Duchenne Smile
Short Explanation: A Duchenne smile is a genuine smile that involves both the mouth and the muscles around the eyes.
In-Depth Explanation
The term comes from research on facial expressions and is often used to describe smiles linked to real positive emotion. In simple terms: the mouth smiles and the eyes “smile” too. In communication and B2B contexts, Duchenne smiles matter because they are commonly associated with warmth, trust, and authenticity. That can influence first impressions in sales calls, interviews, keynotes, and video content. At the same time, you should avoid over-reading micro-signals: lighting, cameras, cultural norms, and individual differences can change what a smile looks like.
How it Works:
- Mouth movement: The corners of the mouth lift (often described as the zygomatic major activation).
- Eye-area movement: The muscles around the eyes contract, creating slight crow’s-feet and raised cheeks (often described as the orbicularis oculi activation).
- Perceived sincerity: Observers often rate these smiles as more sincere than mouth-only smiles.
- Context matters: Stress, fatigue, camera angle, and social norms can mask or amplify the eye cues.
- Use in practice: In customer-facing roles, a relaxed face and real engagement usually creates a more natural smile than trying to mimic the expression.
Real-Life Example
In a first discovery call, a seller listens closely, reacts to a customer’s success story, and smiles naturally. The customer sees a warm expression in both the mouth and the eyes and feels the interaction is more human. In contrast, a forced, scripted smile during a pitch can feel off and reduce trust, even if the words are correct.