Nonverbal Power

Do you realize that people form an impression of you in about the first 10 to 30 seconds? To check this out, think about how you judge a TV show when you are just surfing for a program to watch. How long do you look before you click to the next channel? Research tells us that it takes you perhaps less than 10 seconds to make a judgment call.

So what impression do people form about you in the first 10 to 30 seconds? Do you give your power away before you say a word? Think about the 7-percent/93-percent rule. The 7 percent represents the words we use, but research tells us that 93 percent of our message comes from our nonverbal communication. These include the following:

- General appearance
- Posture
- Eye contact
- Clarity of tone (too harsh, too soft, too nasal)
- Vocal pitch
- Loudness/softness of delivery
- Ums and uhs
- Type of handshake
- Hand gestures
- Facial gestures (inappropriate sneers, frowns, giggles)
- Speed of delivery
- Ya’ knows

Some important things to think about at your next audition.

This item was originally featured in the July 2012 local newsletter.