First Impressions – Confidence

Increase Your Chances – Nail Your First Impression – Confidence #7

Confidence can be described as a belief in yourself and your ability to succeed. The trick is to present yourself so you come across somewhere between extremely confident or cocky and not confident at all.

So what does confidence have to do with First Impressions? Well, according to Amy Cuddy, Harvard Business School social psychologist, who has extensively studied first impressions, her research shows that two traits alone account for 80 to 90 percent of first impressions. . . take a guess what those traits are. . . yep. . . trustworthiness and confidence!

Self-confidence is extremely important in both our personal and business lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Unfortunately, people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful.

So what can we do to appear more self-confident? If you have listened to my previous podcasts, the following suggestions will sound familiar to you. [click here to read the rest of the article]

In no particular order:

1. Maintain eye contact – look the person you are talking to in the eye. This does two things; one it shows you are listening and attentive; two it conveys confidence!

2. Have good posture – body language is important. . . lean in toward the person you are meeting to convey you are warm and caring. Also, stand upright and don’t slouch. Nod your head in agreement when the person speaks and don’t interrupt them…..LISTEN first and foremost.

3. A firm grip – when shaking hands make a firm, but not to firm handshake. Don’t give them the “cold fish” handshake and don’t use two hands either.

4. Dress for Success – dress appropriately for the occasion.

5. Hygiene – be groomed nicely – shower, use deodorant and generally speaking look your best. (listen to previous podcast on Hygiene for more in-depth suggestions)

6. Smile – show those pearly whites! Everyone feels better when they smile and it is contagious!

7. Be upbeat and positive – have a high energy level, don’t talk about others in a negative manner and genuinely be interested in what the person has to say.

8. Know your subject matter COLD – if you now your business and the ins and outs of your products or services, you will have nothing to be nervous about – thus you will come across as confident!

Remember, confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their clients, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

Thankfully, self-confidence can be learned and built on. So use the 8 suggestions I discussed and build that confident appearance you need to succeed, it’s well-worth the effort!