In 1971 Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA published his book “Silent Messages”. In it he said that communication is 55% visual, 38% tonal, and only 7% the words we say.

Since his book was released there has been massive scientific research documenting his findings. This same research also supports the general observations made by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 300 years prior.

Have you heard the advice “Watch what you say?” (Often given from a parent to a child.) It’s very good advice, but that’s really only a small bit of what the actual warning should be.

By the time a child is four or five, they can begin to understand that the words only convey approximately 7% of the communication. This is easily demonstrated through playing with a sentence and saying it with different voice tones. Even a small child can hear sarcasm, happiness and anger all in a brief sentence like “Good job.”

One of the biggest challenges for most of us is to pay attention to how we sound and to our expressions at the same time. Few people are such great actors or actresses that their negative emotions don’t eventually show to others around them. Even if you are trying to keep the emotion hidden, eventually it will rear its head.

When I was doing my undergraduate studies, I had to have a year of physics. The professor was on loan to the university I attended from Columbia University.

He knew physics! Boy did he know physics! But far beyond his knowledge, was his passion for the subject, and the humor with which he infused the topics.

His vast expertise was enhanced many times over by his “eloquence” while on-stage in class. He communicated in a way that was thorough in the scope of knowledge, and highly entertaining. He used voice tones, costumes, props, facial expressions, interactive demonstrations to engage us.

Every day you have the opportunity to engage in a vast array of communication styles through your look, tone and words. Pay attention, and choose the path of eloquence.

The Best of Success to You, Dr. Larry

PS. Unleash Your Success was written to assist you in creating excellence in all parts of your life. http://www.UnleashYourSuccessNow.com/details_1.html These books will benefit all your interactions and give you greater personal power.