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4 Tricks For Getting Rid of Your Nerves and Appearing More Confident In A Job Interview

I was interviewed by Business Insider for my insights on job interviewing and how you can get rid of nerves and what you can do to appear more confident. See my tips highlighted in yellow below.  A link to the actual article is below.

4 tricks for getting rid of your nerves and appearing more confident in a job interview
Business Insider - Careers
Aug. 25, 2015, 4:00 PM




















A few simple mind tricks could combat any nervous habits.

There are endless telltale signs of nervousness at work or in a job interview: profuse sweating, rapid blinking, stammering, and the list goes on. But the good news is, there are ways to combat those signals and "hide" your anxiety. 
Body language experts say the trick is to distract your mind and focus on things that don't make you nervous.
Here are five tricks for doing just that:
1. Recall a memory that inspires positive emotions.
One simple way to quell feelings of nervousness is to momentarily transport yourself to a time in which you felt self-assured and at ease. You can do this just before entering the room, or during the interview itself.
"Think of a time on the job, or in your personal life, when you experienced a success ... Notice how you feel, tell yourself that story, feel those emotions and merge those positive emotions with the new story of your job interview success," says Patti Wood, body language expert, coach, and author of "Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma."
"We create and experience stories in the emotional right hemisphere of our brain," she explains. "When we recall and retell these stories, we re-experience the feelings that accompany them. By using this merging technique, you can bring positive emotions and success into any situation."
2. Create a secret gesture that corresponds to positive experience.
To take trick No. 1 one step further, Wood suggests creating your own personal gesture that's associated with a positive experience you've had in your life. (This works well if you don't have a specific memory in mind to think back to.)
Wood says she once worked with a client who couldn't think of a positive scenario that would help him relax during a job interview, so she told him to recall the emotions he felt during an activity or situation he enjoyed — in this case, sailing.
Mustering up these positive emotions, they worked to create a body movement — placing his hand on the side of his leg — that would jog his memory of the contentment and confidence he felt while sailing.
The next time he felt nervous during a job interview, briefly placing his hand on his leg activated those positive feelings, she says.














Focus on being interested, not interesting.

3. Silently repeat a mantra.
Another way to calm yourself is to silently repeat a personal mantra, says Dr. Lillian Glass, behavior analyst, body language expert, and author of "The Body Language of Liars." A pacifying message will work well when you're wrapped up in your own anxiety. "You can tell yourself to relax, that everything will be just fine," she explains.
Cater to your own suspense-driven emotions and conceptualize a message that works best, whether it's more soothing or upbeat. When you're feeling overwhelmed, silent reassurance — whether it's that you will accomplish your goals, or just that you'll get through this stressful situation — will bring your mind back to a more tranquil state.
4. Be interested, not interesting.
One major flaw people make while trying to ensure a good first impression — during a job interview or otherwise — is trying too hard to appear interesting, while disregarding what the other person has to say.
"Be interested in what the other person is saying," says Glass. "Focus on being interested, not interesting."
Once you stop obsessing over what intelligent or witty thing to say next, and actually concentrate on the conversation at hand (not just your end), you'll have an easier time navigating the discussion, and less of a chance of getting lost in your own thoughts — which can make anyone extremely nervous.


Actual Link to Article:

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-appear-more-confident-during-a-job-interview-2015-8


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Read of Gerard Butler and Morgan Brown







Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Hillary Clintons’ Body Language and Voice During the Benghazi Hearings.

What Hillary Clinton’s Body Language and Voice during the Benghazi Hearings Can Teach Us About Emotion and Perception
By:  Patti Wood MA, CSP

What was Hillary’s "Listening Face” showing us? And how a female voice is "heard" as being more emotional than a man’s voice. 
I was asked to read Hillary's listening face for Poppy Harlow’s show on CNN. I analyzed six hours of video as well as video from her previous hearing and stills that the media used to report on both events. Though my segment was bumped for a press conference about the massive flooding in Texas, I thought I would share what we can learn from a listening face.  Whether you love her or hate her you may be fascinated to see how different she was and to note how the media portrayed her. 
Here is one of the videos that I read:

