7-38-55

We are bound to communicate every day. Everything we do is a conversation. From communicating with family to communicating with your peers, communicating with your colleagues to Communicating with Customer all have their boundaries, impressions, and disciplines.

The information perceived by the receiving person is influenced by many external factors, how you look, sweetness in your voice, confidence in your body language, and the state of mind of the receiver. What you speak is only a fraction of effort.

·       The Speed and rhythm of your speech

·       The length of each sentence

·       The pause between words

and express what is communicated by words. The Tone at which the message is delivered gives a

context to the message.  The subtle expressions of hand movements and body language express a

the hidden message between the words.

Nonverbal actions convey essential elements of communication like empathy, attitude, especially when they are incongruent.

For example: When someone says, "I don't have a problem with you!" avoiding eye contact. How much you trust that?

Prof. Mehrabian quantified this tendency:

words, Tone of voice, and body language respectively account for 7%, 38%, and 55% of personal communication.

Words convey 7 % of the message

Tone and voice communicate 38 %

Body language communicates 55 %.

In the modern world where communication is driven in emails, messages, and Chats, we only communicate 7% of the actual message, and this is the reason an iron curtain is created between people. 

When you communicate over the phone or voice call, the message is conveyed by Tone and words, only 45% of the message is carried. The person on the other end doesn't believe the words and feels there is something fishy/missing in what your communication creating a sense of discomfort

Acceptance = 7% words acceptance +38% Tone and Voice acceptance + 55% Body language acceptance.

When you communicate in person or on a video call, Your words, your actions, and Your Tone altogether are conveying a message which is 100% available to the receiver to make a decision. If you are carrying a dead body language, then that is equivalent to your phone communication.

People will never remember what you said; they will only remember how you made them feel.

Next time when you are in a conversation, remember the 7-38-55 Principle. When you pick an email to respond, will 7% of communication will do the job, or it's good for you to get into a video call immediately.

Situations you will face:

1.    You send an email apology, and the receiving person sees it as only a negotiating act and not a heartfelt response. Don't jump onto the next email; go for a video call. Personally, I used to make this mistake of communicating on emails and Chats, at later point of time when people read it they don't remember the reason or the emotion they only reflected the words which didn't have the actual essence

2.     When you are disconnected and far from a family member a message "is everything ok?" vs. a Video Call " I am fine!" choose what will keep the family at distant happy

3.     When you want to break the perception /pre-set mindset of a person before entering into the conversation: Actions like a smile, relaxed shoulders, and eye contact can make him drop his guard and bring the situation to normalcy.