IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

NonVerbal Communication

NonVerbal Communication goes a long way in saying what  the speaker wants to express without saying a single word. But make sure that your verbal communication is not discredited by the nonverbal cues.There are different ways of getting your nonverbal cues across some of those are discussed below:

IMAGE: Your image is not limited to how you dress up, it is also how accessorize, and how you do makeup. Your image will be a mirror of your organisations style of management, culture, and the type of industry. But there are certain rules that are common to any kind of dressing policy the company adheres to like:

• Do not wear revealing clothes.
• Do not accessorize with loud and too much jewelry.
• Do not use excessive and heavy makeup.

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PERSONAL SPACE: It refers to distance apart from another at which a person feels comfortable talking. Always be considerate and do not violate a another's personal space. There could be difference in this personal space in keeping with a person's culture, learn to respect them and understand them.

EYE CONTACT: Eyes are one of the most important nonverbal language tool. In some cultures like Canada, direct eye contact shows your interest whereas in some cultures direct eye contact makes people uncomfortable or even threatened.

POSTURE: The way a person stands, sits, and walk, tells a story and convey the level of confidence.Therefore, be careful that your posture matches your story and gives the right impression.

FACIAL EXPRESSION: The face speaks a universal language, expressions of happiness, fear, anger, or sadness are universal. Your smile is your strongest tool you have. It can help appear you warm, open, friendly, and confident. 

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My personal belief is that your expressions can tell a thousand stories, even if you do not know the same language. A smile does not cost anything but is the most expensive gift you can give to a person in time of need. A laugh shared among friends, a smile passed between lovers or partners, a reassuring squeeze of hands between a nervous child and a mother, or a tear shed together at a sad occasion, do not need a few or thousand words to convey their meaning they are universal. They are even more powerful then words, more understood than words, and leave a long lasting impression than words ever can. 

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I remember something once my teacher told me right before a speech competition I was taking part in. She said "It does not matter if you can remember to say what ever is written in the sheet, what is more important that what ever you are saying is said with a smile in your voice and face. Then even if you mess up nobody is going to know it other than you."

IMPORTANCE OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal Communication

As the story indicates effective verbal communication can change the outcome of any situation. Much of the communication in an office is verbal and effective communication is the key to success. One-on-One verbal communication is the most effective. Effective verbal skills can be learned. The way to learn effective verbal communication is:

• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Don't sound monotonous, inflection helps convey meaning.
• Depending on the distance between the speaker and the listener keep control on your volume of speech.
• Use correct pronounciations.
• Use the right word, don't use a word if you are not sure of its meaning.

I can remember a funny incident about verbal communication going wrong. When we arrived in Canada one of the first things I learned in the kitchen was we need not boil the milk before preserving it in the fridge which is a common practice in my country India. I was so glad, as when I was India often I would forget that I had kept the milk to boil and had to clean the gas stove as well as deal with the mess of spilt milk and the horrible stench. And I happily told my husband that the milk does not need boiling in Canada. 

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After a few weeks, one day my husband decided to heat up some milk for drinking as I was fast asleep. And I woke to his shout of pain and cursing. I immediately ran into the kitchen and discovered he had boiled the milk and burnt his fingers while trying to hurriedly remove the pan. I asked him how all this happened as he by nature is a very alert person. What he told me was so hilarious that I could not stop laughing for hours.

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He said that I had told him few days ago that the milk in Canada never boiled over. So here I was cleaning a gas stove again and dealing with the horrible stench of burnt milk because of verbal miscommunication about not needing to boil the milk and milk not boiling over.

Therefore, the need to say what you mean and convey exactly what you meant is very important if you don't want to deal with spilt milk.