Did you know that majority of your success comes down to what your body language says?
Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith’s dating guru character in the movie Hitch) said “60% of all human communication is nonverbal body language; 30% is your tone, so that means 90% of what you’re saying ain’t coming out of your mouth”- now that sounds pretty spot on because Whenever two people are communicating to each other face-to-face, most of the communication is actually happening through body language.
It’s a highly known fact that your posture, facial expressions, gestures and even tone of voice When properly used, can actually be your key to achieving success because it can help you grow business relationships, influence people and telegraph power and authority. Here are ten tips on how to use body language to project confidence, charisma, and authority.
Maintain eye contact
Maintaining positive eye contact is very important so that the person you’re talking to can see how sincere and transparent you are. You want the other person to see that you’re 100% confident with what you’re saying and that all your cards are on the table – you have nothing to hide.
Lower the pitch of your voice
The pitch of your voice can sometimes determine how confident you are. People with higher-pitched voices are usually seen as anxious, skittish or high-strung – it gives the vibe that you’re trying to be more confident by drowning out other people’s voices. Just keep it low, calm and collected – that gives off a much better vibe.
Keep your posture erect
Hav you noticed that tall, commanding people look a lot more powerful than the average Joe? That’s because status, authority, and charisma gets nonverbally displayed if you’ve got a great posture. Erect postures and heads held high make you look like you’re a person of power and substance so you’re more likely to influence people’s decisions.Even if you’re sitting down, you can improve your posture by placing both your feet flat on the floor and widening your arms away from your body.
Minimize nervous gestures
Nervous gestures such as being fidgety, twirling your hair or drumming your fingers on the desk shows that you have no confidence in what you’re saying. if at any point you find yourself doing any of these things you need to just relax yourself and take a breather because looking nervous doesn’t do you any favours.
Try to use open gestures
Using open gestures are a great way to show that you are a credible, confident and transparent person. If you have your arms crossed or your hands were hidden away, it usually gives off the vibe that you’re trying to hide something. Relax your movements and don’t be afraid to show the palms of your hands – that makes you seem more warm, personable and trustworthy. If you’re seated, try to keep your legs and arms uncrossed at all times and try to keep your legs far apart and your shoulders back. Try not to lean forward, lean back instead – leaning forward makes you look more eager than usual.
The power of pausing
Pausing every now and then while you’re talking is an effective way of telegraphing confidence – even better if you can mix your pauses with a smoldering look. For example, you might say, “I think this software will definitely boost your business because of its incredible features… (pause and look into the other person’s eyes with a smoldering look)…What do you think?” Focus on short pauses not long pauses because long pauses can actually affect communication negatively, but it’ll have a positive effect as long as it’s not too long. Pausing gives the other person you are speaking to an actual moment to digest what you just said, making the information much clearer for them to …
Smile like a boss
Let’s face it, people love warm, happy faces. Smiling at someone gives off the vibe that you are personable, genuine and totally approachable. Have you ever noticed that if you smiled at someone there’s a huge probability that the other person will smile back? The human brain prefers smiling face because it gives off the trustworthy vibe.
Solid handshake
A powerful handshake is something worth practicing again and again because most people can appear to look more authoritative and credible if they have a great handshake. When you make palm to palm contact with someone try to give a firm handshake and match the hand pressure the other person is applying as closely as possible. Try not to crush his hands – dominating someone is not a great way of winning them over.
In conclusion
Body language is a language without actual spoken words hence why it’s called non-verbal communication. We use it all the time socially and especially in our businesses and careers.
Facial expressions, body movements small gestures, and even straight posture, can all convey a message or add something to it. Keep in mind that while these tips are a good general guide for interpreting body language, it’s crucial to remember that all these tips won’t necessarily apply to every single person.