Is it rude or unprofessional to cross your arms or put your hands in your pockets?

Question

I've had people say this to me. I'm just wondering if this is true.

Answer 1

I'd be more concerned with the nonverbal message you give:
arms crossed at the chest may come across as resistant, rigid or stubborn; hands in pockets may indicate timidity, withdrawal or insecurity.
Who'da' thunk?
Call the library and ask them to pull a book on Nonverbal Communication for you. It makes for ver-ry interesting reading.

Answer 2

As a professional salesman who has been trained to read body language.
If I knew you reasonably well as a customer I would read the crossed arms as caution on your part on what you are looking for from me.
I will verbally try to relax you and a
sign of that would be for you to put hands in your pockets.

Let us say you were coming into buy a chainsaw one of the first things I would do would be to get a chainsaw into your hands and point out the features, listening for your questions, instead of waving it around in front of you spouting useless facts I felt were important, but not to you.

Answer 3

Depends on the circumstances. It is always unprofessional if your pockets have big holes in them.

Answer 4

it's all in the body language crossed arm make you look confrontational and have your hands in your pockets while you talk makes you look fidgity like you're not telling the truth

Answer 5

It depends on how you look when you do it. People try to "read" me all the time... but I look mean even when I'm not mad lol.