Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
However, how do you become unforgettable to people?
How do you make sure people feel good when you’re around, and even after you’ve left?
Today’s article will teach you how to achieve how to become unforgettable.
In this article, you’ll learn 11 strategies you can use to build a strong positive presence that allows you to grab people’s attention, captivate them, and leave conversations goingon even after you leave.
Here’s what you’ll learn.
Let’s get right into it.
What Does it Mean to Have Presence?
The Collins Dictionary describes having a presence as being able to impact others based on what you do, say, or act. According to the dictionary, presence can be interchangeably used with the word personality.
Everyone has a presence. However, some people exude a stronger presence than others. Depending on the person, this can either be a positive or negative presence.
But what does it mean to have a positive or negative presence?
Keep reading to learn more.
What is a Positive Presence?
Have you ever met a person who was so warm and welcoming? A person who always creates an encouraging environment where everyone feels at ease and comfortable?
Such people are considered to have a positive presence.
People with a positive presence are always looking for ways to encourage others to have a positive attitude. They mainly focus on the positive aspects of life and believe in generosity, gratitude, and helping people, among other positive emotions.
However, these aren’t the only signs of a positive presence.
In the next section, we go through some of the less common signs that you may have a strong positive presence.
Signs That You Have a Strong Presence
One of the most common signs of someone with a strong presence is that they own a room. When someone with a commanding presence speaks, people pay attention and listen.
If you have a strong presence, you’re likely to take charge in chaotic situations and are always the one helping others build up their confidence after chaos.
And that’s not all!
People with a strong presence have a purpose and work hard towards achieving whatever goals they set for themselves.
Other signs that you may have a strong presence include:
- You listen more than you speak.
- You’re confident
- You’re humble and accept that you’re vulnerable.
- You’re empathetic
- You’re adaptable
- You’re educating and entertaining at the same time.
Maybe you don’t have the above personality traits but want to build a strong presence.
In the next section, we go through 11 strategies you can use to establish a strong positive presence.
How to Establish a Strong Positive Presence
#1. Know Yourself
If you want to know how to capture people’s attention, captivate them, and leave them talking long after you’ve left, you need to be yourself.
Don’t strive to be like someone else.
But how do you achieve such authenticity?
The first step is making sure you know yourself.
- Who are you?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What drives you?
- What’s your purpose?
Asking yourself these questions will allow you to understand yourself better; therefore, allow you to be 100% authentic with the people around you.
#2. Be Cognitively Aware
To develop a positive presence, you need to be aware of what’s going on inside your head.
Most people walk around not knowing what’s going on in their minds.
And it’s a lot.
Our minds are full of clutter, with recent studies suggesting that the average person has approximately 6200 thoughts daily.
If you want to create an unforgettable presence, you need to listen to, and observe your thoughts during different situations consciously.
Observing your thoughts allows you to know how you react to different situations. By being cognitively aware, you’ll also filter your thoughts and ideas and only contribute when necessary.
Cognitive awareness will also allow you to
- Focus less on worries
- Pay attention to others.
- Get out of your head, especially if you’re dealing with anxiety.
#3. Build Up Your Confidence
One common characteristic of people with a strong presence is that they are confident.
They walk with their heads high, shoulders back, and speak confidently.
So if you’re looking to build a strong positive presence, you first need to work on your confidence. Before walking into a room, make sure you’re confident. Otherwise, you won’t be as impactful as you’d hope.
But how do you build your self confidence?
One of the most effective ways of building up your confidence is through visualization.
Before entering a room, start by first visualizing everyone in the room listening to you. If you’re going into an interview, visualize yourself getting the job. If you’re selling a product, visualize yourself having made the sale already.
If your visualization is strong enough, you’ll feel confidence oozing through every part of your body.
#4. Read Widely
If you want to leave people talking long after your gone, you need to always have something meaningful to say.
But where do you get the content to always have something meaningful to say?
Simple, read books.
If you always want to have something meaningful to say whenever you speak, you need to accumulate tons of knowledge.
