--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Body language and tone of voice - not…" description: "\"Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools.\" — Christopher Voss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg" --- # Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most… ![“Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools.” quote by Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg) > “Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools.” [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nonverbal cues like body language and tone convey more truth than spoken words. **In simple terms:** Body language and tone reveal more than words. Key Takeaway Pay attention to nonverbal signals. Themes communication trust nonverbal Mood alert analytical Type advice practical When to use this quote - interviews - negotiations - customer service - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology behavioral analysis empathy Questions to Reflect On - What nonverbal signs do you notice most? - How can you verify their meaning? A Different Perspective Nonverbal cues can be misleading if misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assessment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment/) [Assessment Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment-tools-4724916/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-language/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful Assessment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-assessment-5181186/) [Tone Of Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone-of-voice/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-powerful/) ## Related quotes > [The use of online assessment tools is giving teachers a more fine-grained understanding of individual students' skills, and assisting them to determine the necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mann/the-use-of-online-assessment-tools-is-giving-teachers-a-more-fine/) [Susan Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mann/) > [“ BUT WHAT DO I SAY If you are most concerned about what to say when you first meet someone, you may be directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/but-what-do-i-say-if-you-are-most-concerned-about-what-to-say-when/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“ASK YOURSELF: How can you utilize active listening to provide sensational customer service? How will this help resolve complaints from unhappy customers? • Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/ask-yourself-how-can-you-utilize-active-listening-to-provide/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [“The big three blind spots are tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. The listener is very aware of these, the talker is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-stone/the-big-three-blind-spots-are-tone-of-voice-facial-expressions-and/) [Douglas Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-stone/) > [“Yes,” her boss responded, “one for us and one for the customer.” “I’m sorry, so you are saying that the client is asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-voss/yes-her-boss-responded-one-for-us-and-one-for-the-customer-i-m-sorry/) [Chris Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-voss/) > [Women are better at reading body language everywhere in the world. As a matter of fact, it's associated with the female hormone estrogen. Women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/women-are-better-at-reading-body-language-everywhere-in-the-world-as/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“Remember that, in any encounter, the only thing you can control is your own actions and reactions. You cannot dictate the actions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/remember-that-in-any-encounter-the-only-thing-you-can-control-is-your/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“13 Simple Ways to Deliver Service Beyond Self 1. Make it Easy for People to Do Business with You. 2. Be an Awesome, Sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/13-simple-ways-to-deliver-service-beyond-self-1-make-it-easy-for/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [“The areas of the cortex responsible for attention and self-regulation develop in response to the emotional interaction with the person whom we may call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/the-areas-of-the-cortex-responsible-for-attention-and-self-regulation/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [“Even without world wars, revolutions and emigration, siblings growing up in the same home almost never share the same environment. More accurately, brothers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/even-without-world-wars-revolutions-and-emigration-siblings-growing/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [Coming to appreciate your worth can, in some cases, dramatically improve your circumstances by changing the choices you make and the actions you take.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/coming-to-appreciate-your-worth-can-in-some-cases-dramatically/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [How you use your voice is really important, and it's really driven by context more than anything else, and your tone of voice will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/how-you-use-your-voice-is-really-important-and-it-s-really-driven-by/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [“Words are Powerful Tools. Just one can destroy an entire Nation, so use them wisely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-sawyer/words-are-powerful-tools-just-one-can-destroy-an-entire-nation-so-use/) [A.M. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-m-sawyer/) > [“There are moments in life, when just the right words, can be as powerful as acts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/there-are-moments-in-life-when-just-the-right-words-can-be-as/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [Our words are very powerful, always make sure that you use the right words, which encourages people instead of discouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/our-words-are-very-powerful-always-make-sure-that-you-use-the-right/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) ## More by Christopher Voss > ['Fair' is, like, this incredibly overused term in negotiations: 'I just want what's fair.' 'What's the fair market price?