When communicating, nonverbal messages can interact with verbal messages in six ways: repeating, conflicting, complementing, substituting, regulating and accenting/moderating. Verbal and nonverbal messages within the same interaction can sometimes send opposing or conflicting messages.

The following tips can help you learn to read the nonverbal signals of other people and enhance your own ability to communicate effectively.

1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Signals.
2. Look for Incongruent Behaviors.
3. Focus on Tone of Voice.
4. Use Good Eye Contact.
5. Ask Questions.
6. Use Signals to Add Meaning.
7. Look at Signals as a Whole.

There’s a myth that says that when you speak, only 35 percent of your communication is verbal and 65 percent of it is nonverbal. That’s not entirely true because so much depends on the context and situation. It is, however, absolutely true that nonverbal communication can make or break your message.

Accurate interpretation of messages is made easier when nonverbal and verbal communication complement each other. Nonverbal signals can be used without verbal communication to convey messages; when nonverbal behavior does not effectively communicate a message, verbal methods are used to enhance understanding.

The many different types of nonverbal communication or body language include:

• Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word.
• Body movement and posture.
• Gestures.
• Eye contact.
• Touch.
• Space.
• Voice.
• Pay attention to inconsistencies.

-There are 10 types of nonverbal Communication: environment, appearance and artifacts, proxemics and territoriality, haptics, paralanguage, chronemics, kinesics, and eye contact.

Nonverbal communication types include facial expressions, gestures, paralinguistics such as loudness or tone of voice, body language, proxemics or personal space, eye gaze, haptics (touch), appearance, and artifacts.

Body language, vocal cues, appearance and grooming, spatial cues, environmental cues, miscellaneous cues are six categories of nonverbal cues.

Facial behavior is considered the most powerful form of nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication can be categorized into eight types: space, time, physical characteristics, body movements, touch, paralanguage, artifacts, and environment.

Nonverbal communication is thought to comprise six functions in human communication. These functions consist of complementing verbal messages, substituting for verbal messages, accenting verbal messages, contradicting verbal messages, repeating verbal messages, and regulating verbal messages.

Verbal information is vital, but how we present that information can determine how much an audience remembers….Nonverbal communication includes a number of elements, so I manipulated only five elements:

• Eye contact.
• Voice fluctuation.
• Position in the room.
• Facial expressions.
• Hand gestures.

A primary function of nonverbal communication is to convey meaning by reinforcing, substituting for, or contradicting verbal communication. Nonverbal communication is also used to influence others and regulate conversational flow.

5 elements to powerful verbal communication

• Prepare. Think about what you want to say and to whom you are going to say it.
• Connect with the listener.
• Use short units of information.
• Choose your words carefully.
• Verify transmission.
• Ask questions.

Four Types of Verbal Communication

• Intrapersonal Communication. This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves.
• Interpersonal Communication. This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one conversation.
• Small Group Communication.
• Public Communication.

Characteristics of Verbal Communication

• Mediums. Verbal communication is either face-to-face or public.
• Sound. At birth, everyone has the ability to make sounds.
• Words. At some point, children learn how to put sounds into words.
• Language. Languages are created when meaning is assigned to words.
• Etiquette.

There are four general rules for verbal communication, involving the sounds, meaning, arrangement, and use of symbols.

The Elements of Verbal Communication Skills

• Voice Tone. Voice tone is so basic that it can come into play even when you’re not uttering words, per se.
• Voice Speed. Speaking fast can convey an excited or agitated feel.
• Voice Volume.
• Language.
• Vocabulary.
• Grammar.

Nonverbal communication sends cues to others using actions rather than words. This can include communication using hand gestures, eye contact, body language, appearance, facial expressions and tone of voice. Nonverbal communication is a way to express thoughts or emotions without words.

Verbal communication is the use of words to convey a message. Some forms of verbal communication are written and oral communication. Nonverbal communication is the use of body language to convey a message.

In general, verbal communication refers to our use of words while nonverbal communication refers to communication that occurs through means other than words, such as body language, gestures, and silence. Both verbal and nonverbal communication can be spoken and written.

DOs

• Make eye contact.
• Have a firm handshake.
• Check your facial expression.
• Be natural with your gestures.
• Maintain a receptive posture.
• Refrain from sending mismatched messages.
• Watch for actions that can be taken for defensiveness.
• Don’t appear disengaged.

Nonverbal communication such as body language, posture, and facial expressions are important during your job interview. But remember there’s no magic recipe for success in this area. The key is to act natural and appear confident, relaxed, and interested in the job, the company, and the interviewer.

During your next face-to-face conversation about mental health, keep these tips in mind:

1. Pay close attention to what the person says.
2. Maintain comfortable eye contact.
3. Maintain an open body position.
4. Sit down, even if the person is standing.
5. Sit alongside and angled toward the person rather than directly opposite them.