Clinton had to make a considered choice of what her listening face would be during the hearings.
There are gender differences in how emotions are perceived. The men questioning her were often loud, raging and abusive.  I have seen powerful men in her hot seat be loud and raging and defensive right back.  Being aggressive did not serve her well the last time she was questioned about Benghazi and she chose overall to be self-contained. It’s fascinating that many of the editorials have called her cold and uncaring. 
If she had been too emotional, or specifically, too angry in response to questions she would have been seen as a raging woman. Let’s be frank, as a women, she couldn't yell back without being called the “b” word. If she appeared too upset as key information about the attacks was shared, she would have been seen as an overly emotional woman.
Her “listening face” is often a "Cover Smile,” with her lips tightly pressed together and the edges in this case turned down at the corners ever so slightly. A cover smile is an attempt to cover true emotional state; her cover smile is slightly turned down at the corners.  If you look at the four stills I pulled whatever you may think of her as a candidate, she did a great job of being neutral.

Look at her photos:


  
I think the head resting on her hand is more to contain her feelings.  She is not bored as the media has portrayed her. She is calm outwardly and inside trying not to laugh at their behavior.
Men actually use cover smiles more often than women, and the turn down at the corners is more extreme and if you look at the eyes and the rest of the face you can typically see the emotion they wish to "Cover." See the photos here from my story on men's cover smiles.  Hillary has upturned full cheeks, her chin is up, along with her tight smiles are more sardonic. She is covering amusement or motherly frustration with their histrionics.
Read my story on men's cover smiles here:  http://www.pattiwood.net/article.asp?PageID=11722 

I would love to say something about her voice. For years we have heard her voice and I know I have thought it often high and shrill but it was not high and shrill during this testimony. She was very careful through much of the testimony to bring the register of her voice down.  This helped her tremendously. Men hear a female voice in a different section of their brain than they do a male voice. They actually hear a female voice in the auditory section of their brain (emotional) so when a man hears female voices they hear it as more emotional than a man's voice. 
The female voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between women and men, and also due to women having greater natural `melody´ in their voices. This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male voice. What is interesting is that when a man hears a female voice the auditory section of his brain that is in his emotional right hemisphere is activated so he hears the voice as being more emotional rather than rational. Female voices sound more emotional to men than their own based purely on where they are processed in his head!!
Notice how you perceive the emotions of men versus women not only in political candidates, but also in your daily life. 
Here is a related article of mine on 
"Lying, the Body Language Mouth Cues, Cover Smile"          








This is an expression I call the cover smile. Yes, most people who give this expression believe they are covering their true emotions with a smile. They are giving out many cues that say what they are truly feeling, but they really believe they are doing a good job fooling you and perhaps deceiving themselves in the process. Of course the dog is just being cute, that video of him with the Chi Wawa was a set up. He will tell you all about what really happened in his Oprah interview. Here are the tips so you can learn how to uncover the lies of a cover smile.
This cover smile with lips pressed tightly together is typically found in men and I think comes from the need to keep a “stiff upper lip.” This is the expression described when someone is smiling through the pain. And their true pain as this set of body language cues shows is an attempt to hide many intense emotions of sadness, fear and anger. I see it in men who typically have very strong egos and power that are caught and brought down. They have spent their lives covering up their true emotions. 


There are several photos above of this expression in former Governor Blagojevich. Look at his chin. See the puckering of the skin. You see that puckering in babies the moment they are about to let a big ole cry. And that is what he would like to be doing, but he has to keep that in. In these photos I am not seeing true sadness, just the desire to cry out. True sadness would be visible with more of a pout, downward pull of the mouth and more puckering around the eyes. The muscles around the inner eyebrow are hard to consciously control.
If you look at the photo below you will see how Paula Deen’s inner eyebrows pull together and curl up. (They would pull more, but she may have had Botox or the muscle cut during plastic surgery.)

Congressman Wiener’s expression is a suppressed fear, disgust and anger. If you cover up his mouth and look at just his eyes you will see the whites around his eyes and his sideways glance, and wrinkled nose of disgust. The wrinkled nose is a unique movement of the face given in disgust. Symbolically it says I don’t like how this smells and physically it is an attempt to stop the flow of air and odor into the nose. If I knew exactly when he gave that expression, I could tell you whether he was disgusted with himself for what he did or disgusted with the media at a particular question of bringing his behavior to light. The wrinkled, upraised chin and tight lips show the suppression of two emotions fear and anger.

