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In her LinkedIn Learning course, Carol Kinsey Goman details the body language you should embody to make a
great first impression.

When the first humans roamed this earth, they were mostly non-verbal creatures, with
no shared language. Therefore, they had to make quick judgments of strangers
based solely off the stranger’s body language, to conclude if they were friend or foe.

All these years later, despite the advent of language, those instincts have not left us.
Science bears that out, as studies have found a person will make a decision of a
stranger within seven seconds, based off their body language.

Think about the business implications of that. Within seven seconds of meeting
someone, a person will conclude if you are confident or weak, interested or aloof,
friend or foe – based solely off your body language. Obviously, that’s going to directly
affect your ability to get leadership buy-in, close a sale or just make a friend.

So what should you do in those seven seconds to make a good impression? Body
language expert Carol Kinsey Goman, in her LinkedIn Learning course Body
Language for Leaders, said there are six body language rules you should follow
whenever you meet someone new.

Following those six rules will signal to the person that you are confident and
welcoming, and ensure you make a good impression to each new person you meet.
They are:

1. Adjust your attitude.

Ultimately, your body language is going to reflect your attitude, Goman said. So,
before meeting any person for the first time, make a conscious decision of the attitude
you want to embody, and your body language will likely follow.

For example, if you want to be seen as approachable and friendly, consciously decide
to adopt a friendly and approachable attitude before meeting a person. Conversely, if
you walk into a meeting bored or insecure, your body language will inherently reflect
that.
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2. Get your posture right with this exercise.

Your posture has a tremendous impact on the way people perceive you. To get your
posture right, Goman suggests doing this one exercise: Raise your shoulders toward
your ears, roll them back and then drop them down.

That shall cause you to stand up straight, your head to be held high and your
shoulders to stay back. Not only will this posture project confidence, it’ll make you feel
more confident, Goman said.

3. Smile in this specific way.

Our brain is hardwired to respond positively to someone who is smiling. Goman

suggested smiling in this specific way when meeting someone for the first time, as it
will cause them to immediately like you: Start with a small smile when you enter the
room, and then widen it as you look at the person.

4. Make the right amount of eye contact using this method.

Strong eye contact is a way to transmit openness and energy. To make the right
amount of eye contact, Goman suggested doing this: When you meet someone for
the first time, make a practice of noticing the color of his or her eyes.

That will cause you to look at a person’s eyes for the right amount of time, which will
make them feel like you are truly interested in what they have to say.

5. Use your eyebrows wisely.

When greeting someone new, you can use your eyebrows to make them feel
welcome. Goman suggests doing an eyebrow flash – i.e. a brief eyebrow raise –
when meeting a new person while opening your eyes slightly wider than normal,
which is a signal of friendly recognition.

6. Lean in, while maintaining the right amount of space.

Sheryl Sandberg might not have been literal with the title of her book, but Goman is
when it comes to body language. Literally leaning in to a person when talking with
them makes them feel like you are truly engaged in what they have to say.

That said, Goman recommends keeping the right amount of personal space between
yourself and the person, which varies from country to country. In Brazil, for example,
people tend to get closer to each other, whereas in the US, people like to have two
feet of space.

That’s it. If you do those six simple things, every person you meet will immediately
have a good impression of you – which is an excellent way to start any interaction.

Want to learn more? Watch Goman's full course, Body Language for Leaders.

Other LinkedIn Learning courses you might be interested in are:

Mentoring Others

Managing Meetings

Leading Without Formal Authority

Influencing Others

Executive Leadership

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