Tips for choosing clothes
and even your smile contribute to the perception about you! A good posture identifies you instantly as someone with something to contribute,” she says, before adding that a person’s walk should be purposeful and counsels, “Powerful posture is squared, direct and erect, but not rigid or tense.”
While sitting in a meeting or conference, Dr. Kochhar reveals, “People do not trust you as much if they cannot see your hands.” For men, she advises not to keep both hands in pockets as it is often seen as untrustworthy. For women she says hands clasped or by the side are acceptable. Also during presentations and conference meets she opines not to slump in the chair either. “Head up, do not tilt to one side, it makes you look either puzzled or flirtatious,” she adds crisply. She also cautions against gestures such as, drumming fingers, twisting a ring, repeatedly checking your watch or playing with your hair, as these are negative gestures suggesting lack of interest and boredom.
She is of the opinion that when the spoken and unspoken messages are congruent, communication is comfortable. However, “When body language and words disagree, the body language is the most believable,” she warns. she believes that eye contact and even a simple handshake are of vital importance when it comes to perceiving any professional. “Solid eye contact instantly conveys the twin messages, ‘I am important- and so are you’. Lack of eye contact communicates lack of confidence or dishonesty and lack of interest in the individual or the information,” she explains. In her workshops she often conducts eye contact exercises to better prepare her corporate clients for their next meeting.
A handshake she says is an invaluable opportunity to set a cordial tone for any interaction. To present yourself as a confident professional, she recommends that you should be the first to extend your (right) hand, “Thumb up and fingers together. Squeeze firmly, match pressure, shake in a short rhythm, then release,” she elaborates.
She strongly opines that the way you present yourself is an irrefutable signal to the world; indicating how you value yourself.
On a concluding note she says that nothing succeeds like the attitude of success. “Be confident that you’ve presented your best self and then forget about it,” she adds.