They say a picture is worth a thousand words; now picture yourself, walking into networking meeting or a sales meeting with a retailer. As you are walking into the room or around the room how do you look? What message do you communicate? What are your eyes, hands and shoulders saying? What information can people gather about you before you even say a word?
People read body language, mostly subconsciously, and you only get one chance at making a first impression. Your body is a great source of information for people observing you. Body language is an indicator of mood, meaning and motive.
At a glance, most people can discern if we’re confident, apprehensive or outgoing, relaxed or aggressive.
Starting out in business I often say you have to ‘fake it til you make it’. If you use your body language to convey confidence, you have your 45 spiel nailed and you go into each interaction with a clear goal – your business success will escalate.
So before you go into your next meeting take a quick scan of your body, pull your shoulders back and smile – you are about to make a good and lasting impression.