Hong Kong body language expert on Donald Trump, Carrie Lam and Barack Obama, and how micro facial expressions reflect our true emotions

A face-to-face interview with Kiki Wong, a forensics specialist who has spent years researching body language, micro facial expressions and lie detection, is a daunting prospect.

“I don’t intentionally seek out information when I meet someone, but there are things that I subconsciously pick up on,” she says. “I’m a pretty good gauge of what kind of person you are. You seem relaxed, not very conservative.” So far, so good.

“People might be surprised to learn that 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal,” she continues. “Body language and facial expressions are the main ones, but there are things many people are not aware of. We judge people on looks and the way they dress – that’s just the society we live in. But there are other non-verbal signs, from the way we sit and the sound of our voice to how quickly we talk and move.”

The way we use technology also speaks volumes. “Social media accounts, what profile picture you use, how a message is composed and whether you use emojis, to punctuation and font style, all these send signals about what type of person you are,” Wong says.

Wong and her husband Anthony Tsang are founders of The Silent Company, which provides training for corporate and government organisations in body language, micro facial expressions and lie detection. Her clients range from fresh college graduates keen to improve their confidence for job interviews to chief executives wanting to learn how to lead a team without coming across as arrogant.

Six months ago she worked with the Hong Kong Police Force’s public relations team to help improve the force’s image following accusations of police brutality during anti-government protests that saw violent clashes between police and protesters.