversation is probably going well.
• Fake smiles can be detected because they don’t use the same muscles. Real smiles will give the skin around the eyes a crinkle.
• Toes pointing up reflect good mood.

 
Here are some tips to give off positive and confident body language.

• Good posture - head held high, this is scientifically proven to boost your confidence after 5 minutes.
• Smile - after all, happiness is contagious.
• Personal space- Americans have an average conversation distance of 3-5 feet, this varies in climate: people in colder climates tend to have smaller conversation distances, likely as a social evolutionary trait to keep us warm.
• Eye contact - Use your eyes to communicate. Look around AND be engaging by making eye contact while speaking and listening!
• Lean forward - Another way of showing interest and engagement.
• Don’t touch your face - Covering/touching your face or neck is a bad sign in body language. It shows disagreement, anxiousness and or distrust.
• Mirroring - We are programmed to like people like us. Copy a person’s body language if trying to gain their approval.
• Sit slightly angled - sitting at an angle communicates being on someone’s side.

Colorful Character 
A large portion of the Hindu religion is based on the concepts of Chakras and that different colored energy fields (aka auras) emanate from our bodies and reflect our emotions. 

Many psychologists chalk it up to evolution, but our mood is indeed tied to colors. For instance, red is exciting because blood is red and blood usually implies an exciting situation or violence. Likewise, the Hindus believe red is tied to sexuality, aggression, and passion, which are also commonly associated with red in Western culture.

Meanwhile, the color green is associated with grass, growth, nature and creativity. This isn't always the case, but most cultures link certain colors to the similar emotions and ideas, reinforcing the idea that this is evolutionary, or at least hardwired into our subconscious experience. 

If you are working with people or have clients, then you have an opportunity to use color and color psychology to your advantage. Seeing these colors in the brand alongside a message that supports the idea will resonate with consumers longer and have a deeper impact.

We made it a tad easier for you too:

Choose 2-3 qualities you want your business to embody then have NLC design your logo with these colors in mind.

• Orange - playfulness, friendly, vitality
• Yellow - happiness, optimism, warning
• Light Blue - tranquility, trust, openness
• Dark Blue - professionalism, security, formality
• Purple - royalty, luxury, richness
• Pink - femininity, youth, innocence
• Brown - rugged, earthy, old-fashioned
• White - pure, virtuous, healthy
• Gray - neutrality, gloom, subdued
• Black - power, intelligence, dangerous

Want to make a statement? Color psychology is a good way to do it.

The Big Picture
Ethics and shock value aside, there is a lot that can be learned about how humans are influenced from these psychological studies.  By using consistency and repetition, positioning yourself well, and employing color psychology, you can slightly change your marketing approaches to have a more effective impact on your target market.