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Nonverbal communication accounts for most of our daily communication.  The actual words are simply a more organized version of communication, but our nonverbal cues are even more important.   In a coaching setting, understanding these nonverbal cues is essential to being a great coach.

However, there are plenty of other occasions in which it is important to understand the use of nonverbal cues, such as promoting a product or service, teaching, emailing your lead list, responding to a complaint, making a complaint, etc.

Wait, some of those examples involve written text!  Is it possible to use nonverbal communication in your writing?

To answer this, we must first understand nonverbal cues and how they are used.

Nonverbal cues include how you use your words, pauses in your speech, the tone of your voice, changes in tempo or pitch, emphasis on words, facial expressions, eye contact, how you sit, where you sit in proximity to others…  It is literally EVERYTHING except the definition of the words themselves.

So, how can you use nonverbal communication in text if all the reader sees are the written words?

The first step to understanding how to use nonverbal communication in your written materials is to understand the cues you are already using!  Once you examine what you are doing now, you will have a better sense of what you can improve.

Here we have listed some of the most common nonverbal cues that are used in written materials.

Word Choice:

Choosing to use emotional words will help your readers feel your message and will allow them to essentially ‘see’ what your facial expressions might look like if you were speaking these words.  An example might be to use the word “ecstatic” rather than “glad”.

You can also paint a visual picture by using descriptive words to convey a message.  The very things you choose to describe tell a lot about you and your message.  If you say, “Last night, I was in class and learned about coaching”, your message is pretty straightforward.  However, you may choose to say, “The sun had just dipped under the horizon, but my day was not yet done.  I attended a coaching class online, and while the skies were dark, my internal light was shining bright!  I learned so much about coaching, that I could not wait for the sun to rise again so that I could practice my new skills.”

Not only do these examples include words with different definitions, the fact that they were chosen sends a message to your readers about your emotions and what you value as important parts of the story or concept you are describing.

Explanation:

If you are not sure that your message is expressing the right nonverbal cues, take some time to explain your intent, emotion, etc.

For example,  “If you could see my face right now, you would see a HUGE smile!”  or “I chuckle when I say…”

Repetition:

Another way to show emphasis or importance is by repeating your words.  While there is great meaning to the words written, the emphasis is in the repetition… the emphasis is in the repetition.

Bold, Italics, Underline:

If you want to stress the importance of a single word, using any of these three functions is a great option.  These nonverbal cues can also communicate that a sentence is a thought or a quote.  I wonder if this is being properly communicated as a thought.

Font, Text Size, Text Colors:

Some fonts give a playful feel to your text.  Others are more professional, casual, fancy, or even personal.

Changing the color of your text can also give your message a different mood.  Sometimes, you may change the color of a word or two for emphasis, distinction, or categorization.

You can also use different sizes of text to convey different nonverbal cues.  ALL CAPS is great for emphasis and is commonly synonymous with SHOUTING.  This is why when you get an email or text in all capital letters, you sometimes feel worried for a split second that the person who sent it to you might be angry or upset.

Punctuation:

In this case, we are referring to punctuation beyond the period, question mark, and exclamation point.  You can use other punctuation to.  My personal favorite is …

No, that was it.  “…”  Those three little dots can create suspense, denote a pause, emphasize, and show emotion.  It is also great when you feel like a sentence does not need to actually be finished because your reader will already knows or can guess the rest of the thought.  I would reiterate this point but…

Emoticons:

These are great for casual emails, text messages, posts, and blogs.  They are usually not good options for professional messages.  You can insert a when you want to show that what you are saying is to be taken in a nice way.  Most likely, you are familiar with emoticons.  Many instant messaging programs have created animated versions of these emoticons that communicate hugs, kisses, happiness, sadness, boredom, celebration… almost any emotion!

It is important to be careful with emoticons.  For example, if you make a statement that is blatantly rude, adding a at the end might be considered insulting or confusing.  Make sure that if you message is important, that you are using other nonverbal cues that match your emoticon.  What are some other ways you can communicate a smile without using ?

Other things to think about:

*Physical organization of text (layout)

*Content organization

*Grammar

*Frequency of sending emails, posting, etc

What are some other nonverbal cues you can think of that will help you send a message through your written words?

Have you had any experiences when someone has tried to write to you, and it came off in a negative way?

How many times have your written materials been misinterpreted?  What can you do next time to ensure that your message is heard clearly and correctly?

Post your thoughts HERE.

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