I'm researching nonverbal communication for a new book I'm writing. Came across this often-quoted study:

Professor Albert Mehrabian at UCLA conducted the classic research on the impact of different channels of communication. His finding:

* 7% of meaning is communicated by spoken words
* 38% of meaning is communicated by voice tone
* 55% of meaning is communicated by nonverbal gestures

This is not to say (as many have) that all communication follows this formula. Mehrabian was studying the communication of feelings and attitudes. Obviously, you can’t watch people speaking in a foreign language and understand 93 percent of what is being communicated. But you can be assured that their nonverbal gestures reveal more about someone's real motives and feelings than anything they might say.

Here's why.

Manners and poise may be consciously learned, but facial expression, eye blinking, leg crossing and nervous tapping are difficult to consistently repress. Nonverbal gestures tend to reveal inner character and emotions – fear, honestly, joy, indecision, frustration, and much more. The tiniest gesture, like the way someone stands or enters the room, can speak volumes about their confidence, self-worth, and credibility.