March 06, 2022

275: Cues - On Charisma with Vanessa Van Edwards

34 minutes

Did you know that we can predict a leader’s charisma based solely on five seconds of exposure? That nonverbal signals account for 65 to 90 percent of our total communication?

Today we’re talking about cues, specifically the formula for charisma (hint: a combination of cues that project warmth and competence).

As a self-described “recovering awkward person,” Vanessa’s secret sauce is combining the latest research, real-life case studies of success, and fascinating examples of notable figures (like Oprah and Britney Spears) with practical strategies you can start using immediately.

More About Guest Vanessa: Vanessa Van Edwards is a speaker, researcher, and national bestselling author. More than 50 million people have seen her engaging YouTube tutorials and in her viral TED Talk, You Are Contagious. Vanessa is Lead Investigator at Science of People. She is the bestselling author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, translated into 16 languages. Today we’re talking about her new book, Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.

Key Takeaways:

Your all-important first impression starts at the very first moment of an experience with someone: when you walk into the room, or when the camera flips on, and not with the first word you speak.

We all have patterns for when we feel awkward and out of place, which are not the ingredients for charismatic communication. But we also have patterns for when we are at our most confident and natural. Tracking those and taking advantage of them to give yourself more comfort and ease in your communications can immediately increase your charisma.

It’s extremely hard to lie with your voice, so spending time (and creating the best environment) for your body is going to make your competence and warmth much more evident in the subtle cues of your voice.

⭐️ Permission: Skip the happy hour! Drop the scheduled phone calls! Think about the times and places where you feel the happiest and most confident, and engage with people then, instead of sticking to the ‘normal’ times and places you feel you should.

⭐️ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Practice “I see you” acknowledgments when you first start talking to people in person or over video. A wave, a nod, or a smile all show the people you are talking to that they belong.

📘Books Mentioned:

Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business,

Pivot,

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People

Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication

🔗Resources Mentioned:

Vanessa on the Web, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Charisma Diagnostic

Cues Bonuses

Learn the Secrets Behind the Best Shark Tank Pitches of All Time

8 Powerful Ways to Tap Into Your Intuition (That Work!)

http://pivotmethod.com/274

The First Year of Parenting—What I Wish I Had Known

Related Podcast Episodes:

Pivot Episode 59: Secrets from Viral Ted Talks with Vanessa Van Edwards

Pivot Episode 155: Becoming a Successful Speaker with Grant Baldwin

Free Time Episode 11: Pitching Shark Tank with Sarah Apgar

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📝 Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/275

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By Jenny Blake

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