What does confidence look like?
“Stand up straight!”
“Don’t slouch!”
“Stop fidgeting!”
I sound like a mom now, don’t I? Well...there’s a saying “mom knows the best!” and this saying is not just saying, it is true!
Doing is easy, Believing can be challenging. In the book, 12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson, he had described the way a lobster would experience deep depression after losing enough fights. The lobster, Peterson argues, shares many of the same neurological structures as its human cousin, especially those areas of the brain concerned with social hierarchies.
Studies show that lobsters who lose enough fights and therefore lose their social status, stop producing serotonin, which leads to deep depression. In other words, lobsters, like humans, become clinically depressed as they tumble down the social hierarchy.
The lesson derived by Peterson is the need to change your self-destructive habits and take control of your life, thereby improving your social status and brain chemistry. There is actually scientific evidence that if you stand in a power stance for two minutes, it will significantly increase how powerful you feel.
Whether you’re interviewing for a job, making a business pitch, or selling a product or service, the things you’re not saying speak louder than your words. It’s already a well-known fact that recruiters pay close attention to nonverbal communication. Your recommendations might be glowing and your resume impeccable, but they both mean little if you fail the behavioral inquiry.
Your personal pitch should be the same as your official business proposal since in this case you are your own product, your own brand.
Selling yourself is nothing but personal marketing: you want to convince the buyer that you are the best, most capable, and the most qualified possible person on the market.
Selling yourself is never simple. Even confident people have stage fright and feel anxious when faced with life-changing business opportunities, and it’s only natural that you do too.
Make an effort to stand up straight, puff out your chest, and put your arms on your hips or high above your head like you’re cheering yourself on. Do this stance early in the morning or right before a big meeting and see how much more confident you feel. This is how confident people look like. Do this stance and make it into a habit before you leave your house or get on to the meeting. Notice the changes it bring into your life.
Warmly,
Michelle
