Demonstrative Communication: Face to Face Conversation

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Demonstrative communication is essential to face-to-face conversations. This form of communication includes everything but the words you speak. When engaged in a presentation or face-to-face conversation the actual words that come out of the mouth are not nearly as important as the signals sent while delivering the message. Matter of fact, only 7% of a message is the verbal communication and the remainder is 38% tone and 55% non-verbal cues (Lee, 2010).
Tone is a form of non-verbal communication that can change the perception of the message entirely. For instance, if one were to day “what are you watching” in different tones the meaning would be different entirely. The first tone would be that of a friend sitting on a couch with another friend simply asking them what they are watching. This tone would be pleasant and inviting and apply that the friend may want to watch together. The second would be that of a mother who walks in on their teenager looking at pornography. This tone would be angry and suggestive of trouble. These are just two examples of how the same sentence can mean two different things simply based on the tone in which it is spoken. The tone of the message can not only change the meaning but also how effective the message is. For instance if the same mother walked in on the same teenager and asked what they were watching in a friendly tone, the teenager may assume the mother accepts this behavior even though the mother may not. Spoken in a louder more serious tone the teenager would be less likely to misunderstand. They would know that the mother does not agree and there will be trouble if caught again. Tone is also very crucial in making the message positive or negative. If a speaker were on a pla...

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...age. For example, a receiver is listening to a speech and is unsure of the validity of the message. The receiver then asks a few very poignant questions and observes the sender when answering the questions. The sender proceeds to look away and think a moment before answering so the listener can conclude that the answers may not be valid and further research will be necessary on their part.
In conclusion, the words that we actually speak in the process of communication only make up a small portion of making that communication effective. In order to become a good communicator one must master every piece of the process and utilize every tool possible including tone and non-verbal cues.

Works Cited

Lee, B. (2010, June 6). What is verbal & non-verbal communication. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/141480-what-is-verbal-non-verbal-communication/

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