Spitzer also has a cry cover smile. His chin is more raised and more defiant and proud and more of the bottom lip is raised and held inside the mouth. The corners of the mouth come down significantly in a way that is more common to this expression showing his need to smile through the pain. Cover his mouth and you see his eyes are more hooded downwards at the corners and sad. You can also compare it to Paula Deen’s and you can see more wrinkle and pull in his eyebrows. This combination reminds me of the classic sad clown painted face.
 

To train yourself to read the cover smile start watching for it on TV. If you want to chuckle while you do it you can watch the characters of Modern Family who often hide their irritation with a cover smile. Here is a funny twist on the cover smile that shows in the character on the left how it can show light irritation and playfulness.
 

My clients in my speaking and consulting business ask me what it is like to be able to read people. Oddly I often think of this expression when they ask, because when you see behind the smile to the true heart of a person you often see their joy, their inner child and pain. The next time you see someone smiling through the pain, you can be compassionate and see the truth of their heart.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Hillary Clinton's Body Language During the Benghazi Hearings on CNN this Saturday at 5:30


 I will be analyzing Hillary Clinton's body language during the Benghazi hearings on CNN this Saturday at 5:30 or so. It will just be a short segment.
The hit was bumped but I put my notes on another post.
Hear is a video of her listening face.

 


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Read of Sofia and Joe's Balancing Act








Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

How To Change Your Life

How to Change Your Life
By Patti Wood MA, CSP

What you resist persists and grows stronger. What are you resisting? Are you resisting being mad at your boss, a family member or sweetie? Are you resisting gaining more weight or exercising? Are you resisting changing a bad habit?

Do you need to move toward something positive rather than sit back? Do you need to move forward to what you want rather than pull away from what you don’t want?

When you stop resisting, let go and allow, you can release an enormous amount of energy that is holding that resistance (or block) in place. It is like trying to hold a huge beach ball under water all the time, it's exhausting. You can free up that energy for the things that you want and not what you don't want or are resisting. And what we usually resist is pain, or feeling our pain. The more you don't listen or resist, the louder your pain has to shout.

It is interesting to me that when you set a goal to make a change in your life how the universe offers both gifts to make that change and opportunities for you to be challenged to not make the change.
For example, if you decide to make a change and say, “I don’t want to be a victim. The universe may place you in situations where you would normally be a victim. Your wallet or purse might be stolen, a relationship may have conflict, or end and so may a job. In those situations you can say, “Why does this always happen to me?” or you ask, “How can I act differently in this situation so I don’t feel like a victim?” “How can I be strong in this situation?” If you say, “I don’t want to get mad all the time,” the universe may put you in situations where it would be easy to get mad. So you have the choice to go down that path or say, “What could I do or say that would be the opposite of getting mad.” Or “If you say, “I am ready to communicate more effectively and say my feelings out loud.” You may be put in situations that challenge you to do just that. Perhaps you have to say something to an angry boss or sweetie or speak out against the team’s ideas in a meeting and risk criticism. You can learn from the challenge and grow stronger like a racer who moves from flat road to mountain peaks or you can sit on your sofa in your socks saying your feet hurt.
What are you going to do to make your life better? Are you ready to grow? Here are some recommendations:

1.      Say what you want rather than what you don’t want.

2.    In the moment where you find yourself wanting to do the old thing ask yourself what you could try to do differently.

3.    Be gentle with yourself if you do it the old way and notice it!

4.    Get a support system.

5.     Don't wait until it feels right, start now!

6.    Share your goals.

7.     Don't give up!

And remember. There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Quick, Easy and Clever Halloween Costumes

Quick, Easy and Clever Halloween Costumes


 
 
10 last minute Halloween costume ideas that are quick and easy to create from stuff you already have in the house

