You walk into a room of people that you don’t know.

Let’s call it a presentation to a prospective client with, say, 15 people.

What are you projecting? What’s the vibe you are giving off? How do you want people to perceive you?

• Are you large and in charge?
• Are you overbearing?
• Are you cool, calm, and collected?
• Are you soft-spoken?
• Do you own the room, or do you look like you are just a guest?
• Are you nervous?
• Do you look confident?
• Do you appear hungry for work?
• Do you come across as aloof or disorganized?
• Are you unprepared?
• Do you instill confidence in people?
• Are you too formal or too casual?
• Were you late or early?
• Do you answer questions directly or brush them off?
• How do you handle tough questions or naysayers?
• How do you handle silence?
• Do you want to compete or collaborate?

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Before you walk into a room full of people, whether you know them or not, get clear on who you are and what you are there to do.

The way you project yourself and the value you bring will impact the way people perceive you.

When you develop your self-awareness, you’ll also become acutely aware of how others see you. It goes hand-in-hand. This gives you more information about the context in which you are working and how to shape the outcome you desire.