What does your first impression say about you?
Clients come to me to improve their first impression and create more effective first encounters. Sometimes people are uncomfortable and they develop little nonverbal behaviors that effect their first impression and once they become aware of those habits and there effect magic happens.
A year ago I was working with a coaching client on her first impression. My client is happily married and in her 50's she wants to feel more comfortable interacting with strangers. She had noticed that when she was out with a particular girlfriend that strangers approached her girlfriend before her and would stand facing toward her friend and engage with her friend before her. She wanted full unedited feedback from me about her first impression. The first thing I shared with her was how her very silhouette could be off putting. She is very attractive but because she has very broad shoulders and a broad upper chest while the rest of her torso comes in it creates a v silhouette. You have heard me speak about how silhouette's are read by on of the brains in the eye. That silhouette looks like a big man. Just viewing that silhouette can activate the danger response and make people less likely to approach and more likely to be on guard if they do interact.
Then we looked at her head. As she stands and sits her head juts forward slightly.A head just can show intent listening or vocal emphasis depending on the timing but if you jut it forward as you approach and hold it there with out other body language cues or facial cues to soften it it can make you look aggressive. My client soften it somewhat by tilting her head to the side a beautiful softening cue, but then added to the mix a mouth cues. She pressed her lips together in a modified pucker. Though her eyes were beautiful she stared without blinking the combination I shared could make her look a bit assertive and judgmental.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
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