Communication is more than just words

One of the most important lessons you can learn about improving
your rapport and trust ability is that there’s much more to
communication than the words that come out of your mouth.
Communications experts constantly remind us that about 10 per
cent of communication is represented by what we say, 30 per cent
by how we say things and 60 per cent by our body language! So if,
in your preparation for an interview you’ve been spending all your
time concentrating on the content of your answers, you have
effectively been spending 100 per cent of your efforts on 10 per cent
of overall communication. This may go a long way towards explaining
why so many people who give technically brilliant answers don’t
get the job.
Admittedly many interviewees understand intuitively that
successful interpersonal communication (face-to-face communication)
relies on much more than just the words used. However, for reasons
too varied and complex to discuss here, there are many people whose
interpersonal communication skills are not as well honed and/or
who are unable to demonstrate their otherwise effective
communication skills during an interview—probably because of
heightened anxiety.
Once you understand that successful communication relies on
a whole range of factors other than words, an entirely new world
of communication begins to emerge. The focus of your interview
preparations should shift from strict word preparation to include a
whole range of non-verbals including such things as appearance,
the way you sit and even when you nod your head. Sometimes a
friendly smile and an acknowledging nod can be worth a lot more
than the best verbal answers.