Body language: Use it to build trust with those you meet
If you want to get hired or make a sale, you need to inspire trust. You have to make people feel that you’re on their side.
“The best way to get someone to like you is to win their trust,” said Marvin Brown, author of How to Meet and Talk to Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime: Simple Strategies for Great Conversations.
Trust is at the core of every type of human transaction, whether it’s in business or personal lives. It’s especially important when building a career, said Brown.
Like and trust are first cousins, said Brown.
“We generally don’t like people we don’t trust. And we tend to trust people we like,” he said.
Body language helps build trust
The best way to get others to trust you, according to Brown, is by using body language.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, the body communicates how you feel about yourself and the people with whom you are interacting. Experts contend that it takes five seconds to five minutes to make a first impression. The process begins immediately — before a word is spoken.
“That’s because we’re already communicating using body language,” said Brown.
Brown said the following tips can help you use body language to instill trust:
1. Have a heartfelt smile. This says to the other person, “You can relax and feel safe with me.” Practice smiling when greeting people. Pay attention to its positive impact.
2. Smile when encouraging people. When praising, complimenting or congratulating someone, accompany positive messages with a smile. It magnifies your message, drives home its importance and makes it more memorable, said Brown.
3. A handshake intensifies the moment. A strong, confident handshake is absolutely essential. Whether meeting someone or ending a conversation, a handshake is a physical punctuation making encounters more memorable, said Brown.
4. Add an extra second of eye contact when shaking hands. Always look the other person in the eyes before ending a handshake. “This extra moment has a tremendous impact because it makes you seem charismatic,” said Brown.
5. When listening, make eye contact with the person speaking. This simple gesture completes the invisible connection between speaker and listener.
6. Maintain eye contact longer than you’re used to. Normally, we maintain eye contact 3060 percent of the time. When you look at the other person more than 60 percent of the time, it signals that you’re interested, and they matter.
7. Mirror the speaker’s sentiments. It’s affirming for a speaker when the listener shows they are closely following the conversation. Nodding your head, for example, demonstrates that the speaker’s words are having an impact.
“Using the above body language cues gives people reassurance and wins their trust,” said Brown. “They will view you as a genuine person who is sincerely interested in them.”
You’ll build strong, lasting impressions, which will help you make friends and allies, all of which will help you achieve your goals.