THE 7-38-55 PERCENT RULE
In two famous studies on what makes us like or dislike
somebody,^1 UCLA psychology professor Albert Mehrabian
created the 7-38-55 rule. That is, only 7 percent of a
message is based on the words while 38 percent comes from
the tone of voice and 55 percent from the speaker’s body
language and face.
While these figures mainly relate to situations where we
are forming an attitude about somebody, the rule
nonetheless offers a useful ratio for negotiators. You see,
body language and tone of voice—not words—are our most
powerful assessment tools. That’s why I’ll often fly great
distances to meet someone face-to-face, even when I can
say much of what needs to be said over the phone.
So how do you use this rule? First, pay very close
attention to tone and body language to make sure they
match up with the literal meaning of the words. If they don’t
align, it’s quite possible that the speaker is lying or at least
unconvinced.
When someone’s tone of voice or body language does
not align with the meaning of the words they say, use labels
to discover the source of the incongruence.
Here’s an example:
You: “So we’re agreed?”
Them: “Yes . . .”
You: “I heard you say, ‘Yes,’ but it seemed like there
was hesitation in your voice.”