‘Indian netas come across as lacking power’

Mr Body Language has tutored the British and Dutch royal families, Vladimir Putin, and a serial killer or two in the art of standing up straight and looking positive. Otherwise called Allan Pease, he tells Sunday Times why India needs to study the art of deciphering emotions expressed by the body
How did it all begin?
I was attending sales interviews at the age of five with my father, an insurance agent.I was selling rubber sponges at 10 and later pots and pans. I spent 12 years selling life insurance . That’s when I learnt how to understand people.
You have no professional degree in your area of expertise. How then did you become an authority on it? And who started calling you ‘Mr Body Language’ ?
When I started, there was no body language course. No one had ever considered the idea that you could assess other people’s attitudes through their behaviour. I wrote the book ‘Body Language’ in 1976, which became an international bestseller. It was then that Reader’s Digest did a cover story on me called ‘Mr Body Language’ . I’ve had it ever since.
How does this ‘science’ affect the layman?
Body language accounts for 60-80 % of impact in face-to-face communication . If you can’t read the clues, you won’t relate to other people and may be labelled “insensitive” .
Are people in the west more aware of the importance of body language than people in the east?
Yes. The Australians were the first to use it in business and education, followed by the US, UK, Europe and then the east. Arab countries still see it as a new idea. It took me over a decade to establish the concept worldwide.
Is a knowledge of body language needed in India?
Body language provides insight into emotions, and human emotions are the same everywhere. Indians who do not understand body language will be poor at doing business internationally .
Westerners say that before coming to India, people should have some knowledge of Indian body language codes. What’s your take on the ‘Mumbai roll’ ?
You’re right. There is no guide to Indian body language. The basic gestures and facial expressions are the same, but what changes in any culture is eye contact, touch frequency, the distance we stand at, and rude signals. The Mumbai roll — the side-to-side nod of the head which could mean yes, no or maybe — is unique to India and confusing to everyone else. There are no real offensive gestures in India (such as the middle finger), but touch is used more here which can be disconcerting for outsiders.
Who are your clients?
My clientele ranges from the British and Dutch royal families , politicians, to convicted murderers (the Yorkshire ripper or Peter Sutcliffe) and almost anybody who appears in public. About 90% of my work in recent decades has been for corporations.
What do you think of the body language of Indian politicians?
Indian politicians are caught in a bind between showing humility, which means they generally come across as lacking power and authority (to the rest of the world). Now that India is coming to the forefront of world interest, Indian politicians need training to project a strong and c re d i bl e image on the world stage.