  1. Strap a flashlight or two into a belt and wrap tight with duct tape then put on a sheet with big eye holes. It gives a whole new meaning to ghost.
  2. Put your phone headset on your head. (One of the ones that goes over your head with the mike in front.) Put on oxford shirt and khakis and go around saying, "Please hold." And "how can I help you today?" To dress like tech support.
  3. Put white powder in your hair or grey wig, and strap, sew or hot glue office supplies to your body, a stapler, notebook, pens, paperclips and post its to your clothes and say you're an old desktop computer.
  4. If you're single, hot glue recipes and perhaps a measuring spoon and a whisk and such to an apron put it on over a white shirt and black pants say you're a chef looking for a food critic to cook for or that you're a future contestant for top chef and you would like to try out some recipes.
  5. Go to the dollar store or grocery store and get tons of boxes of Cracker Jack. Hot glue them to a buttoned shirt, tell people you're the Cracker Jack surprise.
  6. Carry an open newspaper and say you're the last subscriber to the daily paper. (Read the paper first as people will ask you what you've read)
  7. Dress in all deep purples and carry or attach a dinner knife, a bag of white bread and jar of peanut butter. You are a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  8. Dress all in black (that can be fun) or brown attach or carry a coffee cup cream and sugar and say you're a cup of coffee.
  9. Find all the birthday cards around the house, hot glue them to an outfit, along with birthday candles, a paper table cloth and an empty box of cake mix and say you're a birthday party.
  10. Put a couch throw around your shoulders strap on a pillow from the sofa, a TV remote and some popcorn, and you're a couch potato.

And a few more

Look up conversation starters or questions to start conversations on the internet and print a ton of them, then cut them into strips, glue them on your clothes and you are a conversation starter. My book strapped to your waist is also a good opener.

Print out a ton of photos of all the things that interest you, your fav foods, and places to travel, people, books and famous people, tape them on. You're PINTREST (The website where you pin photos.)

Put on all black, a cap, mask, gloves and tennis shoes and take all your purses and hang them all over you to be a purse snatcher.

If you have dark hair and a big smile, put on a white shirt and white pants and red lipstick and carry a clip board and you’re Madge the Progressive Insurance girl. (Have a YouTube video of her commercial on your phone ready to play.)

If you’re a guy put on a business suit, make a table out of cardboard that you can fit around your waist or sit on the floor and have people gather around you in a circle and ask inane questions and you’re the AT&T guy in the cute commercial with the kids.

Take all the old ties from the closet pin and or wrap them around you. Swing by a Thai restaurant for some take out boxes, menus and chopsticks and you are Thai food.

 Dress up like a witch, but instead of a broom bring a Swiffer or little vacuum to be a modern day witch.

 Put on all your sports related clothing, hats, shoes etc. (please no Miley Cyrus foam finger) and go as a sports fan. You can even go as a fan.

I am going to dinner with friends on Halloween but, we are not dressing up. Instead we are going to play twenty questions and have each other guess what famous person we would dress up for.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Job Interview Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them

Job Interview Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them

I was recently interviewed by Monster.com on interviewing mistakes. Here is the full article. For more information on body language for interviews you can get my book, “SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and Charisma.”

