Verbal communication is everything you say: the words, sentences, and language you use to convey a message. Nonverbal communication is everything you don’t say: your body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture. Together, both forms determine how your message lands with the receiver.
What makes this interesting is that verbal and nonverbal cues constantly work together — yet they can also contradict each other. It is precisely this interplay that makes communication so complex and so influential in shaping how you come across as a professional. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about this distinction.
What role does nonverbal communication play alongside spoken words?
Nonverbal communication reinforces, nuances, or undermines the message you convey verbally. Even when you choose the right words, how you stand, look, and move largely determines how those words are received. Nonverbal cues give the listener context: they show whether you actually believe what you’re saying.
In a conversation or presentation, the receiver continuously processes two streams of information at once: what is being said and how it is being said. That second stream — the nonverbal one — is often more powerful because people exercise less conscious control over it. A manager who addresses their team enthusiastically while standing with arms tightly crossed sends a confusing signal. The audience senses the contradiction, even if they can’t immediately put it into words.
Nonverbal communication also plays a role in building trust. Eye contact, an open posture, and calm breathing project confidence and engagement. These aren’t tricks — they are signals that arise from genuine presence and self-assurance.
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View all training programsWhat exactly falls under verbal communication?
Verbal communication encompasses all communication through language: spoken words in a conversation, presentation, or debate, as well as written text such as emails, reports, and messages. It concerns the content itself: word choice, sentence construction, and the structure of an argument.
Verbal communication has several distinct components:
- Word choice: which terms and phrasing you use, and how precise or accessible they are for your audience
- Structure: how you build a message, from introduction to conclusion
- Tone in language: the degree of formality, directness, or caution in your wording
- Substantive argumentation: the logic and reasoning behind what you say
What makes verbal communication powerful is the ability to be precise. You can qualify, explain, and substantiate. But verbal communication alone is rarely enough. Without the right nonverbal support, even a strong argument loses its persuasive force.
What are examples of nonverbal communication?
Nonverbal communication is any message you convey without words. These are the most common and influential forms in a professional context:
- Body language: posture, gestures, movement, and how you occupy space
- Facial expressions: a smile, furrowed brows, eye contact, or the avoidance of it
- Vocal delivery (paraverbal): pitch, speaking pace, volume, and pauses
- Physical distance: how close or far you stand from the other person
- Breathing: visible tension or calmness in your breathing pattern
- Clothing and appearance: the first impression you make before you’ve said a single word
Vocal delivery occupies a gray area: technically it is part of speaking, but it falls outside the content of what you say. That is why it is also referred to as paraverbal communication. A sentence like “I find that very interesting” can sound sincere or sarcastic depending on your intonation. The words are identical; the message is the opposite.
When do verbal and nonverbal communication contradict each other?
Verbal and nonverbal communication contradict each other when the content of your words does not align with the signals your body, voice, or face sends. This is also called an incongruent message, and it almost always leads to miscommunication or distrust on the part of the receiver.
Common situations in the workplace:
- Agreeing without conviction: someone says “yes, great idea” while subtly shaking their head or looking away. The other person senses it isn’t genuine agreement.
- Sounding confident but moving uncertainly: a presenter who speaks in a steady voice but constantly sways back and forth or hides their hands raises doubts.
- Expressing enthusiasm with a flat voice: when the energy in the voice doesn’t match the words, the audience doesn’t believe the words.
- Giving feedback with a closed posture: constructive words land differently when your arms are crossed and you barely make eye contact.
People are good at picking up on these incongruences, even if they rarely name them explicitly. The feeling that “something is off” is almost always a response to conflicting verbal and nonverbal signals. This is one of the most underestimated sources of miscommunication in the workplace.
How do you improve the alignment between verbal and nonverbal signals?
You improve the alignment between verbal and nonverbal communication by becoming more aware of your own signals and by practicing in situations that challenge you. Congruent communication — where words and body language are in sync — stems from genuine conviction and presence, not from adopting a fixed pose.
Concrete steps that help:
- Practice in front of a mirror or on video: watch yourself back during a presentation or conversation. What do you see that you didn’t hear?
- Work on your breathing: tension shows up directly in your voice and posture. Conscious breathing calms the body and gives you greater control over your nonverbal presence.
- Ask for specific feedback: not “how did I do?” but “what did you notice about my posture?” or “did I sound convincing?”
- Speak from conviction: if you don’t believe in a message yourself, your body will give it away. Clear communication starts with clarity within yourself.
Awareness is the first step. The second is repetition in real situations, not in artificial settings. It is precisely under pressure — in a meeting or debate — that automatic patterns surface. That is where the real practice ground for effective communication lies. If you want to develop these skills in a structured way, ImpactAll Academy offers communication training programs specifically designed to help professionals strengthen both their verbal and nonverbal communication.
