Body Language Tool: The “I”
HOW? If you want to be taken more seriously as you speak, align head, heart and stomach on the same vertical line down through your body – like the letter “I”.
Using the “I” makes it possible to regulate the degree of seriousness others ascribe to you. It signals 100% confidence in the message. Many people have a tendency to stand in a sort of “S” shape.
This was the case with Katrina, an office manager who I once trained. She found that her contributions at meetings weren’t taken seriously. Her natural posture was to tilt her head.
I videoed her presenting an argument with her head tilted, and then in the “I”. She was shocked. Just a 15° tilt of her head made a huge difference. It’s easier to ignore a tilted head than an upright one.
TIP! If you find it difficult to hold the “I” position, practise by drawing a vertical line on your bathroom mirror. Make sure it runs through the middle of your forehead, nose, chin and breastbone (you will have to close one eye to do this). For a week, brush your teeth each morning and evening standing in the “I”. This will serve as a daily reminder to think about your posture.
BUT... It feels stiff and formal speaking in the I position.We don’t want your charm and charisma to come from your pos- ture. That’s the job of your expressive hands and smiling eyes. Your body should be calm and steady as a rock.
