Who nods more, men or women? And why?
Here is a surprising difference between men and women. It’s body language advice that we share in our business etiquette and networking seminars.
Who do you think nods more, men or women?
Women do.
Men, why do you nod?
Because you’re in agreement. Men usually only nod to signal, “Right on, I agree with you”.
Women, why do you nod?
Are you necessarily in agreement?
No, what women are usually signaling is “I hear you, go on. I may not agree with you but tell me more.”
A big surprise to men
This body language dissimilarity often comes as a surprise to the men in our audience.
And it can have some serious ramifications in business.
Lesson learned the hard way
A few years back I was working with a construction company who had learned this the hard way. They told me of a situation where they were doing a presentation to a school board for a renovations contract.
There were four school officials at the meeting; three women and one man.
Throughout the meeting, the women were all nodding their heads and so for the rest of the presentation the construction guys focused all their attention on the man, the only person who had not nodded.
Signals crossed
The sad part was, it didn’t matter if he nodded or not. It turned out, the man was a junior, who had little authority.
The women, who were the decision makers, felt ignored in the presentation. Uh-oh! The company lost the contract.
Live and learn
Good business etiquette is all about building relationships. Body language like nodding your head is a good way to build rapport. It encourages others to converse; it doesn’t have to mean that you agree with everything you hear.
Some free advice
Guys, next time you suggest to your wife that you spend the summer vacation at a fishing lodge, and she nods her head… don’t start packing up your tackle box.
Other Articles:
- Why are Business Etiquette Skills Crucial for Your Success.
- Executive Etiquette Power eBook
- Savvy networking skills, the key to connecting in business and life.