close attention to such nonverbal communication channels as face, tone of voice, and body. Scientific research confirms that, when people focus only on words, they often miss criti- cal information. “When we use words, we can say whatever we want and easily conceal the truth,” said Dr. Ekman, “but it takes extraordinary skills to deceive the trained eye with our face, voice, and body.” For example, 70 percent of the people studied involun- tarily raised the pitch of their voice when they got upset. Although some people raise the pitch when they are lying, Dr. Ekman warned against misinterpretations. “A raised pitch does not automatically indicate deception. Most of the time it only indicates the presence of fear, excitement, or anger.” He also warned against misinterpreting a low, flat, and un- emotional tone of voice. It is possible for a gifted performer to deliver an emotionally charged story calmly and evenly. During the Watergate hearings, John Dean testified that President Nixon had approved payoffs. Years after his testi- mony, John Dean revealed in his book Blind Ambition: The White House Years that he had decided in advance to “read evenly, unemotionally, and as coldly as possible and answer questions the same way.” He reasoned that “people tend to think that somebody telling the truth will be calm about it.” Judge John J. Sirica appeared to be impressed with John Dean’s unemotional tone of voice as he indicated in his book, To Set the Record Straight: “The committee members peppered him with hostile questions. But he stuck to his story. He didn’t appear upset in any way. His flat, unemotional tone of voice made him believable.”
GETTING THE TRUTH TO SURFACE What if you sense that someone may not be telling the truth? How do you obtain accurate information without antagonizing the other person and leaving the door open to more lies? According to Dr. Ekman, putting people on the defen- sive isn’t the best tactic: “Show them that you really want to build a bridge and encourage them to be frank.” He also suggested being sensitive to the other person: “Most of us don’t like to admit to ourselves that we are lying, and whenever we do lie, we tend to think that we have a very good justification.” Why isn’t it a good strategy to call someone a liar? Simply because, the moment you turn the relationship into an adversarial situation, people may refuse to talk with you further. If you depend on additional information from that particular source, you may be giving up your advantage. “In most instances,” explained Dr. Ekman, “people will feel more comfortable if you can reassure them that they are not going to risk a lot if they tell you the truth.” How can we reassure other people that they won’t lose everything if they tell us the truth? Here are a few ways to state it:
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1. “Perhaps there is some reason why you can’t share with me what really happened.”
2. “Are you worried about how I might react to what you are telling me?”
3. “I know that this may be uncomfortable, but it ap- pears that there is more to this story. Let us put the cards on the table so we can put this issue to rest.”
4. “I have a sense that there is really more to this story than what you have told me. Is there anything else that you would like to add?”
FISHING FOR EVIDENCE When asked how he would respond to nonverbal signs of deceit during a job interview, Dr. Ekman offered, “I would ask a number of follow-up questions and try to see how the applicant would handle them.” His research suggests that the chance of uncovering deceit is directly related to our ability to ask good questions.
For example, if the candidate gave a convoluted answer to your question about why he or she left a previous job, you may follow up with, “How much notice did you give your previous employer? Did your decision have anything to do with any personal disagreements? Were there any personality clashes?”
While the candidate answers your questions, compare what is said in words to how the body expresses emotions. “Lie catchers” listen with their eyes and ears for subtle clues such as the following: - Tone of voice goes up at the end of a sentence. - The applicant’s voice hesitates. - He or she shrugs slightly.
When the person talks about a positive situation, are the eyebrows relaxed or drawn together? Do self-touching gestures increase while answering your question? Does the applicant assume a stiffer posture? Does the candidate become more quiet and withdrawn? When you notice contradictions, don’t trust just what the person is saying, even though his or her words may be very convincing. “We can’t find conclusive proof that the person has lied just by observing behavioral clues,” said Dr. Ekman. “All we can learn is that we had better do some more checking before taking the next step.”
UNDERSTANDING WHY PROSPECTS LIE According to Dr. Ekman, prospects are often embarrassed if they really can’t afford your product. “I recently looked at a piece of equipment,” he began, “and when I asked for the price, it was so far beyond my budget that I told the salesman that I had to take some measurements first to see that it fits. I used this excuse to get out of the situation and avoid embarrassment.”
When asked how he would have handled the situation if the roles had been reversed, Dr. Ekman answered, “I would
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