8 Body Language Signs That They Aren’t Buying What You’re Saying

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
What if the interviewer isn’t responding positively to what you’re saying? In this video, we’ll go through eight body language signs that suggest the interviewer is rejecting what you’re saying.

00:00 Intro
00:44 Frowning or wrinkling
01:17 No eye contact
01:35 Closed off body language
02:33 Leaning away
02:44 Fidgeting or nervous movements
03:03 Tight-lipped smile
03:20 Interrupting you
03:31 Interrupting
03:53 Summary
04:22 Outro

9 Body Language Cues & What You’re Signaling

When you’re in an interview, you want to make a great impression and communicate your skills and experience in a way that they get you. But what if they aren’t, and they’re responding, shall we say poorly to what you have to say. In this video, I’m gonna go through eight body language signs that suggest they’re rejecting what you’re saying. I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. People hire me for no BS, career advice and coaching globally. That can relate to a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transitions, and dealing with workplace issues, because I make everything a lot easier for people.

So let’s go through a couple of these signals that suggest the interviewer isn’t buying what you’re saying. The first one is frowning, or wrinkling their forehead; it’s a sign of confusion or disagreement, that they may not agree with what you’re saying, and may be struggling to follow your point. So, you know, if you wind up seeing someone who is wrinkling their forehead or is frowning, that’s could be what they’re telling you.

Second thing is avoiding eye contact altogether. If they’re just not making eye contact, it could be a sign that they’re not interested or engaged in what you’re saying. They may be avoiding contact or eye contact to avoid giving you false hope, or appearing to agree with you.

Closed off body language. The classic thing that people believe is that if someone sits with their arms crossed in front of them, that there are keeping their legs tightly together or not facing you at all, it could be a sign that they’re not open to what you’re saying. But that may not be completely true. As a woman named Susan Ibitz, who’s a body language expert said to me in an interview, it could mean that they’re cold, and they’re trying to stay warm, or they’re embarrassed as a woman, that they’re exposing parts of their anatomy through their blouse that is making them uncomfortable. So you kind of have to take that one with a grain of salt and just be aware of the surroundings and what might be causing them to close themselves off.

Leaning away is the next one. If the interviewer is leaning away from you, it could be a sign that they’re uncomfortable with what you’re saying or trying to distance themselves from your point of view.

I love this one, fidgeting or nervous movements. If they’re fidgeting or making nervous movements, such as tapping their foot or playing with a pen, it could mean that they’re uncomfortable or anxious. It can also be a sign that they’re not buying what you’re saying.

Your Most Effective Piece of Body Language

A tight lipped smile is next. A smile with closed lips could be a sign of insincerity or polite agreement. If the interviewer is not fully engaged with what you’re saying, but still wants to be polite, they may smile with their lips pressed together.

Another example is interrupting you. If they’re interrupting you frequently, it could be a sign that they’re just not interested in what you’re saying, or are eager to move on to the next question.

Lastly, for today, if they’re asking leading questions designed to steer the conversation in a different direction than you intended, it could be a sign that they’re not interested in your perspective because leading questions are designed to influence your response, and can be a tactic used to challenge or discredit what you’re saying.

So I’ll just simply say, these are a number of examples of body language that an interviewer could display if they’re rejecting what you’re saying. Keep them in mind because these are cues you should be reading in context and not using as the sole basis for determining the outcome of an interview. It’s important to use your intuition, pay attention to their verbal cues, and prepare thoroughly for the interview.

Of course, I hope you found this helpful. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us. There’s a ton in the blog that can help you. Plus, you can schedule time for a free introductory call, which I call a discovery call, schedule time for coaching, find out about my video courses, books, and guides. Again, there’s a lot there to help.

Also, at the website, you can schedule time for Trusted Advisor Services where if you have questions for me, I’m happy to answer them. Lastly, connect with me on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and be great!

Stupid Interview Mistakes: Body Language Mistakes

ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ career easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues. 

Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us

 

He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.

Website: https://www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)

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Courses: https://www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses

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#jobsearchtv #bodylanguage #rejection

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