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By Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski

93% of What You Communicate Has Nothing to Do With Your Words 

If you have ever spent hours crafting the perfect message only to have it land completely wrong, there is a good chance the words were not the problem. Because according to research, words are only a small piece of what people actually receive when you communicate. 

The concept often referred to as the “93% rule” suggests that the vast majority of communication comes from tone of voice and body language. The actual words you choose account for surprisingly little of how your message is interpreted. 

“People are constantly interpreting your message before they even process your words.” 

Consider a simple phrase like “I am fine.” Said with a warm smile and an open posture, it reads as genuine. Said with a flat tone and crossed arms, it communicates frustration or dismissal. The words are identical. Everything else is completely different. 

This is happening in every conversation you have. Your posture communicates confidence or hesitation. Your eye contact signals attention or disinterest. Your facial expressions reveal emotion even when you are trying to stay neutral. And your tone carries energy and certainty in ways that words simply cannot replicate. 

Which explains something most people find puzzling: why two people can say the exact same sentence and get completely different reactions. It is not the words that make the difference. It is everything surrounding them. 

Excellent communicators understand this intuitively. They do not just manage their message. They manage their presence. They are aware of how they are showing up physically and vocally, not just verbally. 

The practical takeaway is this: if you want to become a more effective communicator, do not stop at refining what you say. Pay equal attention to how you say it, what your body is doing while you say it, and the energy you bring into the room before you speak a single word. 

Your words open the conversation. Everything else determines whether people believe it. 

Maribeth Kuzmeski, PhD, President of Red Zone Marketing, is a marketing strategist, advisor to financial services companies, bestselling author of 9 books, and a professional speaker rated as a Top 25 C-Suite Speaker as seen in Meetings & Conventions Magazine. She speaks on topics including marketing, branding, sales, and customer service.

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