Guest Articles

Training seminar after training seminar repeats that 93%, often without a real understanding of the research behind it.

These figures came from two studies by psychologist Albert Mehrabian and colleagues in 1967, which explored how people interpret feelings and attitudes when words, facial expressions and tone of voice send conflicting messages (Mehrabian and Wiener, 1967; Mehrabian and Ferris, 1967).

The studies suggested that when these elements contradict one another, people tend to rely more heavily on non-verbal cues when interpreting feelings and attitudes. Mehrabian combined the findings to develop his now-famous 7–38–55 rule. The figures were never intended to apply to communication generally.

A 2025 study revisited the question using an android capable of varying its facial expressions, voice and words. Researchers found approximate contributions of 48%, 31% and 21% respectively when participants judged emotional meaning (Sato, Shimokawa and Minato, 2025).

Interesting, certainly, but these are not universal percentages either.

What the research does do, however, is remind us is that how something is communicated matters alongside what is said. This becomes particularly interesting when we consider AI-generated business emails.

The Perfectly Written Email

AI can undoubtedly help research companies, organise thoughts and turn a rough draft into something readable in a matter of seconds. For anyone working in business development, that is useful and allows more time to be dedicated to what could be regarded as more meaningful tasks.

Personalised-looking emails can be generated almost instantly. The company name is correct, a recent project gets mentioned and the opening line sounds almost warm and engaging (I said "almost"…).

A neatly assembled message, however, is not necessarily evidence that someone has taken the time to understand another person's business.

Research on how people respond to AI-written communication is mixed. Sahebi, Formosa and Bankins (2026) found that messages associated with AI were judged less trustworthy and authentic. Purcell et al. (2025), however, found that AI-assisted writing saved time without significantly reducing trust in experimental exchanges.

Neither study proves what will happen with a particular prospective client.

The question, therefore, is not whether AI is good or bad at writing emails. It is whether we are using it to help us communicate, or mistaking the production of messages for the development of relationships.

Communication Beyond Words

Drawing on principles of speech and language therapy (because, after all, communication lies at the very core of all of this), effective communication involves considerably more than choosing the right words. Communication is a dynamic, two-way process, shaped by context, individual communication preferences, cultural experiences and the ability to recognise and respond to verbal and non-verbal cues.

Face-to-face interaction provides opportunities to notice changes in facial expression, tone of voice, body language and conversational behaviour. A moment of hesitation, a change in tone or a shift in conversational pace may offer useful information about how a message is being received. These observations create opportunities to ask questions, clarify meaning and adapt communication as the conversation develops.

Non-verbal signals are not, however, universal, nor do they carry the same meaning for everyone. Eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and conversational pauses can vary considerably between individuals, cultures and neurotypes.

For example, reduced eye contact does not necessarily indicate disinterest, just as a pause may reflect thoughtful consideration, language processing or an individual's preferred communication style. No single way of communicating should automatically be considered more appropriate or effective than another.

This is particularly relevant in multicultural business environments such as the UAE, where linguistic, cultural and neurocognitive diversity are part of everyday professional interactions.

Effective communication requires an awareness of these differences, a willingness to check understanding rather than make assumptions, and the flexibility to accommodate different communication preferences.

Face-to-face interaction can provide valuable opportunities for this mutual adjustment, although it is equally important to recognise that some people communicate more comfortably and effectively through written or other forms of communication.

Ultimately, successful relationship-building depends less on interpreting particular behaviours and more on creating an environment in which everyone has the opportunity to communicate, participate and be understood.

One Message, Many Interpretations

Directness that feels refreshingly efficient to one person may well sound abrupt to another. (Ever worked with an engineer before…?) A long pause might be thoughtful rather than uncomfortable. Someone may avoid prolonged eye contact out of courtesy, personality or habit, rather than a lack of confidence.

None of these cues has a fixed meaning, and culture is never a substitute for getting to know an individual.

A 2026 review of 21 studies found that although spontaneous emotional expressions are broadly similar across cultures, differences become more apparent when people consciously control their facial expressions. The researchers concluded that emotional expressions are influenced by both shared human responses and cultural expectations about how emotions should be displayed (Gallant et al., 2026).

Similarly, Tamir, Chentsova-Dutton and Miyamoto (2026) examined how cultural values influence not only the expression of emotions, but also how people manage them. Cultural expectations can shape whether people prioritise expressing their feelings openly, moderating their emotional responses or maintaining harmony within a group.

Both reviews highlight an important consideration for business communication: the same facial expression, reaction or conversational behaviour should not automatically be interpreted in the same way across different cultural contexts.

In multicultural environments such as the UAE, recognising these differences, while avoiding assumptions about individuals based on their cultural background, can help prevent misunderstandings and encourage more meaningful professional relationships.

