You don’t need a wide smile, a snapshot pose, a big ‘ole rubber beam, or a wolfish grin. Rather, you need just a slightly open mouth with a friendly upturn of the lips—a small smile. The demeanor I’m promoting is an undaunted, comfortable-in-your-skin, shiny business game face. Consider the following:
- A shiny face from your attitude, not from perspiration, transmits well across cultures.
- Smiling isn’t about happiness (although I hope you are). It’s about confidence and taking responsibility for the energy you bring to the place.
- Your small smile makes you look awake, alert, alive, implacable, and approachable.
- You can have a determined jaw but still have a small smile— your expression will only enhance the keen intelligence in your eyes.
- If you smile, you can’t as easily chew gum, eat, or drink (which obviously needs to be nixed) because every saliva slap against your jaw is exaggerated in the person’s ear.
- Not smiling causes inaccurate responses to you. You’ll have an uphill battle without even realizing it.
