Most aspects of communication that are applicable regardless of one’s goals: a job interview, making a sale or flirting with romantic intent.
I have constructed a matrix of communication elements here: [Communications matrix]
Let me define my terms.
Channels of communication
These are the various media we can use to communicate:
- Body language
- Eye contact
- Verbal tone
- Verbal content
One channel is perhaps not obvious at first, because it is not, strictly speaking, a channel. It is a mood or state. It is perhaps the most important of all, because it influences the character and effectiveness of all other channels:
- Inner (mental) attitude / mental state
Let’s take a salesman as an example.
The product might be good, and the words the salesman uses – his script, so to say – might be very good indeed. But if he lacks confidence – in himself and/or the product, he will communicate this insecurity along any – or all – the other channels. He is unlikely to make the sale.
On the other hand, a confident salesman often does not need an optimal script or product in order to close the deal.