Not all body language is created equal.

Some gestures and movements have the extraordinary power to command respect, influence perceptions, and even alter the dynamics of a room.

So use the following techniques responsibly.

Whether you're addressing a crowd, navigating a networking event, or simply walking down a busy street, the way you carry yourself can alter how others behave around you.

Imagine being able to walk down a busy city street and have everyone move out of your way automatically?

Or speaking to a group of people and have them clinging to your every word?

All it takes are these 5 highly effective body language hacks you can start using today.

1. Mastering Your Facial Expressions

Your facial expressions can have a serious impact on how much someone likes or respects you.

And by maintaining constant awareness of your own facial expressions you’ll be able to give off the impressions you want people to feel, and keep your real thoughts about them to yourself.

Because most people don’t realize just how revealing their expressions are.

A lot of times when you’re talking to someone, for example, the conversation might drone on.

You’re getting bored, tired, maybe even aggravated especially if you’re late for something.

But you try to maintain a smile throughout, especially if they’re an authority figure or someone else you want to maintain a good reputation with.

However, unless you’re hyper aware of your facial expressions, that pseudo smile will probably droop a few times (you know, since you’re not actually enjoying the conversation).

And while that might be ok, it’s the dreaded smile droop at the end of the conversation that puts a bad taste in someone’s mouth as you walk away.

You see, it’s very easy to drop all of that decorum in the very last second of the conversation.

Then, the last thing the person sees is your resting grouch face, leaving them with the impression that you don’t like them.

It’s true, contrary to popular belief, the last impression is pretty much just as important as the first impression.

Research from several psychologists suggest the idea that our brain tends to remember how we felt at the end of an event, as well as its peak moment.

This concept, known as the "peak-end rule," suggests that even if an experience is overall more painful or less pleasant, if it ends on a positive note, it is likely to be remembered more favorably.

So what do you do?

At the end of a conversation, make sure to smile and keep smiling until you have physically turned around all the way, similar to a follow through in a golf swing.

This will ensure that the last thing the person remembers is you smiling rather than looking pissed off.

2. Pausing For Power

Silence is a powerful and invaluable tool in effective communication, applicable across various settings, from speaking to a large audience to engaging in a small group discussion.

The benefits of pausing, some well-known and others surprisingly advantageous, play a significant role in enhancing communication skills.

There have even been scientific studies measuring the effectiveness of communication based on the length of pauses for a particular speaker.

Firstly, pausing aligns your thoughts with your speech.

Often, we speak impulsively without fully formulating our thoughts, leading to unclear and repetitive speech.

By pausing, you allow your brain to guide your words, thereby ensuring clarity and coherence in your communication.

Pausing also aids in the listener’s comprehension.

Listeners typically require more time to understand and remember what's said than it takes for the speaker to say it.

Pausing provides them with the necessary time to process and retain the information, thereby enhancing their understanding of the message.

Pausing also emphasizes important points in your speech. Similar to a crescendo in music, a well-timed pause before a key point can draw significant attention, making the message more impactful and memorable.

Another important aspect of pausing is its ability to eliminate filler words like "um" and "uh".

Replacing these fillers with pauses not only enhances the speaker's credibility but also ensures that the speech is less disrupted and more professional.

3. The Eye Contact Hack

Eye contact is a fundamental component of human communication, significantly affecting how we are perceived by others.

And if you can master this without being creepy, it can be extremely effective at how others perceive you and whether or not they respect you.

Here are some strategies to try:

• Balance Eye Contact: Maintaining the right amount of eye contact is crucial. It's generally recommended to hold eye contact for about 50-60% of the conversation, which shows interest and confidence without being overwhelming​​​​.

• Practice the 4-Second Rule: When making eye contact, try to hold it for around four seconds at a time before naturally looking away. This duration is long enough to establish a connection without seeming intense or uncomfortable​​.

• Use Eye Contact to Show Empathy and Understanding: During conversations, especially when listening, use eye contact to show that you are engaged and empathetic. This involves nodding and maintaining an attentive gaze​​.

• Use Eye Contact to Regulate Conversations: Eye contact can be used to signal that you wish to speak or that you are inviting the other person to speak. It's a subtle way to manage the flow of conversation without interrupting​​.

4. The “Walk Of Power”

The “Walk Of Power” is exactly what it sounds like. Walking in a powerful manner.

The result being everyone getting out of your way like the parting of the red sea by Moses.

But you can’t just puff out your chest and look scary. There’s actually a subtle psychological trick you can do that’s more effective than any kind of flexing or mean mugging.

It’s called the “stage gaze trick”, and it involves looking out and over people’s heads in the direction of where you’re walking.

The name comes from the practice of stage gazing, a technique that bands and artists use to make it seem like they’re looking past the crowd while they preform.

Here’s how it works:

People look into the eyes of others to determine the direction in which they’re headed. They then adapt their route accordingly to not walk into you.

So instead of looking down, or to the side, look straight in the direction that you want to go. It helps to even pick a landmark in the direction you’re heading and focus on it.

People will look in your eyes and then walk around you.

The Slow Motion Technique

The "Slow-Motion" technique in communication and body language is an effective way to enhance perceptions of confidence and authority.

This approach involves deliberately slowing your physical movements and gestures, speaking rhythm, and overall demeanor to convey a sense of control and deliberateness.

When employing the "Slow-Motion" technique, it's important to focus on the tempo and fluidity of your movements.

Avoid quick, jerky, or sudden gestures, as these can sometimes be perceived as signs of nervousness or uncertainty.

Your speech also plays a crucial role in this technique. Speaking at a slower, more measured pace helps in clearly articulating your thoughts.

It conveys that you are thoughtful and intentional about your word choices, rather than speaking impulsively.

This controlled pace in speaking can make your words seem more weighted and significant, enhancing the perception of authority.

The BMM Takeaway

If you’ve been feeling like people don’t listen to you, or don’t respect your space, or don’t like you, try incorporating some of these techniques into how you communicate and act in public.

But above all, self respect is what’s going to aid in all of these strategies.

It’s amazing how people will walk all over you when you don’t respect yourself.

You’re quiet, your posture is bad, you’re shy. Most people see that as a signal that you shouldn’t be respected.

So respect yourself, treat your body well, dress nice, stand tall, speak loud, and weave these body language hacks into your life to start seeing some serious changes.