Do you think charisma is a sexy trait and you would like to have it? I have good news for you: you can voluntarily develop your charisma by putting into practice specific action steps.
Charisma is a personality trait which enables you to have a big influence on others around you, to persuade them, attract them and connect with them.
Many people believe that it is something you’re born with, so you either have it or you don’t. However, there is a lot of research lately which suggests that charisma is nothing more than a constellation of other traits, which can be consciously developed.
As a communication coach, I often work with people who want to know how to have charisma. Here are the top ways:
1. Improve you confidence. Charismatic people are always confident people. As a matter a fact, charisma is often just a word we use to label people who have an incredible poise and self-confidence.
Self-confidence has to do with your self-image, your beliefs and your thinking patterns. In order to improve your confidence effectively, you need to start by understanding and optimizing these elements.
2. Communicate with clarity. Charismatic people are able to present an idea in such a powerful way that it inspires people, and this then reflects positively on their person. They are able to choose the right words and use language in a powerful way.
With practice, you can hugely improve the clarity of your communication. The first step is to simply communicate more; the second step is to focus on using suggestive language in your communication and on constantly improving it.
3. Be a value giver. It’s interesting how we often see as charismatic the people who are able to provide a lot of value in every interaction and do so without even trying too hard. Become such a person, and your charm levels will takeoff.
Being a value giver can mean having good conversation skills, being a funny person, having an exciting presence or very wise opinions.
4. Walk slowly but surely. Charismatic people are confident in themselves and they have a slow, relaxed but determined walk which reflects confidence. Especially when you walk into a room, try to relax you body and deliberately walk in this slow, self-assured manner.
5. Smile. I am amazed at the power a simple gesture such as smiling can have. When you smile, it shows that you are positive and that you are centered. So even if you don’t feel like it, put on smile on your face. The people who notice you or interact with you will perceive you as more charismatic.
6. Make compliments. People often tend to see as charming other people who make them feel good. And one of the easiest ways to make a person feel good is to pay them a compliment. Don’t make fake compliment though; always try to find something you honestly like at a person and compliment them on that.
7. Express your emotions. Charismatic people have a lot of emotional expressiveness. They communicate their emotions both verbally and non-verbally. So next time you feel like repressing how you feel about something because someone may not like it, consciously to the opposite.
There are many ways to provide value and there are many ways to have charisma. The key is to focus on the most meaningful ones for you and on mastering them.
Eduard provides communication coaching and teaches people how to be charismatic. He also works with men with the nice guy syndrome and writes on his People Skills Decoded blog.