By Megan Mosheim, Account Executive
In recent years, communication has evolved into much more than just interpersonal contact. However, so many people forget that interpersonal interactions are the foundation of how we as humans communicate with each other. This does not just include verbal interpersonal communications, but also non-verbal cues that help others judge our verbal credibility, mood, and passion. Non-verbal communications tell us a significant amount about a person, which is why there must be zero dissonance between what we verbally communicate and non-verbally project.
For example, as a new Account Executive to Live Oak Communications, it is natural that I might have a mixture of nerves and excitement about meeting my clients for the first time. I might not be as willing to share ideas, speak up in a meeting, or exude the same confidence that I usually assert. That being said, before my first client meeting I referred to a Ted Talk with Amy Cuddy on “power posing.”
Cuddy describes “power posing” as a technique in which people stand in a posture that they mentally associate with power in order to feel and behave more assertively. One of the most popular and effective poses is the “superman pose,” which requires you to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while maintaining a straight posture, open chest, elongated neck, and hands on your hips.
While this tactic may seem a bit unconventional “power posing” has proven to produce effective results. According to Cuddy, posing for just two minutes can make a dramatic change to our physical and psychological state. Power posing increases the amount of testosterone within the body, the hormone that helps people assert power and confidence while reducing cortisol, the stress hormone. In fact, after power posing for at least two minutes, participants were able to change their physical hormone levels to behave more powerfully.
So, next time your nerves take over before a client call or meeting or other stress-inducing situations, refer to power posing. The benefits will not only help you verbally communicate more confidently but also project more confident body language. In turn, you will appear more credible to your client and other people you communicate with because you are able to now not only speak with confidence and passion, but you are able to show it.