A Personal Tune Up To Multiply Your Success

I had a CEO tell me that she has never seen so much talent available. She has never had the opportunity to pick and choose from so many qualified candidates when making hiring decisions as she does now. Even if you're not looking for a job, with so much talent available, it's important to keep track of the image you present to others.

It's time to take a look at your Pace, Persona and Posture - three critical elements that say so much about you. Now's the time to take an inventory of these three elements of who you appear to be to other people - and to use that information to multiply your success.

Pace

When you want to be heard and seen as a busy, effective person, pick up the pace of your speaking. Talk faster. Slow talkers are perceived as people who have lots of time, who are relaxed and who are not as committed as people that are direct, to the point and speak with energy. Is that true? Of course not - but in a world where how you are perceived is at least as important as who you really are, it is a factor that requires attention. Check the pace of your speaking - record your phone calls, record a presentation, ask a trusted friend how you come across in conversation - and see if your pace of speech is working for you, or against you. And try an experiment. On a phone call, consciously increase the pace of your speech. Watch the person you are talking to do the same thing. Pace sets the tone - be in charge of your yours.

Persona

What you do speaks so loudly I can't hear what you are saying. Take a hard look at grooming, manners, personal habits, style of dress, and interpersonal skills. You may be the most motivated, well intentioned, energetic person in the world, but if the persona you project doesn't carry that message, the chances of getting an opportunity to show just how good and motivated and bright you are will not be granted. And someone with less of the attributes you possess, but with a more positive persona, will get what you want. It's not the way it should be, but it's the real world.

Posture

Nothing communicates energy and positiveness more than good posture. Nothing says "beat down" more than poor posture. So many of us spend a lot of time hunched over a computer, and the result is rounded shoulders, and stooped posture. And that's bad. Just think about how you judge someone who doesn't stand up straight, who slouches. It speaks low energy, careless, defeated. I had a trainer at a gym tell me to stand up straight. I didn't realize I had been slouching. I thought my posture was good. I stood up straight, against a wall, and gained an inch and a half in height. Amazing - but true. Slouching just kind of happens, but the result is a negative. How to fix this? Unless there is a physical problem, good posture can be regained. Stand straight, pull the glutes in, suck in and lift the abdomen, pull the shoulders back and down, and pull your chin in, not up. Go to http://www.coreperformance.com/ to get information on gaining core strength to ensure good posture. It's worth the effort.


In this highly competitive world, where more and more talent is competing for fewer jobs and resources, taking the time and effort to do a personal tune up is a big step to being able to sell all your other great qualities - the ones that can't be seen, and require acceptance on the appearance level before they can be demonstrated.

Start today.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

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