Utilize Body Language to Improve Your Professional Performance

Becoming fluent in body language empowers you to make a lasting impression on colleagues and supervisors

Your conversation begins when you enter the room—before you begin to speak. Your body expresses your moods and, depending on your awareness of how your body talks, you will communicate confidence or fear. Fortunately for you, it’s possible to learn to communicate confidence nonverbally.

Practice makes perfect. Strategies for controlling nonverbal communication are easy to learn and fun to practice. Don’t be afraid to feel silly when you try them. Have you heard the expression, “fake it ‘til you make it”? It means that when you’re trying something new you should pretend to be an expert. Expertise will come in time.

Harvard professor Amy Cuddy suggests that posing for two minutes will have a significant positive impact on your confidence. We have a few poses you can start practicing today:

Strong Man Pose

Flex your muscles if you’re hearing negative information. It will help you remain focused. Curl up both arms as if you’re showing of your biceps. Flex your legs and bend your knees slightly. This is a bit of a cartoon pose, and you should have fun with it. Try it out before a meeting or presentation.

Superman Pose

Stand straight and tall. Place your hands on your waist and put your chin in the air. Hold your head high. This pose is a powerful tool for situations where you might feel anxious or afraid. Try using it a few minutes before giving a speech or presentation.

Embody Your Success

Sit comfortably in your desk chair. Call up a memory of a past success and let that positive energy fill your chest with each breath. Send that warm glow up and down your spine, out across your shoulders, into your arms and hands and down into your legs and feet.  Feel the emotional power of your past successes come to life and ignite the positive power you carry inside.

Face Facts

Your face communicates your emotions, moods, and attitudes without you having to say a word. If your audience interprets your expression as sad, confused, or angry, you may lose them even before you start to speak.

 You can improve your facial expressions with a little effort, awareness, and practice. It’s probably easier to schedule these efforts for important social, professional, or networking events. Tilt your head slightly to the side. Practice smiling and making eye contact with your audience  to show that you are actively interested.

So, go ahead, pick a power pose and give it a try. What does it feel like? Do you have any other cool tips to help improve body language? Share with us! Comment here, share your story on Twitter, and follow us @Cydcor. Share this article with your friends and start a conversation with your community!

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.