187: Boost Your Body Language. Martin Brooks, Body Language Expert

50% of our personal communication is non-verbal. Yet most business leaders never train their body language. 

That’s a huge oversight. Boosting our body language gives us more confidence and makes us more successful in business, says Martin Brooks. 

Martin is the author of Body Language Decoder and a leading expert and what our bodies say. 

In this highly actionable episode, he gives founders and CEOs a body language tool box on everything from speaking to the team to pitching to investors. Some highlights: 

Job interview: You can detect if someone over-embellishes their CV. Take a baseline of the interviewee’s body language by asking simple questions like “where did you go to school”. When questions get tough, someone who is deceitful would deviate from their baseline by making either more eye contact or avoiding it.  

Leading the team: Stand tall, smile warmly and make eye contact to signal that you are comfortable and certain about what you are about to say. Apply confidence gestures such as “the chop” or “the pinch of salt”. 

Pitching for funding: Know your audience and practise your answers to their toughest questions. Reassure with body language. Apply confidence gestures, but avoid signals of nervousness like rubbing your hands or fiddling with objects. 

Public speaking: On stage, come out from behind the podium, inject lots of energy so it feels over the top as you fill the room with energy. In a virtual setting, move away from the camera, then raise your hands to chest height so people can see your body language. Get the angle right and don’t look down on people. Don’t talk to the camera, talk through it. 

Power play: If someone is trying to elevate their status at our expense, show them it is not working. Look them in the eye and give them a warm smile.

More about Martin: https://successthroughimpact.com

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