Words Matter
Despite the high volume of e-mail that flows invisibly all the time, there is often no substitute for talking with people. Indeed, in many organizations, big decisions are made only after in-person conversations. Many career people take this seriously. Herein lies an opening for misjudgement.
present with sincere gusto
It is not uncommon to find a white-collar worker who believes that tone of voice and body language are underrated in effective speaking. Some polish their hand gestures and rehearse specific tones of voice because they believe that substance without style is weak. It’s not just content, they say, but delivery. Seeking an edge, some even have the famous 7% rule memorized.
The 7% rule states:
55% of meaning comes from presentation
38% of meaning comes from tonality
7% of meaning comes from the words themselves.
Though this has brought confidence and success to some, there are still people who pay more than 7% attention to the words others speak. Neither is a fringe group. However, only the latter has the backing of scientific research.
still...