Body Language: Consistency Between What Is Said and What Is Expressed

Alignment between the verbal and non-verbal message

For communication to be truly impactful, it is not enough to align the words with the tone of voice; it is essential that the body language is also perfectly in tune with the verbal message.

The body is as powerful a communication channel as the voice, and every gesture or posture sends a signal that can reinforce or weaken what we say.

The most obvious situation of misalignment is when a person affirms something verbally, but his or her body denies it.

A classic example is someone who says "yes" while almost imperceptibly shaking their head.

This lack of coherence creates a fissure in the message, sending contradictory signals that the interlocutor, consciously or unconsciously, will immediately detect.

Mixed signals and the unconscious perception of the receiver

When our body language contradicts our words, we generate what are known as "mixed signals".

The most interesting thing about this phenomenon is that the receiver will notice this incongruence, even if he or she has no training in decoding nonverbal language.

The person will sense that "something doesn't fit" or that "there is something wrong" with the communication.

He or she may not be able to identify exactly why he or she feels that mistrust-whether it was a micro gesture, a closed posture, or an evasive look-but there will be a sense that the message is not entirely sincere.

This perception, albeit at a subconscious level, is a natural reaction to inconsistency and has an immediate and negative effect on the credibility of the sender.

The importance of projecting credibility through consistency

A communicator's credibility lies in his or her ability to project total consistency across all of his or her communication channels.

When words, tone of voice and body language are perfectly aligned, the message is perceived as authentic, honest and trustworthy.

Conversely, when there is a contradiction, the receiver is forced to choose which message to believe, and evidence suggests that nonverbal cues are almost always given more weight.

To be a credible and persuasive communicator, it is essential to pay conscious attention to our body, making sure that every gesture and every posture actively reinforces the message we are expressing with our words.

In this way, any room for doubt or misinterpretation is eliminated.

Summary

For communication to be impactful, it is essential that the body language is in perfect sync with the verbal message. The body is as powerful a channel as the voice, and every gesture reinforces or weakens.

When our body language contradicts our words, we generate "mixed signals" that the receiver will notice, even if he or she is uneducated. The person will feel that "something doesn't fit," generating distrust at a subconscious level.

A communicator's credibility lies in his or her ability to project total coherence between all his or her communication channels. When there is a contradiction, the receiver will almost always give more weight to the non-verbal signals.