80% Of What We Say Is Non-Verbal

It's an amazing stat, and it's true. This is how you typically know what kind of mood a person is in before they say anything. We have a great ability to do this, if we pay attention.

But how can this be? If this were really true, then we should trust more of what people are saying non-verbally than verbally!

You've probably experienced this if you've met a stranger, and you just didn't get a good feeling from them. (And then later you see them on the news as a car thief.) Sometimes we call this a "bad vibe" or a "sketchy" feeling. 

But how do we speak non-verbally anyway?

Well, we say so much with our body language, facial expressions, use of space, volume, tone, consistency, and eye contact.

All of this overpowers our voice - 80 to 20.

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So how about companies, and brands more specifically? 

Well, they're alive! And they communicate - verbally and non-verbally. 

This is why it's so important for a brand to act and appear on-strategy non-verbally. Because the actual words you say in your advertisements, or on your website for example, are really ONLY 20% of what your brand is saying.

A company/brand is really saying more non-verbally. 

This is the way brands and companies say lots before saying anything:

      Body language - ever seen a Nike ad in Seniors Living Magazine?

      Facial expressions - ever been to a run-down Home Depot?

      Use of space - ever been to a spa in the rough part of town?

      Volume - ever NOT heard a Kern Hill Furniture ad?

      Tone - ever seen a slow Mazda ad?

      Consistency - ever seen a blue Coke in a different font?

      Eye contact - ever heard of the slap chop?

These are just a few ways brands say LOTS before they even say anything.

Life lesson: When people see us, we've already said a lot...