Books allow you to accumulate and collect knowledge and wisdom from different people and cultures. They also allow you to see the world from another person’s perspective, making it easy for you to relate with different people.
And don’t just read books on what you love; read books on issues you disagree with. This way, all your arguments and discussions will be based on facts and not emotional sentiments.
Reading books also helps build up your confidence since you’ll almost always have a meaningful addition to a conversation.
With books, you’ll also improve your vocabulary, which translates to better public speaking skills.
#5. Seek out a Mentor
Another way to build a strong presence is by learning from people who already know how to own a room.
You probably know a few people who have a strong positive presence.
Why not consider spending more time with these people. When you spend more time with people with a strong presence, you’re bound to learn a thing or two on how to achieve such charisma.
Surround yourself with people that have great interpersonal skills.
Whether you like it or not, you’ll start picking up certain traits from them.
Can’t find a physical mentor?
Why not read books written by people who you consider to have a great positive presence?
#6. Be Positive
Would you want to hang around a pessimist? Someone who never has anything positive to say?
If you’re like most, hanging around negative people is a NO NO!
However, everyone always wants to hang around positive people.
Positivity attracts people.
So, if you’re looking to build a strong positive presence, adopt positivity to your life. Think positive thoughts, only speak positivity to people and be the person who always sees the silver lining in the dark cloud.
By being a positive influence, you’re bound to attract and impact more people.
#7. Your Body Language Matters
Yes!
How you stand, how you walk, even how you sit has an impact on your presence.
Although you may not notice it, your body speaks more than your words.
People are more likely to consider you as timid and shy if you walk in a room with slumping shoulders and head facing down. However, if you walk in a room with your head held high, shoulders back, and chest up, people are likely to see you as more confident.
And it’s not just about your posture.
It’s also how you interact with people around you.
Look people in the eyes when you speak to them.
Before speaking, take a few seconds to collect your thoughts and adjust your posture.
#8. Learn to Read a Room
If you want people to remember you long after you left, you need to know how to read your audience.
Before talking, make sure you understand the mood at the moment.
What does your audience want from you?
- Do they need assurance?
- Do they need someone to listen to their fears and frustrations?
- Do they want recognition for their skills?
- Do they want to be left alone?
The ability to read a room allows you to tailor your message based on the mood. With this skill, it’ll be easier for you to connect with people, making it easy for them to remember you.
#9. Try to Have a Good Sense of Humor
Nobody wants to be around a dull person—a person who rarely laughs and never makes any jokes.
So, if you’re looking to build a strong presence, you need to have a good sense of humor.
With humor, it becomes easier to connect with people, build intimacy, reduce stress, and foster teamwork.
And don’t take my word for it.
A 2014 positive psychology study found humor to be a significant character strength among the most successful executives.
So, don’t take yourself too seriously. Know how to make jokes, and take the time to laugh.
However, when it comes to humor, know your limits. You don’t want to go overboard and start sounding like a jerk.
#10. Listen Intentionally
Want to grab people’s attention?
Take the time to listen to them.
Listen intently to what the person is saying. When you listen intently, you make the person you’re talking to feel valued.
Listening intently also allows you to figure out the best response to use when you decide to speak.
#11. Seek the Help of a Coach
If you feel like you need more help building a positive presence, you can consider seeking a coach’s services. Specifically, a personality coach.
A coach will help you build all the above skills. Whether it’s your confidence, humor, or even the ability to read a room, a coach will help you develop a strong positive presence.
Ready to Build a Strong Positive Presence?
There you go.
Eleven ways you can use to build a strong positive presence.
With these strategies, you’ll be able to attract people towards you like a magnet. You’ll also be unforgettable and are likely to stir up conversations even after you leave the room.
Which of these strategies will you adopt?
Do you know of any other strategies?
Tell us in the comments below.
If you have any questions on building a strong positive presence, leave them in the comment section.
I’ll be glad to answer any question sent.
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