Body language mistakes successful people never make

Body language plays a crucial role in our daily lives, whether we know it or not.

T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

From casual interactions with strangers to more formal exchanges with colleagues; we can reveal to people what we’re all about (or not about) with just a few simple gestures.

For confident and successful people, positive body language tends to be part of their make-up but for others, a bit of gentle reminding may be required.

Avoiding eye contact

Eye contact is a sign of respect and interest. Flickr/Simon Clancy

A lack of eye contact can indicate that you’ve got something to hide or that you lack confidence and interest.

When it comes to communicating in the workplace, maintaining eye contact is crucial – it conveys confidence, leadership and strength.

Weak handshake

A proper handshake is key.Justin Sullivan/Getty

Although a handshake only lasts a couple of seconds, a bad one can leave an enduring impression on someone.

A study done by the University of Iowa in 2008 found that those people who start job interviews with a firm, strong handshake are always perceived in a more favorable light than those who have a limp handshake.

Slouching

Be sure you have good posture.Flickr/Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design

Slouching or bad posture signals that you lack confidence and have low energy levels. If your back is curved and your shoulders are pointing inwards, it makes sense that you will appear physically smaller.
On the other hand, good posture, i.e. a straight back and perked-up shoulders, maximizes the amount of space you fill and so denotes control and assertion

Crossed arms

Crossing your arms portrays you as disinterested.istolethetv/flickr

Crossed arms can act as a physical barrier that suggest you’re not open to what the other person is saying. Also, depending on the context, they can indicate defensiveness.

If you want people to view you as open-minded and interested, it is best to keep your hands at your sides.

Exaggerated gestures

Don't overdo your hand gestures.Flickr/Mitch Bennett

Overzealous or exaggerated gestures can suggest that you are chaotic or that you’re stretching the truth. If you tend to communicate with your hands, try to use small, controlled gestures to show leadership and confidence.

Also, ensure you use open gestures, for example, showing the palms of your hands – this helps to communicate that you have nothing to hide.

Fidgeting

Fidgeting can make you appear nervous.Eje Gustafsson/flickr

Fidgeting can include playing with your hair, biting your lip or tapping your fingers on a table. It usually signals that you’re anxious or disinterested and is best avoided if you wish to demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence.

In a survey of 2,100 hiring managers conducted by CareerBuilder, 29% identified fidgeting as the biggest body language faux pas made by job seekers.

Invading personal space

Give people their personal space.Flickr/Nordic Innovation

Standing too close to someone (nearer than one and a half feet) suggests that you have no understanding of personal space.

An invasion of personal space can make people feel uncomfortable. Approximately 3 to 8 feet is an appropriate distance in which to converse with work colleagues, casual acquaintances and strangers.

Failing to smile

Smiling is crucial.T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

Smiling demonstrates confidence, openness, and energy. Importantly, in the case of formal exchanges, it also sets off the mirror neurons in your listener, instructing them to smile back. Even a nervous smile is better than no smile at all but remember, don't overdo it.

SEE ALSO: 8 body language tricks to instantly appear more confident >>

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/body-language-mistakes-successful-people-never-make-2015-8/#avoiding-eye-contact-1

8 body language tricks to instantly appear more confident

Confidence is key to success in many areas of our lives. Confident people stand out at work, in social situations, and in group settings.

Studies have shown that those who appear more confident achieve higher status than their less confident peers.

As a result, they wield more influence, tend to be more admired and listened to, and have access to better resources.

If you're not as confident as you'd like to be, some slight modifications to your body language can have a huge impact. Learn to fake it until you make it with these eight tricks.

1. Keep your chin and head up.

Lillian Glass, a body language expert and author of "The Body Language Advantage," says you need to have your head up at all times.

"Confident people are always looking up, never down at the table, the ground, or their feet," she says. "You have to always pretend that there's a string holding the crown of your head up."

2. Stand up straight.

Good posture goes a long way in how others perceive you. Standing up straight projects confidence, authority, and poise, while slouching makes you look unprofessional and disinterested.

Roll both shoulders back and avoid looking tense by allowing your upper body muscles to relax while
maintaining firmness in your core.

3. Plant your feet in an open, wide stance.

You may think no one is looking at your feet, but the correct stance can demonstrate confidence. Standing with your feet too close together can make you appear timid.

As a general rule of thumb, aim for a stance that's in line with your hips and shoulders. You want to have your feet about a foot apart, pointing outward.

"A confident person literally has two feet firmly planted on the ground," Glass says. "You're more balanced physically, and it shows more confidence than if your legs are crossed or together."

Also keep in mind the difference between an open and closed stance when talking to someone. Angling your feet outward and in the direction of the person you're speaking with shows interest, trust, and receptiveness, while a closed stance can convey disinterest.

4. Gesture with your palms up.

"Gesturing with your palms up gives the illusion of honesty, and this will make you appear more confident," Glass says. Aim for broad, smooth motions, which will show composure and poise.

5. Keep your hands out of your pockets and always visible.

Make sure your hands are always visible, never hiding. "Putting your hands in your pockets is one of the worst things you can do if you want to appear confident," Glass says. "We hide our hands when we're nervous, so putting your hands in your pockets sends a message that you're uncomfortable or uncertain."

Crossing your arms has a similar negative effect, making you appear closed off and unreceptive.

6. Eye contact is essential.

Strong eye contact is probably the single greatest indicator of confidence, according to Glass.

If this is something you struggle with, try looking at the other person's eyes for two seconds, looking at their nose for two seconds, looking at their mouth for two seconds, and then looking at their face as a whole for two seconds. Continue this rotation throughout your conversation.

With this trick, Glass says the other person won't be able to tell that you're not looking directly at their eyes the entire time.

7. Cut out 'um' and 'like.'

People measure confidence in the way a person speaks, so it's very important to be aware of your mannerisms and tone.

"You want to speak while pressing down firmly on your abdominal muscles, because you'll have a more confident, lower, more powerful voice," Glass says. "Cut out words such as 'um' and 'like,' and practice being more articulate."

"Don't run through your words, try to speak precisely and directly," she adds. "Also, don't be afraid to use inflection in your tone and show enthusiasm, because this shows confidence."

8. Be interested, not interesting.

Glass says the best piece of advice for people who want to appear more confident is to focus on the people they're engaged with, rather than worrying about how others perceive them.

"The bottom line is be interested, not interesting," she says. "Be more focused on the other person and what message is being communicated than focused on yourself and your self-consciousness."

She says it's very possible to make people think you're more confident than you actually are through body language.

"As you act, so you become. As you change your body language, so you become."

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/body-language-tricks-appear-more-confident-2016-3/#-8