The 7-38-55 rule for better communication

Always knowing what to say ... would solve all your speaking problems, right? 

Not really. 

Let me explain this with the 7-38-55 rule. 

Developed by a psychology professor called Albert Mehrabian, this shows that in communication:

• 7% is the words we use. 

• 38% is our tone of voice.  

• 55% is our physiology – the state our body is in. The emotions which affect our body language.

So focusing so heavily on the content is wasted energy.

Even if you nail the words, you can still get 93% “wrong.”

What do I want the audience to FEEL is a much better question to ask yourself than what do I want the audience to KNOW.

People won’t remember what you said, they’ll remember how you made them feel, right (a great Maya Angelou quote).

Rather than focusing on the information, work on capturing emotion.

Check out episode 221 of That Voice Podcast to learn more about why it isn’t just about “knowing what to say” - https://www.sallyprosser.com.au/thatvoicepodcast/221

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