Stage Presence in Business
No one can deny that knowing how to project confidence is essential in the business world. Yet, only some people are born with it; some people need help in this area. That’s why entrepreneur Raphael Avraham Sternberg put together a list of resources to provide tips and advice on command stage presence. These tips come from both personal experience and observation of others.
1. Know what you want.
Pretending to be someone you’re not can never be as convincing as being yourself. You must show the world your personality and learn how to use it productively to make a lasting impression on your audience. By being yourself, you become a role model people can look up to – the public will either love or hate you for that. Either way, they’ll remember you and the things you stand for.
2. Avoid distractions.
Your stage presence is most effective when your audience’s attention is wholly on you and tuned in on what you’re saying or doing at that moment in time. Time is the most valuable commodity a business leader can have, so make sure you use it wisely on phone calls, emails, or other nonessential tasks. Every minute spent reading and responding to these distractions will affect your efficiency and create a negative impression among your audience.
3. Be Confident but Not Arrogant.
By maintaining confidence, you’ll feel in charge of what’s going on. Be careful to do just what is necessary; it’s too easy to go too far here and lose the respect and trust of your audience.
4. Be Gracious in Victory.
Even though you have achieved something (a promotion, a sale, etc.), remember who helped you get there and be thankful for it. The people who put their time and effort into making that happen deserve to feel proud of themselves even if they didn’t get the credit they deserved.
5. Be Attentive to Audience’s Needs.
Getting the message across is only half the battle for your audience; for them to fully understand what you mean; you have to be patient and make sure they know how your message is relevant to them or what it will do for them as individuals.
6. Focus on What You Want Rather Than What They Want.
Keeping your focus on the things that matter to you will make people interested in you, so as long as there’s something unique about you that makes others take interest in you, you’ll become more comfortable in your skin and continue to shine through no matter what the setting.
7. Don’t Assume Anything.
Since you can’t always see people eye to eye, you have to be ready for anything. A person’s walk or mannerisms can tell you a lot about them and their intentions, so try to pay attention to these things when you can. When reading people, your gut feelings are usually correct, so learn to trust them and use your instincts.
8. Maintain Eye Contact.
Looking someone in the eyes shows that you’re interested in what they’re saying and gives an air of authority. The person receiving this attention will feel more comfortable and relaxed, which will make for a much better conversation overall.
Raphael Avraham Sternberg leaves us with the following message that a person should always be himself and not listen to anyone else’s opinion about who he or she should be. “The world is full of what you want and not enough of who you are, so get out there and live in the moment, because one day it could all be gone.”
