How to Present Yourself to Others 2015

When it comes to interviews, presentations, important or personal meetings, and any situation where you need to make a good impression, looking professional is just as important as being professional. But looking professional means more than just having a top-of-the-line briefcase, Italian shoes, the best laptop money can buy, and a bright smile. Here are some tips you may never have thought of in the course of your career.

Appearance

Remember that your appearance is how you present yourself to the world, so you need to take care of yourself. While looks aren't everything, looking nice and presentable is important for your self esteem. Embrace yourself!

Personality

One of the most important things is to have a good personality. The following are great qualities to have:

Friendly

Funny

Optimistic

Polite

Respectful

Outgoing

Hard working

Responsible

Honest

Elegant

     Be Brief and Conversational 

Self-introductions should be short and conversational.  Share something about yourself, then ask a question that invites the other person to join the conversation.

Notice that self-introductions should be short and conversational. After sharing very briefly about yourself, you then ask a question that helps lead your partner into a conversation.

Keep a good balance of fun, loving and hard working

Have fun, laugh, and smile as much as you can but remember sometimes it's important to be responsible too. Realize that in life, bad things will happen, but you have to learn how to handle those situations and make the best out of it. Think cleverly and always make the right choice. Being good and doing the right thing is the best policy, and can also get you rewarded in life. Some good life lessons to remember are:

• Respect your elders.
• When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
• Always try new things.
• As long as you're happy, it doesn't matter what strangers think.
• Make eye contact 

Don't stare down or at some aimless point in the corner of the room. Move your gaze around the group to make eye contact with a few people as you speak. If you don't like the thought of looking into that many eyes, look at their eyebrows or noses - they won't be able to tell the difference.

Maintain positive body language

Stand up tall, move your shoulders up instead of slouching, and keep your hands free, using them to gesture when necessary. If you don't have to stand behind a podium, then walk around to show the crowd how comfortable you are and to make yourself look less stiff. Don't be afraid to smile from time to time. It'll show that you're happy to be there.

Offer a handshake

A firm handshake, once again, demonstrates your self-confidence. Get the grip just right, though - you don't want break the other person's hand. Try squeezing slightly with your fingers and not your thumb, and release the handshake after two or three seconds.