Entrepreneurs know that what you say matters. In my recent conversation on Yahoo Finance’s The Big Idea with body language expert Linda Clemons, I learned that how you say it can matter even more. Clemons has trained leaders from Coca-Cola to the FBI, and she explained that confidence, trust, and influence are often communicated before a single word leaves your mouth.
My favorite takeaway from the interview was a quote from Clemons’s grandmother, who said, “Your mind better be in the same spot as your behind.” In other words, if you’re in the room, your focus better be there too. In fact, anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell once estimated that no more than 30 to 35 percent of social meaning is held in the words themselves.
So how can founders use nonverbal cues to win over investors, customers, and employees? Mastering body language is a business tool that can mean the difference between closing the deal and losing the room.
Body language dos for entrepreneurs
Clemons said the most important aspect of body language for successful CEOs is great posture. Confident entrepreneurs walk with power and presence and stand with that presence to command the room.
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The second most important attribute is presenting yourself as being open and available when you’re around people. When representing your business and interacting with customers, make sure you and your employees’ power zones are open. Think about your throat, heart, and belly button areas.
“You’re open with the facial expressions, open with your body language,” Clemons explained.
Body language is not just for big companies. “It starts with you because every major company started where you started,” Clemons said. “Your thoughts, your talk, and your walk show who you are.”
Body language don’ts for entrepreneurs
Clemons says that when you first engage with someone, they don’t know your baseline and can misinterpret your nonverbal cues. For example, some people frequently fold their arms while in thought, but that can be an off-putting first impression.
“It’s habits that [entrepreneurs] have that new people or other people don’t know about,” Clemmons explained.
Everyone has bad days but try not to bring that with you to work. “Don’t bring it in because those emotions transfer over to other people; emotion and motion are transferable,” Clemons said.
She encouraged business owners to think about the positive impact their body language and attitude can have on every customer who walks in the door.
As Clemons reminded listeners, nonverbal communication is a powerful amplifier for entrepreneurs. It can open doors in the first 10 seconds of a meeting or quietly close them just as quickly. The good news is that nonverbal communication is a skill you can practice and refine, just like your pitch deck or business model. Entrepreneurs who master both spoken and unspoken communication stand the best chance of leaving a lasting impression, so let your inner light beam out.