Like it or not, we are all judged by our first impressions. People do react just on how we look physically. We receive information nonverbally first and foremost. Wile it doesn't mean we don't have to use language to communicate, nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal communication.
Research shows that clues in verbal channels of communication - how something is said - are often more important than words alone, or what is said. When we transmit a message, how we say something is also transmitted in addition to what was being said. Many times the receiver interprets what we say by how we say it and not the words we say.
Nonverbal communication channels include symbols, signs and gestures. Even the way we dress is a form of nonverbal communication. For example, a police uniform is an expression of authority and upholding law and order. Face expressions, a tone or pitch of our voices or vocal paralanguage, hand gestures, body movements or kinesics, touch or haptics, and of course, personal space, are the most common forms of nonverbal forms of communication.
How many times have you crossed your arms in disgust; rolled your eyes in boredom or disbelief, or just smiled at the sight of an approaching friend? All of these are nonverbal cues that send signals to others.
In the online article, The interview advantage: How to use nonverbal communication to impress, author Alison Doyle cites College Journal reports claiming studies reveal "body language comprises 55% of the force of any response, where the verbal content only provides 7%, and paralanguage, or the intonation - pauses and sighs given when answering - represents 38% of the emphasis."
The Web site, www.yourcommunicationskills.com, sites research with even more drastic statistics showing that verbal communication accounts for about seven percent of a communicative transmission. The other 93 percent is attributed to nonverbal and symbolic communication, also known as listening skills.
If we are to be successful communicators, we must also be proficient with out nonverbal communication skills. We must remember we are what we look like and what we do as well as what we say. We must make certain our body language matches our words so that the listener receives the message correctly. There is an old saying that you can gather more friends with honey than bees. This is especially true when it comets to nonverbal communication and in gaining compliance. Not matching nonverbal actions to verbal communication is sure to lead to a misunderstanding and unsuccessful persuasion.
References:
Doyle, A. (n.d.), The interview advantage: How to use nonverbal communication to impress. Retrieved Nov. 6, 2009 from www.google.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment