I want to touch on a subject that has huge relevance in our world of consumer engagement. Body Language.

Body language not only affects how others see us, but it may also changes how we see ourselves. In a fantastic TED Talk (I’ve added the link at the bottom of the article) social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

Body language affects our judgements of people and therefore how we are perceived by others. You can tell so much just from from how somebody enters a room or how they hold themselves during a meeting.

Some of us are naturally more confident and self assured than others (this is normally determined by our testosterone or cortisol levels) however, it is possible to make tweaks in our everyday lives to manipulate this and as Amy Cuddy says ‘Fake it until you become it’.

A good example is by adopting a power pose before going into an interview. Holding your hands behind your head for a few minutes can greatly increase your chances of creating a powerful impact.

Non-verbal expressions are so important in every day life and its something that we’re very conscious of here at Promo Models. Our people are out there everyday interacting with consumers. In most instances we have very limited time to get a brand message across or entice a busy consumer/commuter over to our stand. After all we know the statistics about verbal and non verbal communication;

  • 55% is through body language
  • 38% is the tone and speed of our voice
  • and only 7% is through what we say

So those first few seconds when you approach a consumer make all the difference and more often than not it’s the difference between a positive and negative engagement.

We talk to all of our staff about these principles here at Promo Models and ensure that each and every person understands the affect of their body language when working on a promotion or event.

To view Amy’s TED talk on body language click HERE