An important part of communication is body language. Indeed, according to a study by Professor Mehrabian, approximately 93 percent of our communication is non-verbal consisting of 55 percent in body language and 38 percent in tone of voice, while the remaining 7 percent is verbal. (The 7% Rule Fact, Fiction or Misunderstanding.)

This means that in an asynchronous communication such as e mail, we are not able to assess about 93 percent of what is being communicated. We only pick up the 7 percent in the form of the written word. And, this is indeed a pitfall.

A recent blog post on PONS entitled “The Pitfalls of Negotiations over Email” points out the deficits of negotiating by email.  Written by the staff on September 14, 2020, the post notes that unlike what may happen in a synchronous communication, it is difficult to establish a relationship, rapport or trust with the parties in an email exchange. There are no verbal cues and an email may be easily misunderstood because a party may mistake the tone and emotion of the email. And frequently, the recipient of an email may not necessarily take a moment and look at the email from the perspective of the sender. (Id.)

Read original article


Tags: