(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

160 The Nonverbal Advantage
message you’re delivering, if you don’t genuinely care about
the people you’re trying to motivate or serve, or if you personally
wouldn’t buy the product or service you are selling,
at some point your body cues will leak the truth.
I wanted to tell you that story before going into this final
chapter in which you’ll learn how to make your body language
more positive and powerful. If you are trying to fool
people into thinking you are sincere when you’re not, you’ll
need a lot more than a few nonverbal tricks. But if you want
to project your most authentic self—and use effective body
language to help you do so—this chapter is full of the tips
and techniques that will help you do just that! You’ll learn
how to make a positive first impression in a matter of seconds.
You’ll discover what body language signals to use to
build strong relationships with clients and customers and coworkers.
You’ll get tips on how to project confidence when
making a business presentation.
It all starts with knowing how other people are translating
your nonverbal messages.
Your Body Language as Others Read It
To change your body language, you must first be aware of
what your body is saying. And this isn’t as easy as you may
think. Take Sara, for example.
A vice president at a utility company, Sara complained
that she was consistently overlooked for senior positions. “I
don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she told me. “I’m smart,
enthusiastic, and hardworking. I can’t figure out why people
don’t warm up to me.”
Well, maybe she couldn’t figure it out, but if you saw her
in action, you’d know exactly what her problem was.
During my session with Sara, her eyes darted around the
room as if searching for the nearest exit, her hands made