You may not notice them but they’re as glaring as the nose on your face—image faux pas that can undermine your credibility at those all-important meetings and job interviews. Cara Hale Alter's book, “The Credibility Code: How to Project Confidence and Competence When It Matters Most” identifies the blind spots or “image derailers” that can be both irritating and distracting in face-to-face interactions.
The good news is that once you identify these behaviors, you can take steps to eliminate them. One way to uncover your credibility blind spots is to video your behavior during a typical business setting or mock interview. The seven most common blind spots to look for include:
- Using speech fillers. These superfluous interjectors--like “um” and “you know”--are pervasive in our culture. If you ramble on with these to the point of confusion or obfuscation, you sound disorganized and out of focus. The secret, Alter advises, is to embrace the tactical pause. Instead of interjecting fillers, simply pause while your mind searches for the next word.
- Making extraneous movements. When you jiggle your knee, bob your head, or shift your weight, you weaken your personal power. Granted, sooner or later, everyone moves around when they speak, but excessive fidgeting is a self-comforting behavior. Stillness sends a message that you’re calm and confident.
- Self-commenting. When you feel self-conscious, especially during an important job interview, it’s easy to overreact to your every mistake. If you trip over a word, you might apologize (“Sorry!”), make a joke (“No more coffee for me”), or resort to nonverbal reflexes, like shaking your head or shrugging your shoulders. The problem with this “self-commenting” is your external preoccupation with your internal criticism. Mistakes happen; simply correct them and move on.
- Misplacing upward vocal inflections. You probably work with someone who speaks in “up talk”--using upward inflections that sound like question marks at the end of sentences. This vocal pattern is widespread and contagious. I’ve heard teenagers talk this way and it sounds childish and immature. Be vigilant and avoid adopting this speech habit. To sound like a confident adult, you should begin each sentence at middle to high pitch and cascade downward at the end of each phrase.
- Making yourself smaller. Most people who feel intimidated make themselves “smaller” to avoid being an easy target. You might place your feet closer together, tuck your arms to your sides, dip your chin, or speak more softly. To project confidence, speak in a normal tone, sit up straight with your arms on the conference table, and stand with your weight balanced over your feet, lengthening your spine, and elongating your neck.
- Masking your face and hands. Masking behaviors include crossing your arms, clasping your hands, playing with your clothes or jewelry, or displaying a poker face—no emotion or animation. Open your posture and engage your gestures at the start of each conversation.
- Dropping eye contact. When you drop eye contact during a job interview or business meeting, you “drop out of the game.” Keep your eyes on the horizon and give your listeners the same respect you expect from them. You can move your eyes to the side momentarily to “gather your listeners.”
In her book, Alter includes a number of handy tips to train yourself to avoid these credibility blind spot behaviors. To get the full benefit of Alter’s research, pick up a copy of her book. For more information, check out her website—complete with an informative video—at thecredibilitycode.com.
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