WINning leadership communication will increase your influence
You only have a few seconds to make a good impression face-to-face so that you can positively influence others with your leadership communication. A key ingredient to improving your first impressions is nonverbal communication.
Everyone is familiar with the old saying: “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” But few people put it into practice. Once you learn the power of nonverbal communication, you can easily increase your credibility and improve your ability to influence others with your ideas.
There are three important parts of interpersonal communication. W.I.N. will help you remember them.
W is for the words you use. When most people are getting ready to present a proposal or convince people to do something, they spend most of their time working on the words or the content of the message. Words are important. But it’s not “what” you say, it’s “how” you say it.
The I and N in W.I.N. are “how you say it.” I is for inflection or tone of voice, and N is for nonverbal or body language. If you focus on the I and N of your message, you will be INspiring when you speak.
Here are some of the ways to improve your I and N when you speak:
1. Dress: Neatness counts. Darker colors communicate more authority and get more respect. Make sure shoes are shined. Conservative classic styles work best.
2. Facial expressions: Smiling, good eye contact and listening have strong, positive effects on others.
3. Physical appearance and manner: Posture, handshake, gestures, energy level, enthusiasm and proper use of humor affect your message delivery.
4. Tone of voice: Voices with a lower pitch have more authority and get more respect than high-pitched voices. Varying volume and speed help to create interest in your message and in the meaning of the words you use.
Use W.I.N. to improve your first impressions and you will be able to more easily influence others in a positive way. You will boost your power of leadership communication.