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/fair-is-like-this-incredibly-overused-term-in-negotiations-i-just/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/negotiation-is-often-described-as-the-art-of-letting-the-other-side/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [When you expect to get into a negotiation, you expect to be faced by a guy that's going to attack you, a guy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/when-you-expect-to-get-into-a-negotiation-you-expect-to-be-faced-by-a/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [If your first objective in the negotiation, instead of making your argument, is to hear the other side out, that's the only way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/if-your-first-objective-in-the-negotiation-instead-of-making-your/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [What I really think of myself as is a person who's great at negotiation coaching and consulting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/what-i-really-think-of-myself-as-is-a-person-who-s-great-at/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Successful negotiation is not about getting to 'yes'; it's about mastering 'no' and understanding what the path to an agreement is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/successful-negotiation-is-not-about-getting-to-yes-it-s-about/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [There's great power in deference. You ask somebody 'what' or 'how' questions. People love to be asked how to do something. They feel powerful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/there-s-great-power-in-deference-you-ask-somebody-what-or-how/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [You're supposed to have a passionate purpose as a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/you-re-supposed-to-have-a-passionate-purpose-as-a-ceo/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Emotions aren't the obstacles to a successful negotiation; they are the means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/emotions-aren-t-the-obstacles-to-a-successful-negotiation-they-are/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Every job that you take, the term that you should always include is, 'How can I be involved in the strategic projects that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/every-job-that-you-take-the-term-that-you-should-always-include-is/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [What drives you? What's your motivation? That's not emotion. That's passion. It's a different word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/what-drives-you-what-s-your-motivation-that-s-not-emotion-that-s/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [People typically only believe they're in a negotiation when dollars are involved. And maybe sometimes they're smart enough to see if there's a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/people-typically-only-believe-they-re-in-a-negotiation-when-dollars/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [There are a lot of negotiators that really will give in on a deal because being understood is more important than getting what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/there-are-a-lot-of-negotiators-that-really-will-give-in-on-a-deal/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [The first and best way to say 'no' to anyone is, 'How am I supposed to do that?' Now the other side actually has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/the-first-and-best-way-to-say-no-to-anyone-is-how-am-i-supposed-to-do/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [There are three kinds of yeses. There's commitment, confirmation, and counterfeit. People are most used to giving the counterfeit yes because they've been trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/there-are-three-kinds-of-yeses-there-s-commitment-confirmation-and/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) [Explore all 52 Christopher Voss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) ## More Assessment quotes > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) [Frank H. T. Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-h-t-rhodes/) > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [So a truthful assessment of how America is doing in the war on terror as a result of President Bush's war on Iraq is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olver/so-a-truthful-assessment-of-how-america-is-doing-in-the-war-on-terror/) [John Olver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olver/) > [A mighty maze! But not without a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/a-mighty-maze-but-not-without-a-plan/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don't listen to their words, but watch their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-assess-the-quality-of-thoughts-of-people-don-t-listen-to-their/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Even without voting, illegal aliens do affect who gets elected president, and that's since the Electoral College elects the president, and the states are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-without-voting-illegal-aliens-do-affect-who-gets-elected/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [President Obama had voiced strong support for the effort in Afghanistan during his campaign, pledging to add two brigades, which he did. But since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/president-obama-had-voiced-strong-support-for-the-effort-in/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [Before the curse of statistics fell upon mankind we lived a happy, innocent life, full of merriment and go and informed by fairly good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/before-the-curse-of-statistics-fell-upon-mankind-we-lived-a-happy/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [If you want to zoom down the expert slope tomorrow, you have to fall down the bunny slope today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lewis/if-you-want-to-zoom-down-the-expert-slope-tomorrow-you-have-to-fall/) [Cynthia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-lewis/) > [Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/commercialism-that-has-absolutely-no-relationship-to-quality/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I made my own assessment of my life, and I began to live it. That was freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-flores/i-made-my-own-assessment-of-my-life-and-i-began-to-live-it-that-was/) [Fernando Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-flores/) > [Patronizing the Arts is a brilliantly nuanced assessment of why universities must become art patrons. Learning from the twentieth-century university's embrace of Big Science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-phelan/patronizing-the-arts-is-a-brilliantly-nuanced-assessment-of-why/) [Peggy Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-phelan/) > [“The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System measures accuracy, comprehension, and fluency. (There are also assessments in the system that measure phonemic awareness, phonics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-landrigan/the-fountas-and-pinnell-benchmark-assessment-system-measures-accuracy/) [Clare Landrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-landrigan/) > [“In fact, they’re trained in risk assessment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/in-fact-they-re-trained-in-risk-assessment/) [Yrsa Sigurðardóttir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/) [Browse all 313 Assessment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Voss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-words-are-our-most-powerful/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assessment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-words-are-our-most-powerful/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/christopher-voss-13010_body_body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-word_1444907.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools.” — Christopher Voss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Voss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Body language and tone of voice...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-words-are-our-most-powerful/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/body-language-and-tone-of-voice-not-words-are-our-most-powerful/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```