Attitude and Non-Verbal Communication
We “read” one another all the time…
Much is made of¬†how we communicate non-verbally and for good reason.¬†¬†Experts tell us that indeed¬†most communication is accomplished¬†without words.¬†¬†In fact,¬†only 7 percent of what gets communicated¬†is achieved with words, another 38 percent has to do with how we say what we say– our intonation, inflections and volume.¬†¬†The majority¬†55 percent of our message is communicated¬†by something we refer to as “body language,” that is, the way our body moves, our facial expressions and¬†eye contact.
Given what we know about psychology and behavior, this makes¬†sense.¬†¬†Behind the words we use in speaking to someone is an attitude and feeling that comes through and¬† reveals itself,¬†even as our words¬†attempt to belie those¬†underlying thoughts.¬†¬†We can’t hide, our cover is blown–the message we convey is the one we feel.¬† Body postures and smiles transmit acceptance, caution, disagreement and more.
What is interesting here is a correlation with selling and as job-seekers, we know that we are engaged in the sales process with ourselves as the product.  Experts here contend that effective selling breaks down this way:  About 7 percent has to do with product knowledge, another 13 percent is our sales skill.  That leaves us with 80 percent majority of successful selling that is attributed to what goes on behind our eyes.
So when things aren’t going so well for us, perhaps it has little or nothing to do with our aptitude, but may have everything to do with our attitude.¬†¬†While we can not control the effects, in this case our body language, we can control the cause,¬†as the behavior we exhibit will come from what¬†we think and how¬†we feel— and that will make all¬†the difference to our interviewers.
About the author, Saleh
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