7 MIN READ

Mehrabian's Communication Model

Learning to Communicate Clearly

Use this model to communicate clearly.

Have you ever opened an email from a colleague and misinterpreted the words on the screen?

Perhaps you felt the message was critical of you or your work, when in fact that wasn't what the writer intended at all. Or maybe you've had the experience of speaking with a client over the phone and knowing, just from their tone of voice, that you're not going to get the sale this time.

Communication is made up of more than just the words we use. Our tone of voice, facial expression and body language all play a major role in how we're understood. And if we're communicating in a situation where we can't use all of these elements to enhance our messages, we need to be very careful.

You might well have heard the popular statistic that only seven percent of any message is conveyed through the words you choose. The other 93 percent is allegedly found in subtle clues like your tone of voice and body language. This claim stems from a study done by psychologist Albert Mehrabian in the late sixties. But beware, it's all too often misquoted!

In this article we'll explain what Mehrabian's Communication Model really says, and look at how you can use its findings in your everyday life....