Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal Communication Skills
The 7-38-55 rule.
So, your board presentation – done and dusted?
Applauds received and you are preparing for another presentation. You have written and decked up your slides, ready to go again.
But wait a minute, remember also to consider your NVCs, your non-verbal communications. Yes, words mean a lot. But not when you study the 7-38-55 rule!
Developed by Mehrabian in 1967, the Psychology Professor explains the 7-38-55 rule. It is important to remember the breakdown, it will help you with your presentation.
7% of meaning is transmitted through words, 38% through your voice tone and the remaining 55% is through your facial expressions & body language.
Get your NVCs on the right track and your words will mean more.
There are some key skills needed to be mastered here, not just light touch up at the superficial level. At first, it feels scary, stage fright is common, it happens to even well-seasoned speakers.
When I first started teaching, with 250 students, it felt daunting, worried whether the students at the back could hear me or see my non-verbal expressions. Keeping eye contact, going over the room, making sure I wasn’t just staring at one space or looking at a few students.
Twenty years of speaking to students, leaders, board rooms, keynotes, I feel there is always room for improvement, because complacency and over-confidence destroys the core message.
A side hint, remember which country you are in and take care of some basic cultural aspects, show respect. Be aware of cultural gestures.
You might feel you know all of this, but when you look at the rule of 7-38-55, you better deep dive into it and adjust a few things.
➡️ Posture – a confident posture says more than your words could say.
➡️ Eye contact – shows you are interested and engaging, drawing in the audience from all corners of the room.
➡️ Tone of voice – voice modulation comes with practice, it’s essential to vary your pitch, tone and sometimes volume too, avoid flat or monotone.
➡️ Gestures – be careful of your hand gestures and be aware of basic cultural rules. Use hand movements to emphasise or clarify points without being distracting.
If you have lots of room to move around be careful of your movements, don’t move constantly from one corner to the other, making your audience dizzy!
Get the combination right and your presentation will be a success – not with applause and words such as, ‘well done’, ‘that was a great presentation’, rather in the clarity of your message, what you wanted to say, how you said it, and how well it was received.
At the end of the day, the golden rule is this - your core message needs to be conveyed with clarity, so that people remember the message and they feel it, ‘I get your point what you said.’
That’s what is needed, your point got across, your job done – no applause needed!
Communication skills are critical for leaders.
Most leaders say it is one of their pain points, particularly managing the NVCs.
Is this your pain point too?
Book a free consultation and find out how Effective Communication Skills Mastery can help you enhance your delivery of presentations, interact with your board and team members positively.
Leadership Learning with Dr Rozana™ is written by
Dr Rozana Huq
Founder and Director
RHM LEADERSHIP
➡️ Empower ➡️ Inspire ➡️ Lead