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The 7% Myth Busted: What Words, Tone, and Facial Expressions Convey

Debunking the 7% Communication Myth

In this episode, we debunk the widely spread myth that only 7% of communication is through words, while the remaining 93% is through tone and facial expressions. The host explains the origins of this misconception from Albert Mehrabian's research on emotional communication. The video clarifies that the 7% figure pertains to how we interpret emotions, not overall communication. Words remain crucial, comprising the majority of communication, while tone and expressions add depth and emotional context. Listeners are encouraged to challenge and help stop the propagation of this myth.

00:00 Debunking the 7% Communication Myth

00:52 Origins of the Myth: Albert Mehrabian's Study

01:43 Understanding Emotional Intent in Communication

02:21 The Role of Words, Tone, and Facial Expressions

03:29 Clarifying the Misconception

04:14 Final Thoughts: The Importance of Words

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Transcript
John:

Okay, we need to talk.

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There is a popular myth misconception that

has been going around the speaking world

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for years, and it is this, that 7% of your

communication is the words that you speak.

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Therefore, meaning 97% of your

communication is your tone of

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voice and your facial expressions.

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And this is not true.

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So stay with me In this short video, I'm

gonna break down for you why it's not true

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and what that research actually meant.

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so in this short video, I really just want

to explain to you where that comes from

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and why it has been so popularly spread.

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We probably will take a look at a few more

of these myths and misconceptions that

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get commonly spread around in the speaking

world and in often in the personal

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development world as well, particularly.

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this has come from work by a

psychologist called Albert Mehrabian,

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who was studying communication.

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And the communication was about

determining the emotion of the speaker

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when they were speaking on stage.

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And so the words themselves turned out

to be only about 7% of what helped people

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to determine the emotion of the speaker.

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It was actually the facial expressions and

the tonality that helped people to be able

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to determine the emotion of the person

speaking, and that's where this came from.

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So it isn't about your

communication being, 93% facial

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expressions and tone of voice.

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It's more about the emotional intent

or the emotional state of the speaker

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being determined by the facial

expressions and by the tone of voice.

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So if, I was to say the words, Hey

John, you did a really good job.

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So fairly, fairly straight laced.

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There's not much vocal tonality there

and not much facial expression there.

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What are you determined by that?

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You just hear the words.

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You have to take it on the words.

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So probably most of what you infer

from that is somebody saying,

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Hey, you did a really good job.

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If I had to say it this way, Hey

John, you did a really good job.

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You notice there was some tonality there?

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There was some facial expression there.

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How about if I say it this way?

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The same words.

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Hey, John.

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You did a really good job.

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Different tonality,

different facial expressions.

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We determine a bit of sarcasm,

but the words are the same.

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So you understand that the words create

a certain amount of meaning, but we

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are determining the intent and the

emotionality of the speaker by the facial

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expressions and the vocal tonality.

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The study that Mehrabian did showed

that about 55% of communication in this

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way was from your facial expressions

and 38% from your tone and voice.

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And that's where this myth has come from.

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So it is not actually your tone of

voice, or your facial expressions

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that are conveying the communication,

your words will do that.

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You could give a whole talk in

presentation with no facial expressions.

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You could be botoxed up to the

hilt and not doing a single facial

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expression, and you could speak

with a monotone, and the words would

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pretty much still mean the same thing.

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But, when you add in the tonality, the

tone of voice, when you add in facial

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expressions, you add depth, you add range,

you add emotional connection into this,

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and people can tell what you're really

thinking, what you're really meaning.

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And it does help to clarify some of the

communication and more the intention and

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the emotion of the person communicating.

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So if you ever find yourself saying

that only 7% of your communication

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is the words you speak, remind

yourself, no, it is not that.

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only 7% of your communication

helps people to determine.

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The emotionality or the

emotional intent of the speaker.

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The rest is done with tonality and

body language or facial expressions.

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So let's put this myth to bed and fair

enough if you have been repeating this

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or maybe even teaching this, and I

certainly got taught it in one of my

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very first presentation skills training.

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And now that I know what it should

actually be, and like I, I'm very

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like, I think people should have

really checked up on this before

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they ever started teaching it, but it

gets spread around as common science.

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But as soon as we start to pull it

apart, it makes no sense whatsoever

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because I could, I could do this

whole video going Mm mm mm And you're

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not gonna understand a damn thing.

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And even if I add facial expressions

to that, you are not gonna get what the

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meaning of this is without the words.

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Words are critical in your communication.

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They may not be a hundred percent

of your communication of how we

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communicate, but they are most of it,

probably more like 98% with the other

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bits enhancing our communication.

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So don't buy into these myths.

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And don't keep spreading

them around either.

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And, feel free to challenge people when

they say that 93% of your communication

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is nonverbal because it is bullshit.

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About your host

Profile picture for John Ball

John Ball

John Ball is a keynote coach and professional speaker on a mission to help upcoming leaders master their communication, create impact and stand out as experts in their field.
John left the high life of his flying career to do something more meaningful to him and has since worked with several leading personal and professional development organisations as a lead coach and trainer.
The heart of everything John does involves helping people shift to personal responsibility and conscious awareness of how they show up and perform in every situation, whilst equipping them with the tools to be exceptional.
John also co-hosts The Coaching Clinic Podcast with his great friend and colleague Angie Besignano.
He lives in the beautiful city of Valencia, Spain with his husband and often visits the UK and US for speaking and training engagements. When he's not speaking or podcasting, he's likely to be out swimming, kayaking or enjoying time with friends.

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