At Melcrum's Change Communication conference in London next month, author, coach and change expert Carol Kinsey Goman will address some of the complexities faced by those tasked with communicating organizational change.

One area Goman will focus on is the importance of communicating trust and credibility via non-verbal communication. As Goman points out in a recent newsletter, on meeting someone new, it generally takes us around 7 seconds to decide whether or we like them. And first impressions are more heavily influenced by non-verbal cues than verbal cues.

Make a good impression in 7 seconds
"We all want to do business with people who are trustworthy and energizing, who put us at ease and make us feel good about ourselves," says Goman. She offers the following 7 simple but powerful ways to make sure that the first impression is a positive one: read more

1. Adjust your attitude. People pick up your attitude instantly. Before you turn to greet someone, or enter an office for a business interview, or step onstage to make a presentation, think about the situation and make a conscious choice about the attitude you want to embody. Attitudes that attract people include friendly, happy, receptive, patient, approachable, welcoming, helpful and curious. Attitudes that are off-putting include angry, impatient, bored, arrogant, afraid, disheartened, and suspicious.
   
   
2. Stand tall. Pull your shoulders back and hold your head high. This is a posture of confidence and self-esteem.
   
   
3. Smile. A smile is an invitation, a sign of welcome. It says, "I'm friendly and approachable."
   
   
4. Make eye contact. Looking at someone's eyes transmits energy and indicates interest and openness. (To improve your eye contact, make a practice of noticing the eye color of everyone you meet.)
   
   
5. Raise your eyebrows. Open your eyes slightly more than normal to simulate the "eyebrow flash" that is the universal signal of recognition and acknowledgement.
   
   
6. Shake hands. This is the quickest way to establish rapport. It's also the most effective. Research shows it takes an average of three hours of continuous interaction to develop the same level of rapport that you can get with a single handshake. (Just make sure you have palm-to-palm contact and that the web of you hand touches the web of the other person's.)
   
   
7. Lean in slightly. Leaning forward shows you're engaged and interested. But be respectful of the other person's space. That means, in most business situations, staying about two feet away.

See you next week!

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