Your facial energy can have enormous impact, even at the highest
levels.
In fact, White House staffers allegedly are joking about President
Barack Obama’s tendency to give people the “evil eye.”
We’re not sure how much stock to put in this story because it was
reported with no attribution on the conservative news/gossip blog
“Drudge Report.” But we pass on the
story simply to highlight the impact of facial expressions.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with giving someone the “evil eye”.
But make sure that you know you’re doing it.
A CEO once asked us to work with one of his in-house attorneys.
“He’s pissing off our clients,” the CEO told me.
When we met with the attorney, we immediately saw the problem. When
he spoke, he always gave you a nasty squint. He was unintentionally
giving everyone the “evil eye.”
When we showed him what he was doing, he was surprised and
immediately fixed the problem, reserving the nasty look for special
occasions.
The evil eye can be a valuable tool in the communication skills
arsenal. But be sure that you’re using it with a purpose and not
accidentally.
At Speechworks we help our clients learn how to communicate in a way
that connects and persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a
great communicator give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our
website at
www.speechworks.net. |
