7 Secrets Of Irresistible Body Language

What’s the real secret to body language that will appeal to crazy-busy customers? How can you show your frazzled client that meeting with you is the very best use of their time? These 7-secrets reveal exactly what to do.

While searching for a master plan for gestures, movement and body language in business seems like a search for hidden treasure, it helps to know how to use body language to your advantage. According to academic research, people make snap decisions about you, your credibility, your offer and your company—in the first 7 seconds.

How do they decide if you are worth listening to? It’s not what you say. It’s how you move. Turns out that the way you move accounts for 52% of your first impression. Vocal tone accounts for 41%. A tiny 7% of your impression is from what you say.

Go figure. If this reflects what people base their opinions on, wouldn’t it make sense to practice body language—to impress and win attention?

Use these 7 secrets to master the moves and be highly attractive to clients and prospects.

1. Authenticity Rules
Rather than relying on 500-page rulebook, start from the inside out. Be yourself. When you are genuine, comfortable and confident, people feel it. And there’s good news here. While you’re being authentic, you don’t have to get uptight or work hard to be someone else. Use your natural movements and gestures.

2. Look and Lock
You’ve heard about eye contact. But all too often after a presentation skills training, participants make a big mistake. They ‘spray’ the room, looking at each person. This is not effective eye contact.

Instead, look at a person and lock in for a few seconds. How long? 1-3 seconds is sufficient to make eye contact for the length of a thought.

3. Equal Footing
In a busy business world, you’re often shifting from one thing to another. But when you’re standing in front of a client, you’re your weight even and steady. If you have the tendency to rock, sway or jiggle from side to side, practice standing still.

While this seems like a tiny thing, swaying and rocking is extremely distracting. It could easily cause a busy decision maker to check out and dismiss you as having poor credibility.

4. Stop For Emphasis
Professional speakers link movements to what they are saying. For example, if you are moving around the room and want to make a point, stop. By stopping, you are adding emphasis and importance to what you have to say.

5. Pause For Impact
Command attention when you speak. Many people race through what they have to say, to avoid a feeling of nervousness or tension about speaking in public. Do the opposite. Pause. Take a breath. This adds an air of confidence and commanding presence to your delivery.

6. Sit With Confidence
In today’s meetings and presentations, you may be delivering your message while sitting. Watch your posture. Sit straight. Avoid swaying and shifting from side to side. Keep both feet firmly on the ground.

Your professional presence carries as much importance while sitting as while standing.

7. Get Feedback
As much as we’d like to be able to be objective, practicing effective body language is a whole lot easier with an objective coach.

Work with a professional presentation coach. Use video to rehearse and prepare. Practice delivering your sales presentation or public talk looking directly into the camera. Review your delivery with your coach.

Hint: do not watch video out takes alone. You will find as many people before you have found: video makes you look easily 10 pounds heavier. And, as many men will tell you: “I have more hair than that video shows!”

If you aren’t ready for watching video with your coach, then you aren’t really serious about getting prepared.

When you use these 7 secrets, you will have highly effective body language in every business presentation. You will project a winning combination of confidence, professional presence and approachability. And that’s exactly what makes you irresistible.