Your typically unconscious body language says to others if you are feeling strong or weak at a particular point in time. However, in typical relationships with people if you want to persuade and exude power and dominance, first and foremost, you have to be trusted by those you are trying to persuade.
To win another person’s trust you must show a certain “presence” which does not mean just coming across as intelligent. To win trust you must also show passion, enthusiasm, strong postures, energy, confidence, authenticity, eye contact, captivating words, likeable personality and being comfortable in your own skin and the situation you are currently placed in.
If in life you are typically weak at coming across as trustworthy then your only other option is to “fake” it, but ideally, this does not mean “fake” it until you make it but “fake” it until you become it. This means, over time, and with tons of practice and opportunities, you turn yourself from feeling like an imposter to actually believing you are not an imposter and convinced in your own abilities and capabilities. Truly convince yourself and you can convince others.
In situations where you are trying to persuade others, they do not want to feel you are weak and vulnerable. You just need to know your own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and how to maximize your own potential into mental and physical postures of strength. To be successful one must always exude success even when you are not.
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: AMY CUDDY, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR AOL.NEWS 1/20/13