As individuals, it is important to make it your business to know a little bit about a lot of things, and a lot about the most important things
However, in different aspects of your life especially in business, it pays to be the most knowledgeable person in the room. I’m not saying that you have to have every answer to every question. That will never be the case but it is important to have a keen understanding of what’s going on within your industry and the best practices surrounding it.
How do you appeal to everyone in the room? How do you convince them that you have the brains for any task or obstacle presented in front of you? Here are a few tips on how to be the smartest in the room
Appearance
Appearance is the key to showing who is the smartest person in the room. This does not mean a suit and a tie necessarily. A well-kept dress in a business casual environment and groomed look will be sufficient to give a good first impression. Dress for the moment, so much is obvious. Let your appearance speak for you or make the first positive impact, while you nod continuously, taking notes. To convey a message of reliability, trustworthiness, and efficiency, dress professionally.
If your work dress code is more relaxed, you can relax yours as well but do so after people have gotten to know you.
A good first impression
It is important to draw attention to yourself, especially since first impressions stick like glue. So it is crucial to make a positive impact and that will be your very first message resonating within the room you will be in. So how do you do it? Apart from making eye contact, giving good handshakes, and avoiding slouching it is hard to define one simple attribute that will land a bad opinion about you. It comes as a full package.
Try to ensure that you are mindful of your conversation, especially in the beginning. A slight grin, even if it’s not returned, is already doing wonders. A combination of tone, body language, and confidence in your words can make a difference.
Improve your Image
People tend to check out information about others before meeting or getting to know them better and this is common for HR, business partners, curious colleagues, or online stalkers. However, you can turn this to your advantage to appear smarter. A good example is to keep a chiseled and up-to-date LinkedIn profile that is both impressive and reflective of your skills.
This will help you stand out even before entering a room full of intellectuals and professionals if they’ve seen who you are.
Make it a routine to learn.
To be the smartest person in the room, you have to make it a routine to learn. Make time in your day to read books, listen to audiobooks and podcasts, or even go to small meetups or conferences in town. Whatever it takes to be the best, just do it.
Excellence is nothing more than building your routine and process and using your free time to find ways to get better and up your game. I know laziness can happen but if you want to jump from good to great, just apply that can-do attitude, and instead of making an excuse, make it happen.
Conclusively, even though you might be the smartest person in the room with the best qualifications possible for the task, there is a probability that you will be overlooked. And it can be because of a variety of reasons. The point is that being the smartest person in the room also means that you must not become a pushover.
Featured Image Source: The Journal i.eGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
You might also like:
- Monday Motivation: How to boost Productivity as a Lazy Person
- 5 Monday Must-Do’s to Set Your Week Up for Success
- Lessons from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Finding Your Peak Productivity Time
