The only sound in the classroom was the clock ticking as FBI Special Agent Gregory Coleman observed the students. Some laughed nervously, while others stared right back. After exactly 60 seconds, Coleman spoke.

“Lesson number one: your actions can cause a reaction,” said Coleman.

Coleman spoke to Professor Antilla’s news writing class Thursday on how people communicate in ways other than spoken language.

Working for the FBI since 1989, Coleman has practice in dissecting a person’s reactions.

“Ninety percent of the things I now know I learned from the streets of New York,” said Coleman.

Coleman has been in the media in recent months for his six-year investigation of Jordan Belfort, a Wall Street broker convicted of fraud whose memoir, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” inspired the recent movie of the same name.

In many of his investigations, Coleman believes that “influence is the key.” By remaining silent for a minute, Coleman influenced the students by making them nervous.

“If I could do it by doing nothing, imagine what I could do by doing something,” he said.

One form of silent communication that Coleman discussed was body language.

“Body language is a response to thoughts and feelings; you can’t control it,” said Coleman.

He described a subject he once interviewed who was answering questions with ease. Coleman noticed that the subject’s body language was showing nervousness; bending paper clips, playing with rubber bands and scratching part of his hand so hard that it began to bleed. His nervousness wasn’t showing through his words, but through his actions.

Coleman said nonverbal communication is different from body language because it is intentional and controllable. Coleman was able to get a student to the front of the room and in a chair by simply pulling out the chair and gesturing to the student.

He further explained how nonverbal communication is important when it comes to interrogating a subject. Coleman convinced a subject to sit down through nonverbal communication, allowing other agents to remain standing and in control. Coleman says these forms of nonverbal communication can be used in job interviews, dates and other situations outside of an interrogation room.

Body language and nonverbal communication are important parts of how we as humans communicate, but Coleman says that listening to others is just as important.

“If you have to develop any skill to be successful, you have to know how to listen,” said Coleman.

He practices this skill on airplane flights, finding out as much as he can about another passenger without telling them about himself. “This develops my listening skills, but it also shuts my mouth,” he said.

Coleman says this once led to him being offered a ride to New Jersey by someone Coleman knew a lot about by listening, but also someone who knew very little about Coleman.

Many people are “hearing people”; they learn best when they hear someone talk. Coleman demonstrated that while hearing is an important part of understanding and communicating with others, sometimes actions really do speak louder than words.

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