When it comes to building a business, charisma is critical.
Perfecting your presence is a specialty of Suzanne Evans, business coach, New York Times bestselling author, and former coach and dear friend of HeartCore Business™ Queen Visionary Shanda Sumpter.
She specializes in helping small business owners, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs go from wherever they are to where they want to be—at the six- or seven-figure mark.
“You cannot be a success and be a secret,” Suzanne says. “And so you’ve got to learn to communicate with people. You’ve got to learn to talk to people.”
With that in mind, Suzanne shares the following tips for supercharging your charisma:
Tip 1. It all starts with the eyes.
You’ve got to be excited with your eyes. Intentionally charge up your eyes as you’re facing whoever you’re having a conversation with, or your audience or a camera. You can practice by talking to any object. Talk to it as if it’s alive.
Many people get in their head when they’re about to have a conversation or when they’re performing. But if you can stay focused, and show that focus with your eyes, you increase your presence and charisma.
Tip 2. Use your body to convey emotion.
Use body language to convey emotions—even if the person you’re talking to can’t see you. Suzanne said that it’s important to walk around, stand up, have energy, and use your hands.
Tip 3. Consider every conversation a performance.
Although this tip may sound a little bit like staged, it’s effective. Pretend like your audience is taking notes.
With this in mind, you’ll have the energy and focus to bring your best, most charismatic self to every interaction.
Tip 4. It’s okay to be nervous.
If you have little butterflies in your stomach before you go onstage, before you get on a call with someone, before you go Live on Facebook, that’s totally normal. Acknowledge the fact that your body is reacting to this situation, and power through.
Just remain in the mindset of putting on a show, entertaining and engaging your audience, and commanding their attention.
Tip 5. Have the Confidence, FIRST.
Suzanne said that while many people believe they must wait to be successful in order to have the confidence they need for people to want to work with them, reality requires that you have the confidence, first.
And how do you get that? Suzanne recommends a two-pronged approach:
#1 Don’t fake it ’til you make it. Know what you’re talking about. Make sure you truly know how to help people with whatever you’re saying you can help them with. Instead …
#2 FAITH it ’til you make it. Have the faith that you know enough, you’ve studied and learned enough, and that you’re constantly gaining experience, so that you know how to help people.
Tip 6. Believe—and Do—Like a Toddler Does.
Suzanne said one of the things she loves most about parenting a 20-month-old is that toddlers believe they can do anything. They believe they can fly, jump, stack blocks 100 tall. They never sit around and question whether they can, or what will happen if they don’t; they simply do it.
Adults, Suzanne said, overthink everything.
It is all possible. It is all doable. It is all just on the edge of happening … if we stop thinking and start doing.
When you follow the tips above, you’ll develop your charisma and presence … and when you do, people will want to work with you! They won’t be able to wait! They’ll feel engaged and connected to you. And it all comes down to your confidence that you’re truly able to make a difference, and that what you’re doing will have an impact on people.
It’s like that great Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: “Even if you can’t see the staircase, you take the next step.”
Have faith that what you’re doing is going to make a difference for people—and you’ll have the charisma and presence to convince them of the same!
What resonates with YOU? Let us know what is blocking you and we’ll respond to HELP you through in the comment section.
