This week I’m learning about communication in my business and sales coaching. Today I read an interesting statistic, that while I knew was “out there,” I had not seen in print. Communication is only 7% verbal, 38% tone of voice, and 55% body language. Wow, no wonder I can’t get some thoughts across when my body and emotions aren’t on board with what I want to say, or when I’m trying to communicate something important to me with only written words (emails, blogs, facebook, etc.). It’s so easy for me – almost like it’s been built into me – to want to take the “easy way out” and send an email or hope for voicemail instead of requesting face to face meetings before getting into the meat of what I’d like to talk about.

Over and over these past few years, I’ve discovered many of these “easy ways out,” and I think in every case, it’s the wrong way to go. It may save face, but it does not challenge anyone (myself included), nor does it express the level of interest I truly want to share. If it’s important, I should do everything I can to share as much as the communication “process” with those I want to communicate with – verbal, tone, and body. It’s not always possible, but it certainly is more than I have made it out ot be in my past.