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CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Features of Effective Business Communication

A manager says 'I fully support your proposal' but speaks in a flat tone, avoids eye contact and keeps looking at his phone. The employee believes the manager is not really supportive. This shows that:

Non-verbal cues that contradict the spoken words make the receiver distrust the message. Here the manager's flat tone, lack of eye contact and phone use signal disinterest, so the employee believes the body language rather than the words. Words do not always outweigh non-verbal signals.

  1. ANon-verbal cues contradicting words can lead the receiver to distrust the spoken messageCorrect
  2. BWords always carry more weight than body language
  3. CEye contact has no role in business communication
  4. DTone of voice is a part of written communication only

Explanation

When verbal and non-verbal signals conflict, receivers tend to trust the non-verbal signals. The manager's flat tone and avoidance of eye contact undermine his words. Hence the claim that words always outweigh body language is wrong.

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