8 Body-Language Tricks That Are Hard to Master But Will Pay Off Forever
8 Body-Language Tricks That Are Hard to Master But Will Pay Off Forever
However, other
techniques, while relatively common sense, are somewhat trickier to tackle.
Still, they can make a
huge difference.
Here are eight
body-language hacks that can be tricky to master but will pay off forever once
you do:
1. Mirror the person you're speaking to.
Mirroring — aligning
your body to match the position of whoever you're speaking to — can be a tough
skill to master. But doing it shows admiration and agreement.
It can be hard to do
this subtly, without looking like you're mimicking or mocking someone, but it's
a good trick to employ if you're trying to make a good impression.
2. Walk with purpose and energy.
Not everyone walks
with confidence. Some of us shuffle through life with a slumping, awkward gait.
And it can be tough to
change the way we walk. But if you take some steps to improve it, you can help
to ensure that people don't make snap judgments about your confidence,
attractiveness, and trustworthiness.
3. Maintain good eye contact.
It's all in the eyes.
People with a shaky
gaze often come across as anxious, distracted, or dishonest. It can be tough to
master the skill of maintaining eye contact, since it's an uncomfortable and
unnatural thing for some people. But it's a practice that can help you
immensely in life.
Luckily, there are
some simple techniques for maintaining better eye contact if you feel your
stare isn't cutting it.
In "How To Talk
To Anyone," the author and communication expert Leil Lowndes advises you
should "pretend your eyes are glued to your conversation partner's with
sticky, warm taffy."
Once you master this
trick, you'll immediately see an improvement in your face-to-face
communications with others.
4. Keep your hands visible.
It's hard to know what
to do with your hands sometimes, especially if you're a somewhat nervous
person.
As a result, you might
take to compulsively jamming them in your pockets or crossing your arms. Those
moves are understandable, but they also project a somewhat negative image.
As Business Insider
previously reported, it's important to keep your hands visible, lest you look
like you're hiding something.
Invite people in and
allow them to trust you by using more open body language. Avoid positions that
make you appear defensive — even if that's how you're feeling.
5. Don't fidget, but don't be too stiff.
Some people are just a
bit twitchy — always drumming their fingers, tapping their feet, or twirling
their hair. Some people are almost unnaturally still. The problem is that others
may mistake that for dishonesty or fear.
That might be common
knowledge, but Lillian Glass, a behavioral analyst and an expert on body
language who has worked with the FBI on unmasking signals of deception, previously
told Business Insider that you should also watch out for people who are not
moving at all.
"This may be a
sign of the primitive neurological 'fight,' rather than the 'flight,' response,
as the body positions and readies itself for possible confrontation,"
Glass said. "When you speak and engage in normal conversation, it is
natural to move your body around in subtle, relaxed, and, for the most part,
unconscious movements. So if you observe a rigid, catatonic stance devoid of movement,
it is often a huge warning sign that something is off."
If you can strike a
balance between swaying and stiffness, you'll be able to make a better
impression with others.
6. Sit up straight.
Your parents were
right to constantly bark at you to adjust your terrible posture when you were a
moody teen.
"If you lounge
back in your chair, recruiters interpret it as a sign of your disinterest in
the open position or that you're not taking the interview seriously, neither of
which will help you land the job," Amanda Augustine, a career-advice
expert for TopResume, previously told Business Insider. "In addition,
slumping over in the chair can indicate a lack of confidence."
Instead, she suggests
sitting as if there were a string tied from the top of your head to the
ceiling. Sitting up straight is seen as a sign of intelligence, confidence, and
credibility, she says.
Anyone with bad
posture can tell you that correcting your slouch is not always easy, but it's
worth it in the long run.
7. Work on your handshake.
No one wants to
receive a "dead fish" handshake. Writing on LinkedIn, Ashish Arora, a
founder of InfoShore, says that "a weak handshake equals a weak
person" in most people's minds.
So how do you give a
great handshake?
Arora breaks it down:
"When squeezing your hand you want the grip to be tight enough to feel the
bones of the other person's hand lightly pressing into your skin and then
keeping the same amount of pressure while you make two to three moderately
strong shakes in the vertical plain. Maintain eye contact and a smile
throughout."
8. Slow down.
When you're nervous,
it can be easy to speed up everything, including your speech and movements.
However, as Peter
Economy, an expert on leadership, writes in Inc., it's far better to try to
slow things down.
"When we have
precision in our movements, it's more powerful than simply doing something for
the sake of the action," Economy wrote. "Our own brains know it, and
the brains of everyone else know it too."
So take a deep breath,
slow down, and be more deliberate about your movements at your next meeting.
You'll look far more confident and competent.
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