Many years ago I was turned down for a job at a company that I really wanted to work for. I was surprised when the interviewer told me that he did not think I wanted the job. He could not have been more wrong about that. I was puzzled by his conclusion even after he explained that I had not shown enthusiasm for the job during the interview and that is how he came to his decision. Taking a behavioral assessment helped me to understand his comment.
Some people are naturally passionate about everything they do. Others have a style that is dispassionate and often unreadable. I've learned now that my natural style is often unreadable by others. There is no right or wrong style to be. Having a very passionate team member can often be annoying to a team trying to view all sides in making a decision. During a sales presentation or a job interview being passionate is a positive however. Enthusiasm is contagious! While it is difficult to fake passion it was possible for me to learn to show my feelings more openly. If expressing passion is hard for you here are some tips on stepping it up a bit.
1. Prepare mentally and physically. You want to be well rested and in good shape so that you are energetic and enthusiastic about your topic. Your body posture shows excitement. You stay totally present and give everyone a warm confident greeting.
2. Use stories to engage your feelings. Tell stories that inspire you and the people you are talking to. Use the stories to illustrate a point or make something abstract more concrete. The stories could be about accomplishments that you are proud of or memorable events in your life. In talking about yourself you will recapture your own passionate feeling and communicate the feeling to the listeners.
3. Move to display physical energy. Use gestures when you talk. If appropriate move while you speak.
4. Connect with what you love. Passion comes from within you. Practice accessing it by learning what triggers it for you and then using it appropriately.
5. Have gleaming eyes. Hard to fake this one but here are some suggestions. Put eye drops in your eyes just before the meeting. Avoid anything that would make your eyes red such as allergies or lack of sleep. Maintain eye contact with person or audience. Stay aware of the passion within (#4). The glow of passion does come from inside.
6. Smile as you speak. Look for joy in whatever you are doing or talking about. Then show the pleasure and happiness you feel by smiling. Sometimes initiating the smile brings the joy with it.
7. Find a topic that intrigues you. Get absorbed in what you are speaking about so that delivering your message really consumes you. This demonstrates your passion to the listeners
8. Use variety in pace and an overall upbeat tempo. Keep your speech pace upbeat speaking slower for emphasis and then faster with energy and excitement.
9. Keep the volume of your voice up. You want everyone to hear you. This also helps you to realize the importance of what you are saying.
10. Vary the pitch of your voice. It is important to avoid being a monotone. Passionate people are excited and so their voice naturally goes up and down.
Managers should remember that not all jobs require a person who is noticeably enthusiastic. It is important to know the behavioral style the job requires and then look for a person who has that style.
Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor (The Attorneys’ Coach) and a Career Changers’ Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Subscribe now to these free monthly publications at her website http://www.asparker.com/samples.html Parker’s Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are attorneys and business owners who want to find work that is in line with their own life purpose. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com.