This is precisely why face-to-face interaction can be so valuable. Conversations can be adapted as they unfold. If a joke lands badly, there is an opportunity to recognise it and move on. If someone appears unsure, the pace can be adjusted, clarification offered or further questions asked.

Sometimes a conversation simply needs more listening and less talking.

An AI-generated email cannot observe the recipient reading it, hear the response in their voice or repair a misunderstanding in that moment. Written communication has its own advantages, including giving people time to reflect and respond, but it does not offer the same immediate feedback.

More Contact Does Not Necessarily Mean More Connection

In business development, it is easy to measure emails sent, follow-ups completed and meetings requested. It is far harder to measure whether someone felt listened to, whether their actual needs were understood, or whether a conversation made them comfortable enough to speak openly.

Those less measurable moments often reveal something useful.

Perhaps the service originally intended to be offered is not appropriate. Perhaps the timing is wrong. There may even be an entirely different challenge that could be addressed.

These things are discovered through curiosity, asking questions and taking the time to understand another person's circumstances, certainly not simply by delivering a polished introduction.

The Human Element Cannot Be Automated

AI absolutely has its place in business development. It is an incredibly useful tool for researching companies, preparing for meetings, managing information and making some of the more time-consuming tasks considerably easier. There is no reason not to take advantage of technology that allows us to work more efficiently.

The UAE is providing an impressive example of what ambition in this area can look like. In April 2026, the government announced plans to introduce agentic AI across 50% of government sectors and services within two years, while October’s updates on FedAI and national AI training demonstrate how that ambition is being put into practice. These developments matter well beyond government. They create opportunities for businesses across the wider ecosystem to innovate, collaborate and grow. The UAE has built a remarkable environment in which international talent, enterprise and new technologies come together. Making the most of those opportunities, however, still depends on understanding people, earning trust and building genuine relationships.

There is, however, a difference between being efficient and being effective. Sending hundreds of carefully worded, AI-generated emails might look impressive in a CRM, but that does not necessarily mean that meaningful relationships are being developed. More activity does not automatically translate into better business development.

Face-to-face conversations offer something fundamentally different. They provide opportunities to listen, observe, ask questions and adapt as a conversation develops. They also allow for spontaneous exchanges that can reveal far more about a person, their business and their priorities than any amount of online research.

Sometimes the most useful part of a meeting is the conversation that was never on the agenda.

Mehrabian's research may have been widely misinterpreted, but the underlying point remains relevant. Communication does not happen in isolation. Words, tone, context and individual differences all influence how messages are understood.

In a multicultural business environment such as the UAE, where people bring different languages, experiences and communication preferences to the table, the ability to recognise these differences and respond appropriately is particularly important. It is equally important not to assume that a particular expression, gesture or response means the same thing to everyone.

Face-to-face communication is not necessarily everyone's preferred way of interacting, and written communication has its own advantages. The point is not that one approach should be used exclusively, but that technology should complement human interaction rather than attempt to replace it.

Business development has never simply been about the number of emails sent, contacts added to a database or meetings booked. Those are activities, not relationships.

Good business development involves taking the time to understand people, asking the right questions, recognising when there is a genuine opportunity to help and, just as importantly, recognising when there is not.

AI can make the process more efficient, and that should be welcomed. A well-written email, however, is not the same as a conversation, and a personalised message is not the same as knowing someone.

Technology can help make the introduction. Building the relationship still requires actual humans.

References

Gallant, A., Mazerolle, M.-P., Pelot, A. and Roy-Charland, A. (2026) 'Cultural differences in the production of emotional facial expressions: a review', Frontiers in Psychology, 17, article 1699374. Available at: Frontiers | Cultural differences in the production of emotional facial expressions: a review 

Mehrabian, A. and Ferris, S.R. (1967) 'Inference of attitudes from nonverbal communication in two channels', Journal of Consulting Psychology, 31(3), pp. 248–252. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0024648 

Mehrabian, A. and Wiener, M. (1967) 'Decoding of inconsistent communications', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6(1), pp. 109–114. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0024532 

Purcell, Z.A. et al. (2025) 'Writing with AI boosts trust-building efficiency', iScience, 28(12), article 114092. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.114092 

Sahebi, S., Formosa, P. and Bankins, S. (2026) 'The AI penalty and disclosure paradox: trust, authenticity and knowledge uptake in AI-mediated communication', Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 8, article 100304. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2026.100304 

Sato, W., Shimokawa, K. and Minato, T. (2025) 'Exploration of Mehrabian's communication model with an android', Scientific Reports, 15, article 25986. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11745-w 

Tamir, M., Chentsova-Dutton, Y. and Miyamoto, Y. (2026) 'Culture and emotion regulation', Annual Review of Psychology, 78. Advance online publication. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-110625-121512 

Author: Wanausha Campbell, Director, The BD Office