Did you know that your professional future may be decided before you open your mouth? And did you know that most deals are closed before speaking? And that your smile and facial expressions can be a driver for increasing your sales? And did you know that your silent messages have more impact than your words? And that listening is more through the eyes than through the ears?

1. Closing deals before speaking: (The Seven-Second Rule)

In business, words are just "packaging" for the message, but the real message is written by your eyes, your tone of voice, your facial expressions, and even the way you walk. And if you want as a businessman, employee, or leader to leave an unforgettable first impression, know that those around you judge you through the first impression that forms in the human mind in just 7 seconds without you uttering a single word. In these seconds, your partner or client will unconsciously judge your worthiness of their trust and your competence and whether you can be relied upon, all through your stance and facial expressions and handshake, not through your intelligence and words. And more importantly, this impression is difficult to change because the brain focuses only on confirming it through a brain filter that ignores evidence that contradicts it in what is called confirmatory bias. If you pass the seven-second test, the recipient's mind will believe everything you say later and you will have special charisma in persuasion.

2. Is body language a "capital asset"?

In the world of deals, words are no longer sufficient for persuasion and success is no longer dependent only on what you know, but on "how you look when you say it". If you tell your client "our main goal is to please you" while looking at your phone or crossing your arms, or you tell him "we are confident in the quality of our product" while scratching your nose or shaking your feet nervously, his brain will disbelieve your words and immediately believe your body. Our brains are biologically programmed to believe movement and disbelieve words when there is a conflict, and this is a scientific fact confirmed by Dr. Albert Mehrabian's 93% rule which shows that 93% of judging your credibility is based on your non-verbal language and only 7% is based on words. Here body language becomes the hidden negotiator and an intangible asset (Intangible Asset) as a determinant of your market value and integrity in the eyes of partners. So in your upcoming negotiations, rely on power posture, reciprocal handshake and the art of mimicry and you will see how your ability to persuade increases.

3. Smiling as a sales driver: (Mirror Effect)

Ancient Chinese wisdom affirms that: "The man who does not know how to smile should not open a store". Modern studies also indicate that salesmen who smile genuinely achieve 9% higher sales, and smiling increases employee productivity by 12%.

Why does smiling increase sales? The secret lies in "mirror neurons" in the client's brain. When you smile genuinely, the client's brain unconsciously mimics these feelings, making them feel comfortable and connected to you, and it is known that people prefer to buy from those they "feel comfortable with", not from those who only offer "the lowest prices".

4. The trust laboratory: How do you trick your brain to become a leader?

Dr. Amy Cuddy from Harvard University stated that body language affects body chemistry, and the experiment proved that your body posture for just two minutes is capable of causing a radical change in brain chemistry and your professional performance. For example, high-power poses: such as standing upright and opening your shoulders raise testosterone hormone (the confidence hormone) by 20% and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) by 25%, making you bolder in making financial decisions. In contrast, the study indicated that low-power poses: such as hunching and clasping your hands lead to increased stress hormone, making you the weaker party in negotiations and reducing your ability to persuade.

5. "Luqman's Constitution": The visual identity of leadership

It is worth noting that body language is one of the dimensions of wisdom in the Quran where body language was mentioned in more than one context, most notably the constitution of

body language in Sura Luqman where the wise Luqman drew for his son "an integrated visual identity" that preceded our era by centuries, and defined the features of personality dignity and its social intelligence in clear verses: most notably facial expression management: in His saying: (And do not turn your cheek away from people in arrogance) (Luqman:

18), and here we find a warning against tilting the cheek in arrogance, which contemporary communication experts interpret as behavior that breaks bridges of trust and alienates partners and investors.

Sura Luqman also pointed to the importance of body language in reflecting the charisma of movement and leadership steadiness, as the Quran guides us to regulate the speed and manner of walking: in His saying, the Almighty: (And do not walk on the earth arrogantly) and (And adopt a measured pace in your walking) (Luqman:18-19) and this "measure" reflects psychological stability and leadership steadiness; neither slowness suggesting laziness, nor speed suggesting confusion.

The Sura also pointed to the importance of tone of voice which is part of body language, and its role in persuasion through His saying: (And lower your voice) (Luqman:19) for confidence does not need shouting, but the power of argument emanating from calm and balance.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had the most complete body language; in Al-Tirmidhi's description of his characteristics, when he (peace be upon him) turned, he turned completely (with his entire body), which gives maximum value to the addressee. This "complete engagement" and constant smiling is what poet Maya Angelou describes saying: "People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel". His visual communication gave each guest the feeling that they were the most important, which is the pinnacle of leadership intelligence.

In conclusion, body language can make you persuade and attract and achieve your profit objectives, so do not ignore the importance of visual listening where you listen through focusing your attention and eyes on the other party, which stimulates the other party and enables you to gain their trust, and avoid the killers of charisma, most notably all movements that show your lack of interest and respect for the other party such as looking at the watch or playing with a pen because they are silent messages that reflect lack of listening and give reverse reactions from the other party, and don't forget our follow-up of many details about this topic.

Dr. Yusra Al-Messaoui