Your posture talks, too!
Once you have walked into that meeting, office or conference and found your spot, your posture becomes a telltale sign. Remember what your mother used to tell you, “Stand up straight!" You literally “make your stand” through your posture. It tells people how confident you are, how much self-esteem you have and how you want to be treated.
Taking up a reasonable amount of space equates to having power. Plant your feet about 8 to 10 inches apart with one slightly in front of the other. This allows you to easily change weight from one foot to the other. This is particularly important if you are behind a podium; you don't noticeably appear to be shifting weight (which you need to do so you don't get frozen in the "speaker" position). When you don’t do it smoothly, this shifting can be distracting to the audience ... and to you when you become conscious of it.
This stance also makes you feel more comfortable, balanced and grounded, which is a plus when you undertake the arduous process of starting or maintaining a conversation. Women often think it is more ladylike to assume the first position in ballet, i.e. the inside back of your left foot rubs against the inside arch of your right foot. In reality, women who stand in this position in business look as if they might topple if given a nudge.
A stance to avoid is what one term the fig leaf. In addition to having your feet close together and your hands crossed over your genital area, you may tilt your head sideways as you look up to engage in conversation. This posture almost always guarantees you a loss of respect and power before you ever say a word!
A tango instructor said it well: Stand as if you own the world. Attitude plays a vital role. Think highly of yourself (you will stand taller), and the world will notice and react accordingly.
