By TAMARA JAYNE
Whether for work or interview, these cues are good to master to exude confidence in your conversations or presentations.
1. Have a firm handshake
It shows confidence and conveys that you are genuine. A limp handshake implies half-heartedness and disinterest towards the person you are shaking hands with.
2. Maintain balanced eye contact
If you’re anxious about looking at someone in the eye, focus on their nose or between their eyes. They won’t be able to tell that you are not making eye contact because you’re still looking at them.
However, too much eye contact can seem intimidating. Communication experts recommend intervals of eye contact lasting four to five seconds.
3. Lean
When you lean your body slightly towards the person, you show that you are actively listening to what he or she has to say.
When you angle your body away from the speaker, it can imply that you don’t care about the situation or conversation
4. Smile
A genuine smile speaks a thousand words. But be careful not to fake it because it is easy to spot a fake smile.
5. Be attentive to tone
A person’s tone of voice can change the whole meaning of a sentence. “I am happy to do that for you,” can be heard as genuine joy or utter displeasure depending on the tone you use.
6. Be mindful of personal space
How close or how far you stand from the other person can also convey a message. Moving too close to someone can be an invasion of personal space and may make the other person feel uncomfortable.
An appropriate distance for conversation would be if you are able to stretch out your arm and shake the other person’s hand.
7. Take extra care of your appearance
Choice of colour, hairstyle, and clothing, can convey different messages.
Experts advise you to do your homework and dress appropriately for a job interview because first impressions do play a role.
For example, a person’s attire for an interview with a fashion magazine company will differ from that of a law firm.
Dressing appropriately for the particular job shows your prospective employers that you are serious about it.
This article first appeared in print on Apr 8, 2016
Tamara was previously an assistant editor and writer with Leaderonomics. She loves thought-provoking conversations over cups of tea. If she is not writing, you might find her hiking up a mountain in search of a new waterfall to explore.
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