A recognisable situation
An advisor says: “You don’t need to rush,” but speaks quickly, constantly checks their screen and fidgets restlessly with papers. The words say calm, the behaviour says time pressure. The client mostly senses the latter.
A question to consider
What would change in this conversation if your posture radiated the same calmness as your words?
In plain words
People do not just hear what you say. They also notice how fast you speak and whether you remain calm yourself. Therefore, first take care of your own pace. Not to read the other person, but to be reliably present yourself.
The nuance
Do not assign fixed meaning to body language. A posture is never by itself proof of what someone thinks or feels.
Explanation in own words at What truly moves people and the speaker’s compass. Book p. 41; speaker’s compass p. 11.
Practice this insight