It is easy to control what comes out of your mouth, but what about your body language? For our September installment of On the Menu, we brought in expert Terry Vaughan to guide us on how our facial expressions and body language can build rapport.
Body language is the one form of communication that never stops, so how can we be sure we are making the right impression?
After a few short minutes of his presentation, it was very clear that Terry had been studying each of us since we walked in the room. Initially, I felt self-conscious. How did my interactions come off? Did I pass? Looking around at the other participants, I could see that brush of unsurety sweeping the room.
Terry then guided us through the principles for successful (and unsuccessful) body language — again, making me question my face even more! Luckily, he kept things light and used real-life examples to help us correct these unconscious behaviors.
Below are my top five takeaways for this session:
- Context changes everything. Your environment can impact an interaction, your behavior, or body language. Think: a one-on-one conversation vs. presenting in front of a crowded room.
- We have a constant internal dialogue that can mess with our body language. Think: wanting to make a good impression and trying to think ahead on what you might say next. That may lead to stumbling of words or intense eye contact.
- Trust what you see. At times, when interacting with someone, what you see on their face and with their body language may differ from the words you hear coming out of their mouth.
- Having trouble connecting? The ‘default expression’ on your face might be the problem.
- Your eyebrows are the #1 indicator on your face, so, throw them up in the air like you just don’t care!
We will be back next month on October 10 with Joe Novara to learn about Intentional Prospecting. Much like Terry, Joe will be using a lot of humor and personal stories to help drive the points home. Half of our tickets have already been snatched up, so reserve yours ASAP!
