The 3 C's of Nonverbal Communication: Bright Ideas in Public Speaking with Dr. Sunny
Channel: Dr. Sunny
Date: 2017-05-11

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS I SEE IN STUDENT VIDEO SPEECHES IS STUDENTS WITH A LACK OF FACIAL EXPRESSION.  SOMETIMES STUDENTS EVEN TELL ME--THAT’S JUST HOW I AM--I’M NOT REALLY THAT EXPRESSIVE.

IN PUBLIC SPEAKING THAT’S NOT GOING TO CUT IT.
PUBLIC SPEAKING DEMANDS A MORE FORMAL LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION…AND THAT MEANS A FORMAL LEVEL OF PREPARATION FOR BOTH YOUR VERBAL *AND* YOUR NONVERBAL DELIVERY STYLES.

IN FACT, MOST SPEAKERS ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT “WHAT” THEY’RE SAYING THAT THEY FORGET HOW MUCH OF COMMUNICATION IS MADE UP OF THE NONVERBALS.  

WAAAAAY BACK IN 1971, UCLA PROFESSOR ALBERT MEHRABIAN PUBLISHED HIS BOOK SILENT MESSAGES WHERE HE DISCUSSED HIS RESEARCH ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION.  HE FOUND THAT MOST PEOPLE ACCESS SPEAKER’S CREDIBILITY--IN HIS STUDY IT WAS SALESPEOPLE--LARGELY ON NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION.  DR. MEHRABIAN FOUND THAT NONVERBAL LANGUAGE ACCOUNTED FOR OVER OVER HALF OF HOW PEOPLE EVALUATED THE SPEAKER’S CREDIBILITY.  LESS THAN FORTY PERCENT OF CREDIBILITY WAS BASED ON THE VERBAL DELIVERY, LEAVING JUST 7 PERCENT OF CREDIBILITY TO BE DECIDED BY THE CONTENT OF THE SPEECH--THE SPEAKER’S ACTUAL WORDS. 

MEHRABIAN CALLED THIS THE SEVEN-PERCENT RULE.  IT’S OFTEN MISUSED BECAUSE DOCTOR MEHRABIAN NEVER MEANT FOR THE RULE TO APPLY TO EVERYDAY CONVERSATION LET ALONE SPEECHES.  HIS RESEARCH WAS ON SPEAKER’S DELIVERY OF A SINGLE WORD.  HOWEVER, THE RESEARCH DOES REVEAL AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT ABOUT COMMUNICATION...OVER HALF OF IT IS NONVERBAL.

YOU CAN PREPARE AND PRACTICE THE BEST SPEECH IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU DELIVER IT PEERING INTO YOUR WEBCAM WITH A BLANK EXPRESSION, YOUR AUDIENCE WILL BE CONFUSED AND CONFLICTED ABOUT YOUR MOTIVATIONS FOR SPEAKING AT ALL.

MOST PEOPLE ARE VERY NATURAL AND USE ENGAGING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS--ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE PREPARED AND PRACTICED A SPEECH FOR A TOPIC THEY’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.  IT’S WHY IS SUGGEST YOU GIVE SPEECHES ON TOPICS THAT INSPIRE YOU.

IT’LL SHOW IN YOUR FACE AND IT’LL MAKE YOU A MORE CREDIBLE SPEAKER.

Are you looking to take public speaking online while also earning college credit?

This is the place for you.  Try Dr. Sunny!

Dr. Sunny Skye Hughes teaches at Santa Fe College-ranked #1 community college in 2016 by the Aspen Institute.

You can take the class from anywhere as a transient student.
Learn more here: https://www.sunnyhughes.com