A technique where you ‘mirror’ a colleague’s speech patterns and actions
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 3:54 am
It’s a simple one, but oh-so-important: smile. Recently, scientists at Duke University found that the orbitofrontal cortices – the brain’s ‘reward centre’ – were more active when subjects were recalling the names of smiling individuals. Basically, we like people who smile at us.
Try mirroring – . Don’t take it too far; you don’t want to look like a mime. But if someone you want to connect with uses less common terms like ‘sick’ or ‘fab’, try doing it yourself. If they’re sitting with their hands on the table, try placing yours at a similar angle. Subconsciously, you will be giving off the impression that you empathise with this person and feel close to them. And that will, in turn, make them more amenable to you.
Pay attention
There are other important ways to show somebody you care what they have to say. Make sure to bahamas phone number library keep your phone to one side during conversations; a phone interposed between two people communicates that its importance trumps that of your interlocutor. Show your feelings in your face – people hate not knowing what to think, and will be suspicious of neutral behaviour.
Finally, remember to make eye contact. Staring, obviously, is a no-go; too much and you’ll look creepy. A good rule of thumb when you first meet someone is to look at their eyes for as long as it takes you to determine their eye colour. Use the 50/70 rule: maintain eye contact for 50% of the time while speaking, and 70% while listening. But whatever you do, don’t look away too much. Averted eyes give off signals of shame, embarrassment and depression – none of which should be brought into your work relationships.
Get low
It’s not just your body that affects the way people perceive you, but even your voice. Research shows that people with lower timbres project a sense of increased authority and calm – exactly the reason why Hillary Clinton may suffer a disadvantage in the presidential debates. So, male or female, try to keep your tones low and even; it will help you communicate in the effective way you mean to.
We can’t cover it all here but – as an intro to body language – this should get you thinking. Got an interview coming up? There’s plenty of specific, interview-aimed advice across the internet. At the very least, you should know what mistakes to avoid. And if it all proves too difficult? You can always go back to swinging in the trees.
Try mirroring – . Don’t take it too far; you don’t want to look like a mime. But if someone you want to connect with uses less common terms like ‘sick’ or ‘fab’, try doing it yourself. If they’re sitting with their hands on the table, try placing yours at a similar angle. Subconsciously, you will be giving off the impression that you empathise with this person and feel close to them. And that will, in turn, make them more amenable to you.
Pay attention
There are other important ways to show somebody you care what they have to say. Make sure to bahamas phone number library keep your phone to one side during conversations; a phone interposed between two people communicates that its importance trumps that of your interlocutor. Show your feelings in your face – people hate not knowing what to think, and will be suspicious of neutral behaviour.
Finally, remember to make eye contact. Staring, obviously, is a no-go; too much and you’ll look creepy. A good rule of thumb when you first meet someone is to look at their eyes for as long as it takes you to determine their eye colour. Use the 50/70 rule: maintain eye contact for 50% of the time while speaking, and 70% while listening. But whatever you do, don’t look away too much. Averted eyes give off signals of shame, embarrassment and depression – none of which should be brought into your work relationships.
Get low
It’s not just your body that affects the way people perceive you, but even your voice. Research shows that people with lower timbres project a sense of increased authority and calm – exactly the reason why Hillary Clinton may suffer a disadvantage in the presidential debates. So, male or female, try to keep your tones low and even; it will help you communicate in the effective way you mean to.
We can’t cover it all here but – as an intro to body language – this should get you thinking. Got an interview coming up? There’s plenty of specific, interview-aimed advice across the internet. At the very least, you should know what mistakes to avoid. And if it all proves too difficult? You can always go back to swinging in the trees.