It not what you say, but how you say it

John Maxwell, an American leadership guru states in his New York Times bestselling book ‘the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership’ that the true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.

Leadership and influence are extensive and deep topics in their own right. They fill the book shelves of book stores around the world as some of the most researched and studied areas of interest on the planet, especially in the context of business.

Let’s look at one of the keys to influence – nonverbal communication.

Research from around the world tells us that 93% of communication is nonverbal. What that means is only 7% of communication comes from the words we use. The other 93% is a combination of voice tone and body language!

Have you ever heard a great joke being told badly? You get what I mean!

To be a great influencer, you will need a very good understanding of how to use voice tone and body language to be effective in your communication. You often need to be able to build rapport rapidly when working with your team, your customers, your suppliers and anyone that comes into contact with your business.

In the realm of body language and voice tone you have many options at your disposal to communicate effectively. It also means that if you are not aware of how your voice tone and body language affects those around you, you have plenty of chances to stuff it up!

So, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Have you ever communicated something only for the meaning or what was intended to be taken in the complete wrong way?

Your options include your voice tone pitching upwards or downwards, where you focus your eyes, how you position your body relative to others, your hand movements, how you use space, how you use office furniture and so on.

Each of these options can be used differently, depending on the desired outcome of the interaction and communication.

Some people are naturally great communicators and some are not. The good news is that effective communication can be learnt. Like any new skill, it requires dedication and practice. The most successful business owners I have worked with have great influencing and communication skills. How do rate your skill in this area?