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How You Become a Body Language Expert by Patti Wood


This nice interview with me about my background was in a client's magazine.


The Magazine
Patti Wood –

Cues for success

Body-language expert Patti Wood shares the secrets of her superpower:

how to read people – and be read – accurately for better business


            Since she was a child, Patti Wood had always had what some might call a superpower: She could read people. She knew when they were telling the truth and when they were being disingenuous. She knew how they were feeling, regardless of what they were saying. But she wasn’t reading their minds; she was reading their body language.
            But it wasn’t until as a college student she took a nonverbal communications class, and Wood realized her superpower was actually a skill, and an actual science, So she began to, and earn degrees in it, conduct research on it, teach it at University level, write books about it, speak on it around the world and eventually become known as one the media experts in the field. “When I began in this field, reading body language was relatively unknown – I used to have to explain what it was,” Wood remembers. “Now, people are much more familiar with it; many even know some of the basics. But the depth of this field, its intricacies and its possible applications out in the world are endless.”
            Our conference members members will dip a proverbial toe into that nonverbal communications well when Wood presents Successful Signals – Body Language in Business at the group’s 2014 National Conference & Trade Show next month. Chances are, Wood will begin where we all do: first impressions.
            “Nonverbal communication has 4.3 times the impact of just a word message,” notes Wood. “And first impressions are formed in a tiny fraction of a second in all situations, including sales and business. In the first minute of interaction with a new person, we can exchange up to 10,000 mostly subconscious cues, and within three minutes, it’s a done deal – our first impressions of one another have been set.”
            According to Wood, these thousands of cues feed into four first-impression factors: credibility, likability, attractiveness and power. “And there are proven ways to consciously up those factors at any point in your interaction,” Wood attests.
            In an interview scenario, the same four factors are at play for both the hiring interviewer and the job candidate. Wood says research has found most hiring decisions are made within the first ten seconds, then the interviewer spends the rest of the time confirming their initial decision.
            “I recommend having more than one person conducting interviews,” states Wood. “There is a strong bias to hire people like yourself, but having a company full of people who are all alike may not be best for business. So have people of different personality types interviewing together, and you’ll get a more complete and accurate ‘read’ on candidates.”
             Out on the sales floor, first impressions can make all the difference – and they begin before the customer is even past the store’s threshold.
            “First impressions can be formed from quite a distance and before someone even speaks,” Wood affirms. “So potential customers are already ‘reading’ your salespeople as they stand at the threshold of the door and, depending on the perceived cues, the customer can decide whether they step forward into the store or turn around and walk back out the door.”
            In addition to learning how to create a positive first impression, participants at Wood’s presentation can expect lessons on connecting with millennials, serving vs. building selling relationships, reading cues that tell you when to go for the close, empowering your physical presence, and looking strong and confident.
            “Understanding body language better helps you give and receive impressions accurately – so your interactions and relationships can become more authentic,” concludes Wood. “When you can see how someone is really feeling, you can support them better, solve problems faster, just be a more effective human being.”


Patti Wood

Title:                                 Body Language Expert & Certified Speaking Professional
Website:               www.PattiWood.net
Media:                              :: Television includes The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Talk, ABC & FOX
                                          :: Publications include The Washington Post, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal                                           :: Communication consultant for Us Weekly, featured twice monthly
                                          :: Author of seven books
Latest book:         SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma
                                                      [SnapFirstImpressions.com]
Hometown:          Atlanta, Georgia
Tidbit:                              She loves Sherlock Holmes, and especially the current BBC series, Sherlock.




Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

How to Answer Questions from the Media

Check out this stirring speech in response to media questions about America.


This is an excerpt of a media interview with Jeff Daniels (I love him and was an extra in a movie that he starred in called, “Something Wild”
This is not how most people respond to the media.  Some call this the best three minutes on Television. The speech is very similar to other speeches written by Aron Sorkin. (I saw a fantastic interview of him where they showed clips that had a similar stirring speech.  Here is a clip from that interview.




Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Wonderful Mash of Inspirational Speeches from Movies.

This is a wonderful mash of inspirational speeches from movies. It is awesome



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Cues and Verbal Cues that a Man is Ready to Settle Down

Time is a nonverbal communicator. If a man begins to give you more time in his life for example not going out with the boys but staying in with you, not watching TV by himself but wants to do things with you, not leaving you in the kitchen alone to cook but wants to be in the kitchen with you that's an indication he is ready to share his time therefore his life with you.

Time may seem a small thing but it's actually a big thing so if he's willing to spend his time helping you fix things around your house or apartment, talking and listening with you this is a healthy and good indication that he cares for you enough to want to marry you. Not taking crazy codependent time with you but healthy time with you.

He wants to be in your space or wants you to be in his space. So he invites you over to his place to spend long periods of time.  He wants you on his couch and wants you cooking in his kitchen. Or he, wants to spend time in your space. When we love somebody and enjoy being with them we want to be in their space and/or share theirs.

His conversation changes as he describes you and him and the relationship to you and to the people he cares for. Language style reveals quite a bit. So the use of we and us increasing in the conversation or appearing in the conversation for that matter is great. When you're with his friends and your friends to see how he describes you and how does he describe the relationship. Does he say us and we are going to do this, this is my girlfriend or this is my love? Girlfriend, love and we are all forms of verbal ownership and indicate a desire to be recognized as a couple.

Does he stand, sit and lay down with his arm around you or arm touching you?  The need to and desire to touch frequently is a good indication of a healthy desire to be with you. I want to distinguish this from clingy, hang-on body language and warm protective loving touch.  I have been reading celebrity couples’ body language for magazines such as US Weekly, Life & Style, Okay and Cosmo for over 15 years. I can tell by a man's touch, how he is around her and how he holds her hand what's going on in the relationship and can predict its success.

Does he give you great eye contact? Does he want to look at the love of his life frequently? When he looks at you do you feel loved?


 Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

How to Insure Your Request for a Task or Project Gets Done Easily and Quickly Using Magic Phrasing

He is late, he promised the project would be done in four weeks and it is not done. A friend is getting a room enclosed on the back of her house by a contractor and he promised to get the project done in four weeks and it is not done. A client has a vice president who said he would follow through and get four new clients on board and he has not done anything but email excuses.

Does this sound familiar? Have you ever asked someone to do something for you to find out later they didn’t do it? Or didn’t do it correctly? Have you ever given an employee, team member, vendor or family member what seemed to be a simple task only to have him or her come back to you again in person with questions and excuses for delays? Are you bombarded with emails with problems someone is having following through an assignment?  These magic phrasing questions can help you help others follow through on an assignment.

After you've given somebody an assignment or task ask them one or more of these questions. Ideally you would do this face-to-face, but you can see which ones may work via email.

What is the best way of making this happen easily?

What is the best way to make this happen quickly? 

What would be the first thing you would need to do to make this happen?

What would be a barrier to making this happen?

What would keep this from being able to happen quickly and easily?

What are your concerns going forward with this?

What are your top three concerns or issues going forward with this?

What are two thoughts you have about this project?

What would make this easy to do?

I don't know if I've said this so it’s clear, so when we finish up can you send me an email clarifying how you are going to complete this task?

Can you shoot me an email with the steps you think it will take to complete this project?

Can you shoot me an email with your projected completion dates on each major step on this project?

If you run into any problems getting this done by _______ what would you do?

What questions do you have about what I expect from you on this?

What would make this easy to do or what would make this easier to do? 

What do you think would be the challenges to making this happen?

What would be the first action to make this happen?

What will you need to make this happen when you get back to your desk?

What can I do to make you feel comfortable going forward on this on your own?


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.