I’ve been stood up.

I’m sitting in a coffee shop as I write this. I was supposed to meet someone to discuss business, but the person never showed, despite confirming the time and location with me just yesterday.

I texted and emailed them. No response.

Seriously guys, communicate! If you have to cancel a meeting for whatever reason, it’s better to be upfront about it and tell the other party. It’s about simple respect and professionalism.

(I have made this mistake once or twice in the past, I’m not perfect.)

But more important than whether I feel “respected” is the message being communicated: this person is either disorganized, sloppy, scatterbrained, lazy, has too much on their plate, or all of the above.

Actions speak louder than words. For better or worse.

People will literally learn more about you from watching your actions for 30 seconds, than in hours of words and verbiage.

We were living in packs and tribes long before we developed human language. Our brains are built accordingly.

When your spouse or partner is sad, you know it immediately. You don’t need them to say “I feel bad” to know that something is wrong.

When your boss is in a great mood you can sense it. There’s a little bounce in his step, his voice is a bit louder than normal, there’s more laughter and optimism in the office.

Just through basic awareness and being in that situation, you pick up on the emotions.

You may even be able to smell emotions from others.

Communication is not just narrowly about the words you say. It’s about how you are showing up in the world (or not) and your overall energy, presence and attitude.

Your punctuality, demeanor, confidence, organization, professionalism and attention to detail are critical. They are all demonstrated in your actions.

Take care of these fundamental qualities, and your words will often take care of themselves.

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Justin Aquino

As Founder and Head Coach of Cool Communicator, I lead our coaching programs and classes. Our programs help you improve professional communication skills, including public speaking, presentation skills, assertiveness in the workplace, impromptu speaking, and more.