People form first impressions of you in a matter of seconds, making it hard to leave a positive impression. The good news is that there are ways to project confidence, be polite and likable, and generally make people want to spend more time with you. That way, when someone forms an impression of you, it’s much more likely to be positive.
Start with a compliment
When speaking to someone important, it’s easy to be nervous and feel like you don’t know what to say. But the key is to consider a compliment that you can sincerely give them. For instance, if you’re complimenting the boss as part of an appraisal discussion, don’t just say, “You’re really smart!” or “I love working here!” These aren’t compliments and sound insincere. Instead, try something like this:
- I admire how thoughtful and thorough your work is.
- I appreciate how much thought goes into your decision-making process.
- The way you looked at the problem made me realize something new about our business strategy.
Smile more
Smiling is contagious, and people who smile are more likely to be approached and engaged in conversation, which can help you make new friends and business contacts. Smiling also makes you feel happier, so your mood will improve when you smile. Additionally, smiling helps to make people appear more attractive, which can help you gain confidence as well as attract others’ attention.
So start by smiling today. Make it a habit by practicing with a mirror in front of yourself and/or trying to smile at everyone who passes by. No one likes frowny faces anyway! You can read positive memes to make you laugh.
Be confident
You can build confidence in a matter of weeks by taking small daily steps.
First, you must understand that confidence is a learned skill. It’s not something that comes naturally to everyone, but we all have the capacity for it if we’re willing to do the work. You might think of your lack of confidence as something intrinsic: like your height or eye color—but it’s not! It’s something you’ve developed over time through experience and repetition. That means you can change it! Eat properly to keep yourself healthy which helps you to be confident.
Dress for the job you want, not the one you have
When it comes to interviewing, dress for the job you want, not the one you have. You can wear whatever is appropriate for the company and industry—but if there’s a specific position you’re interested in, do some research on what their employees typically wear. Look at photos of people working at similar companies or industries to get an idea of what they wear daily. Don’t show up in heels if your interview is held on a boat!
Dressing appropriately shows that you respect yourself enough to present yourself positively and professionally. It also helps others see how well-groomed and put-together you are as a person—and that can be just as important as what kind of skills or experience someone has when looking towards hiring someone new at the office (or on board).
Focus on your accomplishments related to your goals
Being able to stay positive and present yourself positively is a skill that will serve you well throughout your life.
To do so, focus on what you’ve accomplished related to your goals. Don’t focus on your shortcomings or what you don’t have yet. Instead, remind yourself of what you can do by reviewing the things in which you are already successful, like those related to whatever is essential for this interview (e.g., working with a team).
Keep your tone conversational.
There are a few things you can do to keep your tone conversational.
First, be open to new ideas.
Second, be humble—not just about the work you’ve done so far but also about the good ideas that others have and will continue to share with you along your career path.
Thirdly, be a good listener; when someone else is talking about their work or project or whatever, it may make sure that you’re actually listening rather than just waiting for them to stop talking so that you can talk more.
Finally, if someone asks, “How was your weekend?” don’t just respond by saying, “It was fine” (and then maybe run off). Instead, ask them what they did too! This shows that they care and enable everyone at the table (or conference table) to feel more connected in general.
If you present yourself positively, others will reciprocate.
Your attitude and demeanor are contagious. If you present yourself positively, others will reciprocate. If you are confident, others will be confident in you. If you are positive, others will be positive towards you. And if you’re enthusiastic about a project or idea that could improve the organization and its members’ quality of life at work, everyone wins!
Conclusion
There are many ways to project a positive image of yourself. However, the most important thing is that you are comfortable in your own skin and live life with a sense of humor about it. No one is perfect, but if you can make people laugh or smile when they first meet you – then they will remember what an awesome person you are.