7 Rookie Job Interview Mistakes You Need to Avoid
Nail the Audition by Avoiding These Common Snafus

By Daniel Bortz | October 13, 2015


Many recent college graduates flunk their first job interview. In fact, that’s an understatement, according to an Office Team survey that asked senior managers to recount the most embarrassing interview mistakes they’ve witnessed.
Some of the more cringe-worthy stories: an interviewee was so nervous she almost fainted; one dude fell asleep; one candidate even did a song-and-dance routine in hopes of getting the job (err, the performance didn’t go so well).
The list goes on.
However, the most common job interview blunders are less jaw-dropping. To 
ace the audition, avoid these rookie slipups.
1. Forgetting to do your homework
It sounds basic, but many job seekers don’t sufficiently research the company ahead of time, says Belinda Plutz, founder of the New York-based Career Mentors Inc.
“So many people look at the 
job posting and the company’s website but don’t dig deeper,” she says.
Start with a simple 
Google search for recent news about the organization; a new client acquisition, for example, is a good talking point. Study the company’s competition and stay on top of industry news, advises Plutz.
Social media is also a good source for current information about the company, says Atlanta career coach Hallie Crawford, so review the company’s recent tweets and Facebook posts.
2. Walking in unprepared
Call ahead to find out specifics, including 
what to bring, and how long you should plan to be there. “If they say 30 minutes and you’re out in two hours, you know it went well,” Plutz says.
Ask whom you’ll be meeting with so you can gather intel on each person. Check their LinkedIn and mention commonalities (same alma mater?) or interesting projects the person has worked on. Don’t worry about coming across as a stalker.
“LinkedIn is public for a reason,” says Crawford. “Today’s managers expect you to look them up ahead of time.”
3. Reciting scripts
It’s prudent to prepare responses to common questions (e.g., “Tell me about yourself”), but don’t be robotic. Instead of memorizing answers and repeating them line-by-line, focus on the overall concept.
“It’s like giving a good 
PowerPoint presentation,” says Crawford. “You have your talking points, but every time you present it, it’s a little different.”
4. Asking the wrong questions, or (gasp!) none at all
You’re there to be interviewed, but take advantage of the face time by 
asking thoughtful questions. Avoid run-of-the-mill queries so you stand out.
Limit yourself to three questions, since the hiring manager’s time is finite. Find out whether it’s a new position.
“If it’s brand new, ask why they created the job,” advises Plutz. If you’re replacing someone, ask why the person left or why they got promoted, and whether it’s the company’s preference to promote from within.
Crawford recommends inquiring about the expectations for the first 30, 60, and 90 days. “You’ll get a flavor of what the job is like without being mundane and asking, ‘What’s a typical day like?’” she says.
Last, pose a question that establishes a personal connection with the hiring manager; for example, “I saw from LinkedIn you’ve been here for four years. What has your experience been like?”
5. 
Overlooking your body language
Nonverbal communication can create a great first impression—or immediately turn off a hiring manager. “When we talk about getting a gut feeling about someone, what we’re really talking about is reading his or her nonverbal cues [subconsciously],” says Atlanta-based body language expert Patti Wood.
To improve your posture and eye contact, role-play the interview with a friend. Also, make sure you have a firm handshake—research shows that if it’s weak or flaccid, the hiring manager might assume you lack confidence.
Don’t be stiff, says Wood, who recommends occasionally leaning forward with your head, upper torso, or whole body to show you’re interested in what the interviewer is saying, and remember to smile.

6. Talking salary
An initial interview isn’t the right time to discuss compensation unless the hiring manager broaches the subject. The same goes for benefits like vacation days, telecommuting options, and flex-time, which “aren’t relevant until they’re more serious about hiring you,” says Crawford. Save those topics for the final interview.
7. Botching the follow-up
Set expectations at the end of the interview three questions: “What’s the next step in the process?” “When do you want to bring someone on board?” and “How should I follow up with you?”
Instead of relying on your memory, Plutz says make notes of what you spoke about immediately after the interview and send a short thank-you email within 48 hours that cites specifics from the conversation (e.g., “The way you described the company culture really resonated with me”).
Give references a heads-up they might be hearing from the 
company and supply each person with an updated resume, says Crawford.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Read of Obama, Putin, Castro, Nazarbayev, Sergei Lavrov and Kerry

Body Language Read of Obama, Putin, Castro, Nazarbayev, Sergei Lavrov and Kerry

Some of you know I analyzed the body language of Obama, Putin and other world leaders at the UN meetings recently. Here is the link to my interview for a Russian TV show that broadcasts worldwide.
One of the New Stations sent a reporter from Miami last week to tape at the house. I can’t resist sharing this link, because they lead with me walking the Bo dog. Bo was in one of my first media pieces years ago for Creative Loafing, and of course he was the number one Dog Star when I was the National Spokesperson for Pup-peroni, but I was really touched that the reporter fell in love with Bo. Everyone fell in love with him. Now, I have a video of my baby dog in his last week. By the way, I was carrying him up and down the stairs and he had stopped taking walks, but when he saw that video camera he perked right up. My baby dog will always be special.

Obama Handshake - Obama gives a cover smile as he enters the room. He pulls down the corners of his mouth. Men think they are smiling covering up their true emotional state but he is not covering. The fact that it lasts more than three seconds shows he is deliberately trying to control. You see how the lower lip is pushed up which shows anger and resignation to the task, little asymmetrical shows some contempt. Both visibly tighten their lips showing hidden opposition.

Obama and Castro sit down meeting. Obama sadly has an up and vocal delivery up and down melody, but his voice was flat. Castro acted like he was at a birthday party. His body language was up, animated, friendly and energetic. Castro made broad sweeping gestures and Obama made matching friendship cues. Obama leaned toward Castro and faced him directly. We move close to and give our heart towards what we like. 

