Putting your point across in a positive and confident manner will have a dramatic impact on the people that you are communicating to.

Just think of the great communicators that you know;

What do they do?

How do they talk?

How do they stand?

Now think for a moment of the worse communicators that you know;

What do they do?

How do they talk?

How do they stand?

A study at the University of Pennsylvania in 1970 questioned students on their ability to understand information depending on the deliver of that communication.

From that study they produced a well know diagram that illustrates what is the composition of typical face to face communications.

7% of what we communicate is the results of the words that we say, or the content of the communication

38% of our communication to others is a result of VERBAL behaviour. This includes the tonality of our voice, tempo, pitch, volume etc

55% of our communication to others is a result of our NON-VERBAL communication to others. Our body language is so important it makes up over half of the composition of successful communications. Examples include facial expressions, posture, breathing, moving etc.

So, next time when you are communicating please bear in mind the importance of
NON-VERBAL behaviour.

A staggering 93% of all communications is based around HOW you say something and what you do with your body and face WHEN you say it.

Here are some other golden nuggets for CONFIDENT communications:

1. The other persons model of the world is different to our own
You should respect the other person's model of the world because to him or her it's the way that they see it just as you have your own conclusions and beliefs.

2. Physiology and the state of the mind
The way that you are moving your body and your posture will have an affect on the way that you are thinking and the way that you are thinking will have an affect on your physiology.

3. There are no failures only outcomes
Just like everything in life no matter what you intended by your communication, there will be an outcome and that will come through the response you get from the other person. Whatever interpretation they have made will be true for them.

4. Learn from feedback and modify your approach
Look at the outcomes that you are getting from your communications and modify your approach. Use the results of communication as feedback and learn from it all the time. When your observations or feedback indicates that the results are not what you intended, do something else.

5. A person behaves the way they do, because they just do
Remember that a person behaves the way that they do because it fits in with their values. If we cannot understand why someone behaved in such a way then what we are saying is that we do not understand his or her values.

6. Behaviour is the result of the thinking process and emotional state
Behaviour is not the person; you need to look beyond the behaviour at the beliefs, values and other things that make up the identity of that person.

7. Flexibility is key
A person utilising a flexible approach to communication will ensure that a less flexible person is usually responding to them. This is important when influencing another person.