HOW TO IMPRESS YOUR AUDIENCE WITH YOUR WALKING STYLE
You know them as world leaders who are loved by most. How often have you found your full attention focused on them as soon as they make an entry into any room/ gathering?
why do they have such an effect on us?
When it comes to impressing people, be it our client, colleagues, seniors or audience, we try everything possible from our side so that we can come across as confident and be able to build good relations. For which we try to focus on our content and body language during our meetings. But this is possible once you begin your conversation or presentation; can you do something before that?
Yes, you can influence your audience by the way you enter the room. Just like the above leaders. How? Simply by tweaking your walking style. It will allow you that great first impression that leaves the audience awed much before you begin conversing with them. Following are the ways in which you tweak your walking style and impress your audience:
purposeful walk
Some leaders walk in at a rapid pace, not wasting time in reaching where they intend to, and then pause to react. This shows them to be in command and sure about their purpose. You would see them walking just a bit faster than they usually do. And then there are those who take their time to reach their destination. This is because they want to greet and meet people on their way to their destination. Both types of personalities are different, but one thing is common – they don’t hesitate or wander from the second they step into the room till they reach their spot. This clear purpose of why they are moving the way they are, helps them appear in command and thus powerful.
greeting
Remember how Obama used to greet people by either smiling, waving, nodding or handshakes when he would appear before a crowd? Similarly you can use greeting while making an entry like a smile or handshake. This will help you to build rapport and will impress your audience.
posture
You may be experiencing some form of anxiety if it is an important meeting or your first presentation or if the audience is unknown. Remember, our body shows what we are thinking or feeling. When you enter the room be aware to ensure that your posture is confident – that is you are not slouched or your shoulders are not drooped. A very effective way of using Body Language to impress your audience
Visualize
Focus on not only the audience in terms of their number or who all would be there but also the room where you would be entering for your meeting or your presentation. This will help you to strategize how your walking style should be.
So remember next time before you enter the room tweak your walking style to leave a lasting impression and impress the audience