Obama and Nazarbayev - The president of Kazakhstan presses his lips tightly together. For the photo Obama has a forced teeth bared grin that’s more aggressive but he goes into a tight flat lipped suppressed emotion facial expression.

"He's letting the world know he is not very happy with Putin" explained Body Language Expert Patti Wood.
While most politicians have their "game face" that shows that nothing bothers them, Wood said Obama made the choice to use his body language to express his feelings toward Putin on Monday.
Overall, Wood described, Obama used "a cluster of cues" to tell Putin "I don't respect and honor you enough to give you my time, to enjoy this process or enjoy this moment. I'm being forced to do this"
While Wood explained that Obama has been more likely to show his displeasure in certain situations than other Presidents she has observed "this was really obvious."
"It is highly unusual to show that much emotion," Wood noted.
Wood described Obama's body language "was more disgust than displeasure it was more profound he made the choice to say I'm displeased, I'm disgusted, I don't want to have a relationship with you."
"Obama feels strongly enough to show his feelings to the entire world," Wood said, and everyone is paying attention.
"The whole world is noticing this," Wood commented.
Obama appeared pained to even be in the same room as Putin for a photo opportunity. Wood noticed that he didn't' walk all the way into the room where members of the press were eagerly snapping photos.
"Usually a handshake approach in those kinds of setting everything is slowed down for the camera Obama did a couple of things to make it short and brief."
Making the moment as short as possible, Wood said, Obama "showed his dislike and disrespect."
Keeping the 
photo opportunity brief was just one of the actions Obama took to show his disrespect for Putin, Wood noticed. Describing the handshake itself, Wood noticed Obama "swung out his fingers like he wanted to smack Putin up the side of his face."
Wood described the way Obama "flung out his fingers" as a "weapon gesture" which she said is not often seen in a stylized handshake.
Wood saw no indication that Putin was phased by Obama's cold demeanor. She noted that during the handshake "Putin went on top, to show his power and control and his dominance, that's just the way he is, that isn't purely situational."
Analyzing the smirk Putin was caught making while toasting with Obama during lunch, Wood explained that a smirk is an indication that a person is feeling one thing, but having to act in a different way. Putin's smirk, Wood analyzed was him thinking "I'm so much better than this, I'm so much smarter than them this is just ridiculous that I have to be here."
The notion of having to be present against their will may have been the only mutual feeling Obama and Putin shared Monday. Asked to sum up the interactions between the two world leaders Wood described them as "forced."

Video of their photo opportunity is in the first few seconds of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=folI2lPsrgk

Nonverbally in the presidents’ performances yesterday, Obama was self-confident and appealed to his audience with engaging directness. Putin gazed downwards at his notes as he spoke, kept his hands folded or resting on the podium. He was not showing us he felt what he was saying. On the other hand, seemed inauthentic, insincere and because of the way he used the reading to keep his head down shamed or in hiding. Obama made a much more confident speech using direct eye contact with listeners and using his usual melodious speech patterns and expensive palm-up gestures. He was passionate. Obama’s body language and voice was more personal and open. Putin was more secretive. He did not have the gravitas of his actual spoken words. The script was powerful, but he didn’t deliver it with confidence and power.   Shoulder shrugs and trapezius muscle contracts when we are afraid or uncertain or feel a need to protect the head.
Watch the video from the meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Foreign Minister, He kept his head away from Kerry. I would assume he had the normal double Teleprompters, but he only looked to his right in a way that was away from Kerry as he read. There was not energy in his voice. Lavrov’s shoulders were down, slouch is norm, but he is not blustering or proud. He is reading, “Secretary of State John Kerry first, after Russia started bombing Syria”… big shoulder shrugging off the tension of the moment. It’s very odd, because it’s very big and quick. That’s fear when he does it a second time with a self-comfort body swing like a boxer about to go into a big fight. See how Kerry’s face has that downward, tight cover smile. Kerry does a tongue thrust of slight aggression.
Interesting that they used each other’s first names.
Kerry also does this odd scratching with his notes under his arm anxiety cues.
When Kerry spoke he checked in with Sergei looking back over his shoulder at him. That was in stark contrast to Sergeis’ delivery.



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.