This nice interview with me about my background was in
a client's magazine.
The
Magazine
Patti Wood –
Cues for success
Body-language expert Patti Wood shares the secrets
of her superpower:
how to read people – and be read – accurately for
better business
Since she
was a child, Patti Wood had always had what some might call a superpower: She
could read people. She knew when they were telling the truth and when they were
being disingenuous. She knew how they were feeling, regardless of what they
were saying. But she wasn’t reading their minds; she was reading their body
language.
But it
wasn’t until as a college student she took a nonverbal communications class,
and Wood realized her superpower was actually a skill, and an actual science,
So she began to, and earn degrees in it, conduct research on it, teach it at
University level, write books about it, speak on it around the world and
eventually become known as one the media experts in the field. “When I began in this field, reading body
language was relatively unknown – I used to have to explain what it was,” Wood
remembers. “Now, people are much more familiar with it; many even know some of
the basics. But the depth of this field, its intricacies and its possible
applications out in the world are endless.”
Our
conference members members will dip a proverbial toe into that nonverbal
communications well when Wood presents Successful
Signals – Body Language in Business at the group’s 2014 National Conference
& Trade Show next month. Chances are, Wood will begin where we all do:
first impressions.
“Nonverbal
communication has 4.3 times the impact of just a word message,” notes Wood.
“And first impressions are formed in a tiny fraction of a second in all
situations, including sales and business. In the first minute of interaction
with a new person, we can exchange up to 10,000 mostly subconscious cues, and
within three minutes, it’s a done deal – our first impressions of one another
have been set.”
According
to Wood, these thousands of cues feed into four first-impression factors:
credibility, likability, attractiveness and power. “And there are proven ways
to consciously up those factors at any point in your interaction,” Wood
attests.
In an
interview scenario, the same four factors are at play for both the hiring
interviewer and the job candidate. Wood says research has found most hiring
decisions are made within the first ten seconds, then the interviewer spends
the rest of the time confirming their initial decision.
“I
recommend having more than one person conducting interviews,” states Wood.
“There is a strong bias to hire people like yourself, but having a company full
of people who are all alike may not be best for business. So have people of
different personality types interviewing together, and you’ll get a more
complete and accurate ‘read’ on candidates.”
Out on the sales floor, first impressions can
make all the difference – and they begin before the customer is even past the
store’s threshold.
“First
impressions can be formed from quite a distance and before someone even
speaks,” Wood affirms. “So potential customers are already ‘reading’ your
salespeople as they stand at the threshold of the door and, depending on the
perceived cues, the customer can decide whether they step forward into the
store or turn around and walk back out the door.”
In addition
to learning how to create a positive first impression, participants at Wood’s
presentation can expect lessons on connecting with millennials, serving vs. building
selling relationships, reading cues that tell you when to go for the close,
empowering your physical presence, and looking strong and confident.
“Understanding
body language better helps you give and receive impressions accurately – so
your interactions and relationships can become more authentic,” concludes Wood.
“When you can see how someone is really feeling, you can support them better,
solve problems faster, just be a more effective human being.”
Patti
Wood
Title: Body
Language Expert & Certified Speaking Professional
Website: www.PattiWood.net
Media: ::
Television includes The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Talk, ABC
& FOX
::
Publications include The Washington Post, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal ::
Communication consultant for Us Weekly,
featured twice monthly
::
Author of seven books
Latest book: SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma
[SnapFirstImpressions.com]
Hometown: Atlanta,
Georgia
Tidbit: She
loves Sherlock Holmes, and especially the current BBC series, Sherlock.
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.
