Non-verbal Communication

Albert Mehrabian, the famous professor of psychology, is known for coining the ‘55-38-7 rule’ for the relative impact of body language, tone of voice, and words, in verbal communication. It is evident from this rule that non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in the communication process. Body language is controlled by your subconscious mind, so a reader can understand if there’s a difference in what you are saying and thinking. Non-verbal communication entails body language which can then be further broken down into components such as posture, hand movement, eye contact etc. Body language plays an important role whenever you communicate because the audience is observing the whole package in front of them. Think of politicians for example – we rarely remember what they ‘say’ in their speeches but still come away carrying an opinion of them per se. This opinion stems from a sense of perception which, in turn, can be attributed to our sub-conscious evaluation of their behavior – body language included.

The right body language can communicate a powerful image about a person and his/her organization. Hence many companies around the world are keen to tap into the hidden potential of non-verbal communication to transmit a favorable image of their brand through their people and how they are perceived.