Why is nonverbal communication harder to control than verbal communication?
Nonverbal communication is harder to control because a large part of it happens automatically and unconsciously. You consciously choose which words to use, but your facial expressions, breathing, and muscle tension respond directly to emotions — without you actively controlling them.
Verbal communication can be prepared: you write a text, rehearse a presentation, or choose your words carefully. Nonverbal signals are far harder to script. They are rooted in habits, reflexes, and emotional state. Someone who is nervous will speak faster, avoid eye contact, or move restlessly — even if they don’t want to.
On top of that, you have limited visibility into your own nonverbal behavior. You can’t feel how you look. That makes it difficult to self-correct without external feedback or deliberate practice. This is precisely why developing nonverbal skills is something you can’t do simply by reading about it. You need a mirror, a camera, or a conversation partner who gives you honest feedback on what they see.
That is also why individual communication coaching for professionals can be so effective: a coach sees what you cannot see yourself, and helps you break those patterns in a way that works for you.
How ImpactAll helps with verbal and nonverbal communication
At ImpactAll, trainers and coaches work daily with people on exactly this challenge: the interplay between what you say and how you say it. Whether you struggle with your posture during presentations, find it difficult to come across as convincing in meetings, or want to learn how to communicate more congruently under pressure, the approach is always practical and tailored to you.
What ImpactAll offers:
- Customized in-company training for teams and departments, focused on effective communication in everyday practice
- Open training programs such as Presenting with Impact and Conscious Influence, with nonverbal techniques at the core
- Individual coaching for professionals who want to strengthen their nonverbal presence or resolve communication challenges
- Training delivered by experienced trainers with backgrounds in psychology, philosophy, and performance
Participants don’t learn tricks — they learn lasting techniques that fit their own style and personality. Want to know what ImpactAll can do for you or your organization? Get in touch to request a coaching program or find out which training best suits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of communication is actually nonverbal?
You’ve probably come across the figure of 93%, taken from Albert Mehrabian’s research in the 1960s. However, that percentage is frequently quoted out of context: it applied specifically to situations involving the communication of emotions and feelings, not to communication in general. What the research does confirm is that nonverbal signals play a considerably larger role than most people expect, particularly when it comes to credibility and emotional impact. The exact ratio varies by situation, but the importance of nonverbal communication has been conclusively demonstrated.
Can I learn to read other people's nonverbal communication?
Yes, but with an important caveat: a single gesture or signal rarely tells the whole story. Crossed arms can indicate defensiveness, but they might just as easily mean someone is cold or simply comfortable. Reliable interpretation requires reading clusters of signals in the right context. You develop this ability best by consciously observing during conversations, recognizing patterns over time, and testing your interpretations against what someone actually says or does.
What should I do if I notice that my conversation partner is sending incongruent signals?
The most effective approach is to address it without putting the other person on the spot. Rather than saying ‘your body language doesn’t match,’ you can ask a follow-up question: ‘I’m sensing some hesitation — is that right?’ or ‘Do you have any questions or doubts about this?’ That gives the other person space to express what they’re really thinking, without the conversation becoming defensive. This requires both attentiveness and tactful communication.
How do I handle nonverbal communication in digital or written communication?
In written communication, such as email or chat, most nonverbal signals disappear. Yet equivalents do exist: the length of your message, your use of punctuation, how quickly you respond, and whether you use formal or informal language all give the receiver context. In video calls, image quality, background, eye contact with the camera, and vocal delivery play a significant role. Awareness of these digital nonverbal signals is at least as relevant in today’s work environment as it is in face-to-face contact.
What is the most common mistake when it comes to nonverbal communication at work?
The biggest mistake is thinking that nonverbal communication is something you can simply ‘switch on’ for important moments, such as a job interview or presentation. Because nonverbal behavior is largely automatic, people see right through it when it isn’t authentic. Forced eye contact, a practiced smile, or a deliberately upright posture you’re not used to will backfire. Lasting improvement requires sustained awareness and practice — not superficial tricks.
How quickly do people form an impression based on nonverbal signals?
Research shows that people form a first impression within seconds, with nonverbal signals such as posture, facial expression, and clothing taking center stage. That first impression is also remarkably sticky: people tend to interpret later information through the lens of their initial perception. This makes it all the more important to be aware of the nonverbal messages you are already sending before you’ve even spoken your first sentence.
Is nonverbal communication the same in every country and culture?
Partly yes, partly no. Basic emotions such as happiness, fear, and anger are expressed facially in broadly similar ways across cultures. But specific gestures, the acceptable physical distance between conversation partners, and the norms around eye contact vary considerably from culture to culture. A direct gaze may project confidence in one culture, while being perceived as disrespectful in another. In international or multicultural work environments, it is therefore essential to be aware of these cultural differences.