What could be more exciting than working hard, seeing an opportunity and going for it? The time arrives. You’re ready, right? Excited? Documents fly through the printer. Cool graphics animate your well thought out Power Point presentation. Everything is perfect and on time. You step out your door, ready but just a little nervous, tired and tense.
Wait a minute…nervous, tired and tense? Red flag.
Sometimes, we only have a quick moment to transition from a frazzled state to one that’s calm and confident. We stand out the most when we deliver a radiant smile and ready laugh wrapped in a grounded, centered presence.
Managing our moods allows us to capture all those attractive opportunities we create each day. Everyone gets caught in the turmoil; life is busy. But skillful professionals can easily and quickly shift to that calm, confident self—right on cue. Prosperous people possess poise. After all, being visible is a prerequisite for applause.
So, do you want to stand out when it matters? These techniques will get you started. They’re based on ancient systems of martial arts and designed to help you manage your physical, mental and emotional health. Put into practice, these exercises affect an immediate and real change in mood that will let you master your personal and business opportunities.
Convey your professional best
You posses a great product: You. All you need is the ability to present yourself and your ideas well. You want to express yourself as the centered, confident, powerful professional that you are. However, sometimes on that all important big day, the kids are sick, money is tight and you feel confused, vulnerable and stressed out.
Stop and take a moment. Focus on a particular moment when you stood out from your peers. Vividly remember how it felt to “nail it.” That self-assured professional is you. Let the memory of how you felt, how others were looking at you and what you were saying to yourself shimmer from the top of your head down to your toes. Breathe in and say to yourself, “I am grounded, and I am fantastic.”
Wake yourself up
The secret to tapping into your internal power lies within your body’s “core” (aka your abdomen). The goal is to get the blood circulating back up into your heart and your head. Here’s a simple visualization will help you bring your energy level up a notch or two.
Pinch an inch on the sides of your body at bellybutton level. Your thumbs should point forward. Tighten your lower abs and the abdominal muscles along the sides (your internal and external obliques). Breathe and draw up on your abs. Notice how, with your core strength activated, your shoulders automatically open and relax.
Now, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Use your imagination to vacuum your energy from the pelvic area to the top of your head. Press your lips firmly together and take three deep breaths. Stretch and wiggle. Feel energy come to your heart and brain, and breathe in renewed energy and vitality.
Now…what do you want?
Business people know the importance of starting meetings with the victorious end in mind. So before you begin your presentation, consider: What do you want from this dialog; how does your product or service meet the needs of your prospective client?
Visualize the end of the meeting in your mind. Everyone is smiling and shaking hands. Think of each person you expect to see. What would they need to easily grant your requests? Picture each of the players satisfied; hear them exclaiming appreciatively, impressed and offering you everything you’ve asked for and more. When you enter a meeting with a positive picture of the outcome, you generate that impression at the onset.
We don’t get what we want in life, we get what we expect. Isn’t it essential, then, to always hold the possibility for a mutually beneficial outcome in your mind?
Observe and emulate
Now that you’re powerful and present, look closely at the person with whom you’ll spend the next hour or two. People relax when they feel comfortable, and there’s a science to setting another person at ease.
Observe and emulate the rate at which the person speaks. If you tend to speak rapidly and your new colleague speaks slowly, slow down. Give the person time to take your measure and process what you want them to understand. If you naturally speak slowly and the other person speaks rapidly, keep up. Everyone will be happier.
Once you’ve calibrated your speech, observe their body language. How are they holding their arms? If they have their arms crossed, slowly cross yours. Be subtle, but match their body language. Relax and maintain this polite connection for the duration of the conversation. When you’ve established a bond, make the position of your arms different than the position of theirs. If they cross their arms, place yours in your lap. Keep everything else the same. See if they follow your lead.
Respectfully maintaining this link automatically generates a feeling of ease. If we only have a few seconds to make a first great impression, we need to practice observing and emulating the important people in our lives so they feel comfortable, want to be with us and hear what we have to say.
Show them what you have
As I stated in the beginning, you have the right stuff. How can you do anything but succeed when you take the time to energize your professional self and hold in your mind the possibility for a mutually beneficial outcome? Practicing these techniques requires presence of mind—a commodity often absent at business meetings. That advantage alone will set you apart, give you confidence and enable you to get out of your own way and perform like a star in your own movie.
Christina Kook, founder of SELJE Coaching and Training, is a certified executive and personal coach. She works with professionals throughout the Bay Area, helping them increase success and happiness within themselves and in their business lives. For more information please visit www.seljecoachingandtraining.com.
