Your posture and gesture speaks volume about your brand image

Back in the days when children attended polishing school, they learned how to walk with a stack of books on their heads to make sure they had good posture.

These probably seemed like insignificant exercises at the time, but think about it. It's important to pay attention and adjust your posture regularly because posture is a matter of habit - having bad habits lead to bad health and image problems, having good habits lead to great health and good first impressions. 

First Impressions 

It isn't always necessary to strike up a conversation to make a first impression on others because you'll be judged by the way you look, your posture, your expression, and how you gesture. That's why you need to pay close attention to the way you carry yourself and your body language. People notice and will judge you by even the subtlest movements and facial expressions. This is true in both social and professional situations, including job interviews.

Retired FBI agent Joe Navarro states that most of what we communicate is nonverbal, and we send a message to the other person about who we are and what we think of ourselves. Navarro also claims that people have four to eight seconds to make a first impression. That's not much time, so do what you can to make it count.

When you first enter a room or approach a group of people, make sure your shoulders are squared and your head is lifted. Slouching sends the message that you aren't engaged or interested in what the others think. Whether you are tall or short, standing erect with your head held high lets others know you are confident and happy to be there. Because body language affects the way we feel, standing or sitting in straight posture is a great way to raise your mood and give you more energy because you imitate a confident and alert stance. When interacting with others you give the impression of an active and confident person, one who knows how to hold his body. A lowered head, gives negative impression that you are shy, ashamed of something, or unsure. Poor posture, on the other hand, reflects poor self image - it can be temporary state when we feel down, or it can be the result of bad habits accumulated over years.

How to Assume an Elegant Posture

1. Stand up straight
2. Lift your chest up but keep your rib-cage tucked in.
3. Hold your tummy in, do not let it all hang out.
4. Bring your shoulders back and down. To ensure it is properly ‘back and down’, do a shoulder roll exercise.
5. Soften the top part of your chest (to make it flatter).
6. Straighten your knees – you’ll feel your bottom tighten and ‘held’.
7. Lean forward slightly – feel your weight be over your big toe (and two little toes).
8. Move your head back (to prevent the neck from jutting out).
9. Keep your chin down (to prevent a look of arrogance).

While it's nice to have great posture (the purpose of walking with a book on your head), there are other equally important things to consider. People will determine right away what type of person you are based on how often you smile, make eye contact, nod during conversation, offer a firm handshake, or have an open stance showing acceptance and engagement.

If you're not comfortable with any of these things, practice in front of a mirror before you go out in public. Once you master the good posture and facial expressions in private, you'll be quite a bit more comfortable when you're among others.

Our posture is a matter of habit, and it takes time to change it, but with enough dedication you will ultimately succeed, and it's totally worth the effort. When you catch yourself slumping and feeling down, adopt a straight posture and see that after a few moments you might start to feel a lot better. It's all about dedication and awareness, there are no shortcuts here.

...being remembered is critical. If no one can associate you with something of value or interest, your business card will be tossed. 

"Unearth the wow factor in You"

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