What Your Non-Verbal Signals are Saying in Corporate Communications

There’s so much more to communication than the words we speak. Context, body language, and our tone of voice all work together to convey our message’s true meaning.

Non-Verbal Signals Impact How Your Audience Receives Your Message

It’s easy to get so caught up in what you’ll say on camera that you forget to consider how your message is coming across to viewers. In addition to context, your facial expressions, eye movements, vocal intonation, and body language affect what you say more than the actual words you speak. Experts call these physiological signals non-verbals, and they’re a major factor in whether others view you as a good person—both on camera and off.

Your non-verbals help validate your humanity; they communicate your trustworthiness and are just as important as the words you speak. Non-verbals are the physiological sinews that connect one heart to another.

We all know great communicators when we hear them and especially when we see them. Often we can turn the volume off and a speaker’s non-verbals inform us whether they are confident, whether they are comfortable, and whether they are honest.

How Directors Shape Non-Verbal Communication for Corporate Videos

The director’s main focus on set is to work with the talent to achieve the mission of the video. In order to convey the message correctly, the director works with the speaker to align those non-verbal signals on camera. Those non-verbal signals are directly connected to authenticity. You’re not putting on a performance as an actor. Instead, you’re selling the truth of your message in the right way.

Facial signals often convey a truer message than the words that are spoken. The minuscule elements of a facial expression, called microexpressions, display complex emotions. And during an on-camera performance, forced emotions are amplified. Audiences are quick to detect a fake smile—so make sure your smile conveys truth and trust.

Body language expert Mark Bowden helps us understand the science behind why non-verbals are so important.