Body language is an important tool of non-verbal communication, which has a significant impact on your professional life. Whether it is a job interview or a presentation at the workplace, good body language possesses the power to help you sail through all such critical occasions with success. But, for your body language to cast the magical spell, it is vital for you to inculcate an influential one. Given below are some effective tips to follow while gearing up for inculcating an influential body language.
1. Focus on the Basics
The journey of inculcating an influential body language begins by working on the basics. In order to develop a clear understanding of the basics of body language, you should try reading at least one complete book on the subject. There are a number of books available on body language and you can simply search the Internet to find the one which appeals the most to you. The Definitive Book of Body Language, What Every Body is Saying, and The Dictionary of Body Language are some of the most popular on body language of all time. In case you have a very busy schedule and you find it hard to take some time for reading, then you can simply download an audiobook of your choice on the same subject and listen to it while working. But, whether you are reading or listening to an audiobook, make sure to take notes of all the important points.
2. Remember – Practice makes perfect
‘Practice makes a man perfect’. This popular proverb clearly highlights the importance of consistency and hard work in the accomplishment of goals. So, you should start practicing whatever you learn from your body language book, simultaneously, right from day one. Practicing in front of a mirror is one of the best ways to practice portraying an influential body language. Further, it is advisable for you to practice in front of a full-length mirror. This is because a full-length mirror enables you to look at different aspects of your body language such as your facial expressions, hand gestures, and your body posture, all at once.
3. Be your own critic and appreciator
While pursuing your mirror practicing sessions, it is extremely important for you to stay completely conscious of the way you conduct yourself. You should act as if you are your own instructor and thus watch your body language in a meticulous manner. It is not that you should only look for the things in your body language which need improvisation, but you should also be observant of the things which have improved. This implies that you should not only be your own critic but you should also be your own appreciator as well. It is in the light of self-appreciation that you can prevent yourself from being discouraged by self-criticism. So, do make sure to look at the shortcomings and improvements in your body language with a balanced vision.
4. Jot down critical points for improvement
When undertaking the journey of body language improvisation, it is vital to take notes of all the critical points for improvement. Critical points are those things about your body language improvement which often slip through your attention. For example, you might remember keeping your back straight while sitting, for some minutes, but eventually, as you get busy with your schedule, you may completely forget about it. So, keeping your back straight while sitting is a critical point which you should jot down in your notepad. It is by creating a list of critical points that you can remind yourself of all the body language critical points you often forget at any time. This way, you’ll eventually be able to remember the critical points for a longer period of time and thus easily be able to induce the required body language transformations.
5. Be observant
This is a very important thing to do when working on your body language. It simply involves observing the people around you and analyzing their body language. Does that colleague of yours who has a weak handshake appeal to you more or the one who has a firm handshake and a gentle smile? It is with this simple and quick analysis that you will actually learn a lot about what an influential body language actually looks like. Furthermore, as you keep observing and analyzing, you’ll gradually start observing your own body language even more and start making smooth adjustments wherever needed. Not only this, but being observant will also enable you to learn the art of interpreting the body language of others. Won’t it be really amazing if you could actually know a bit about people from the tell-tale signs of their body language!
6. Do not over assert yourself
Inculcating an influential body language doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and consistent effort. This is because there is a certain body language that you have been practicing all through your life, till the day you decide to make some change in it. So, your body is in the habit of conducting itself in a certain way. Thus, you’ll need some time to leave your old body language and transition into a new influential one. This means that you’ll have to be patient with yourself throughout your journey of body language improvisation. If you over assert yourself, chances are that you’ll get frustrated too soon and give up on the important act of transforming your body language. So, it is advisable for you to not over assert yourself.
7. Stay Confident
It is quite normal to encounter a few failures while trying to inculcate an influential body language. For instance, your efforts to make confident eye contact with people while having a conversation may be thwarted by nervousness initially. But, do remember to stay confident of your abilities and keep up your efforts, despite being encountered by some failures. This is because “Failures are the stepping stones to success.” They teach you important lessons which bring you closer to success. So, do remember to wear your robe of confidence while undertaking the long journey of body language improvisation.
To conclude, an influential body language is necessary for your success in your career and life in general. So, it is vital for you to work on inculcating an influential body language. It is by following the tips mentioned above that you can make the crucial transformations in your body language with ease.
