5 quick tips to be THE Shining Star

Heading to the big meeting? Have a few minutes to remember who you are, and to breathe and connect with your counterpart in this big meeting.

1. Breathe

2. Connect

3. Acknowledge

4. Smile

5. Compliment

It sounds easy when you just receive one action word, but it actually isn’t. There are several things you can do to conduct a successful meeting, especially when every moment counts, such as breathing, connecting, acknowledging, smiling, and complimenting.

Let’s look at them thoroughly:

1. Breathe

Breathing has always been an integral part of our existence. No matter what form of living being we are, we are all alive through our breath. By breathing you are alive and part of this world, or this planet. Should you cease to breathe, you will shortly die from your physical body.

The interesting thing is that when we are feeling stressed out or anxious, we have a tendency to stop breathing for a short period of time. Due to the fact that all our attention is focused on what is happening outside, we tend to overlook what is happening within. There is no doubt that when we breathe, we flood our system with oxygen which turns into fuel and energy for our bodies. As a result, we are fully aware and able to pay attention to our surroundings at all times.

When the BIG meeting comes (and during the course of the BIG meeting as well, of course), breathe consciously, choosing to be present in the moment, and to fully connect with yourself. If you do this, you will be able to pick up on many clues and navigate conversations using a multitude of indicators. There's more to this than walking in, having a discussion about something you're interested in, and leaving, hoping your impression was positive.

Having said that, it is important to remember that there is only one first impression, and when you miss it, it is very difficult to correct, as it will remain in the memory forever.

2. Connect

Whenever you connect with your emotions, you will feel an overwhelming sense of love and presence. Thus, you will be better able to align yourself with your values and what is most meaningful to you as an individual.

When you connect with yourself, you become whole again and can connect with others. This is especially important for the people you are about to meet. You will be able to be 100% present for them as well as for yourself.

Be aware of your surroundings, listen to the people, and observe their behavior. Connecting heart-to-heart with a person, and being present for him/her, create an atmosphere of know, like, and trust that facilitates doing business and establishing long-term relationships.

People love to give money to people who make them feel good, acknowledge them, and see and hear them, may it be in personal or professional relationships.

3. Acknowledge

Your boss, your colleague, your client/prospect, your parents, and other family members all want the same thing: to be acknowledged for who they are, for how they behave, for what they bring to the negotiation table, for their experience and expertise, etc. As a way of acknowledging and connecting with them, share a brief story.

New relationships are easier to form when similarities and common ground exist.

You might acknowledge the meeting by saying: "Thank you so much for taking the time. It is always appreciated when people arrive early. Checking your LinkedIn profile yesterday, I noticed you follow [xyz]? We were classmates in high school, and I loved her. Do you know her personally?” etc…

Consider something that is real for each of you. If THE BIG meeting is held in a company, you can check out the group picture that has been published on the company's Facebook page, where everyone is celebrating together. It will demonstrate your interest, your commitment, your sharpness, and your ability to research before a big meeting.

By acknowledging your counterpart, you will put them at ease, allowing them to feel seen, heard, acknowledged, and appreciated for who they are. Give it a try! Known as universal love, it soothes the heart and soul of everyone.

4. Smile

Isn't it wonderful when someone enters a room and smiles at you, showing you that there is a real connection between you two?

Through your smiles, you soothe the mood, you soothe what others see, and you also let them see that you are at ease in the meeting.

Another benefit of smiling is that it relaxes your body. Your body language will remind you that it's okay, that everything is already fine, that things are going well.

You smile for yourself first, and then for others as well. Smiles are great tools for communication and they always work.

Now that we wear masks, when we are 6 feet apart or more, we can also simply remove the mask to show our smile. We can say that we just want to show them that we are really smiling at them. Following that, depending on the code followed during the meeting, we can put it back on.

5. Compliment

One compliment given at an appropriate time goes a long way. For that, it has to be heartfelt, sincere, genuine, and authentic. You cannot just give a flat compliment hoping to get something in return. If you compliment someone, be sincere, tell him/her something that is real and heartfelt. Do it with the sincerity of your feelings.

Everybody can perceive at the first sound when a compliment is made just to get something in return. One can almost hear the next part of the sentence that says something like “Did I do good? Did I get her heart?” and that’s the proof that the compliment was a fake one just meant to push yourself forward in your own achievements.

When you compliment a doctor on his/her accomplishments, on his/her certificates and papers that are hanging on the walls everywhere, on his/her beautiful family that you can see on his/her desk, on the friendliness of his/her staff when you came in, these are real genuine compliments that will open up his/her mind for a pleasant conversation with you.

A compliment, a smile, as well as an acknowledgment, are free tools that shall be widely used in communication, as they soothe the room, soothe the heart of the people, disempower the croc-brain, and the amygdala hijack, and drops the shields. All the danger flags are being put down, and a real conversation can take place, respecting and satisfying both parties.