The importance of...BODY LANGUAGE. Part One: SMILE

Did you know most experts agree that approximately 70-93% of all communication is nonverbal?

This is why it's so important to know what signals you're sending out.

Body language matters!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I'm going to focus on various body language aspects.

First, the smile. A smile is one of the most powerful nonverbal cues to signal friendliness, openness, and willingness to listen and engage.

The problem is, most people don't take the time to feel their smile.

I'm not sure about you, but I've had people come up to me and ask me what's wrong and whether I'm sad/angry/upset when I'm actually not unhappy at all and was focusing on the task at hand.

I was like, what?! What is my face signaling to people??

I didn't realize that my facial expression signaled negative emotions.

Let's be honest, most of us don't walk around constantly looking in a mirror. We don't see what we're expressing. All we can do is feel what we're doing.

That is why I highly recommend practicing what your smile feels like.

Do you know what a small smile feels like? A large smile? A neutral expression?

So many of my clients have shared with me that when they think they're smiling, they're actually not.

Here's an effective exercise I recommend:

- Practice various smiles in front of a mirror (big, small, neutral, medium).

- Focus on both what your smile looks like and how it feels. Can you feel it in your facial muscles? How does that particular smile feel? Connect what you see with what you feel.

- Close your eyes and practice your smiles, focusing on the feeling.

- Record yourself smiling and see whether you've made that connection between feeling and showing.

That way, when you aren't in front of a mirror, the feeling is a reliable guide.

Check out my video that explains this technique!

If you're trying to make a good first impression at an event, a party, or an interview, a smile is a critical component to creating a powerful connection.

What are you waiting for? Practice! And FEEL that smile! #communication #bodylanguage #publicspeaking #mediatraining #confidence