Compensating for Absent Visuals

In face-to-face conversation, you pick up messages from three different signals – the words you hear, the way they’re spoken, and what you see as they’re spoken. Verbal, vocal and visual.

All the research says that visual signals carry significant meaning. In fact, some research says that body language speaks louder than words. We rely on body language like eye contact, facial expressions and gestures to support and enhance the spoken message.

Now, get on the telephone and what happens? All of the visual information disappears. All we have left are verbals and vocals – spoken language.

Two consequences result. First, as a listener, you lose a significant amount of information. Eye contact, which you use for verification, is missing. Facial expressions, which tell you how speakers feel about what they say, are gone. Gestures, which emphasize and support meaning for you, are absent.

How much do you miss this visual information? Think about it. When you’re on the phone, do you visualize? Do you see the person you’re speaking to in your mind? When you hear laughter, do you see that person laughing? The extent to which you visualize measures just how much you rely on visual information.

The second consequence is this: As a speaker, you've now got to compensate somehow for the missing visual information, and this must be done using just your verbal and vocal signals.

Three vocal characteristics you can concentrate on are tone, rate and clarity. Like facial expressions, tone reflects your mood and tells your listener how you feel. A slow, even pace in your rate will allow your listener time to absorb everything you have to say. And speaking with clarity, of course, will ensure that what you have to say is understood.

Remove the visuals from communication and we miss out on a huge chunk of information. Visualizing as a listener and compensating as a speaker, however, will help you ensure that your telephone communication is always successful.