| |
| |
|
|
Networking Information |
|
|
|
Unforgettable First Impressions Part 3: Time is (Not) On Your Side
You only have three seconds?Connect in under a minute?People decide if they like you within the first ninety seconds?Make the sale in the first five seconds?You get the job within four minutes?Always make a friend in less than 30 seconds? Ahhhhhhhhhh!! Which one is right!? I've read almost every book on first impressions, and the primary issue addressed tends to be time. (Or lack thereof.) Unfortunately, past research doesn't offer much consistency among increments of time in which you must make a first impression. But there's no need to adhere to a specific number of minutes, hours, days or milliseconds to which your words and actions must adhere in order to "wow" the other person. The bottom line is this: every situation and every person is different. Only you can decide how much time you're allotted before your conversation partner thinks you're the greatest person they've ever met. Still - you have to work quickly! The 6 Essential Elements for Flawless First Impressions are part of Scott Ginsberg's the UNFORGETTABLE! Audio System. Beyond Initial Contact This is based on the primacy effect, which states that information people see or learn about you is more powerful than what is learned later. Therefore, when people initially see a small piece of you, that's all they know. So to them, it represents everything. First Doesn't Mean First Time Here's an example. Let's say you arrive (late) at your customer's office for your monthly appointment - and you're in a terrible mood. You're tired, annoyed and don't feel like crunching numbers. Now, even if you've worked with this customer for six months, it's still possible to make a bad first impression. It's still possible turn him off. And as a result, your entire meeting might be underscored by that negative impression - regardless of what the customer thought of you six months ago when he first met you. So, first doesn't always mean first time. Honesty is the Best Policy Once during a job interview I had the perfect opportunity to practice this last rule. My potential boss said, "All right, here's the last question - it's kind of a tough one. In fact, most employees struggle to answer it?so just do your best. What are some of your weaknesses?" Ouch. A zinger if I ever heard one. Looked like my ego was about to take a beating. But I didn't skip a beat. I smiled, re-crossed my legs and said, "Absolutely! In fact, I'll give you three of them: 1) I talk too much. As an extrovert, my personality is such that I might never shut up. 2) I'm not the most punctual employee in the world. I've been known to show up at the last minute, or sometimes a few minutes late. 3) I'm a big goofball. I do, say and think things that are outlandish. But I'll tell you one thing," I added, "talking, tardiness and goofiness - all of those habits can change. But the one quality about me that will never change?is my honesty, and THAT is exactly why you need to hire me." The room fell silent. And do you know what two words came out of his mouth next? Get out. No, I'm just kidding! He said, "Welcome aboard!" UNFORGETTABLE?, indeed. © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Networking - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Get More Visibility, Increase Your Influence, and Get More Referrals Earlier today I was helping a client develop a better strategy to generate more referrals from local businesses. While that particular client owns an orthodontic practice, the ideas I gave him will work equally well in your business. 3 Reasons to Join a Group Defining your purpose for joining a group.When you make the decision to join a group, you should make sure that you have a clear understanding of what you would like to gain from the group. How to Create an Interest Story for the Press What makes a good interest story?An interest story is just that, an interest story. It means that you have something interesting to say and therefore have something of interest to be printed. Five Steps for Expanding Your Customer Base with Guerilla Networking As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. Business Networking - Common Myths and Realities Can we agree about the meaning of networking? I don't mean computer networking. For our conversation, business networking is about getting to know people whom you can help and who can help you. A Vital Habit For Selling Big Ticket Items I hope the title of this article aroused your curiosity! What could this habit be that will help you sell Big Ticket Items?It has nothing to do with copywriting or creating beautiful web pages. But it does have to do with something even more important - building relationships!What is this habit? Well it has many names but the most familiar one is probably is "networking". The Answer to Your Worst Networking Nightmare Imagine you just met your ideal client at a networking event. He's friendly, has great ideas and could use a valuable person like you to help grow his business. How NOT to Waste Your Time Networking Ever wonder if networking, referral groups, and conferences are a waste of your time? Think about it?how many hours do you invest in deciding where to network, registering, getting there, "working the room," and then following up? How much real business do you generate from your networking efforts? How do you know where to invest and where to cut your losses?If you're not thinking critically about how (or if!) to network, I guarantee that you're wasting a lot of time and money. Bonnie Lowe recently interviewed me for her upcoming e-book: Networkaholics Revealed! True Confessions of People Who Networked Their Way To Success (And How You Can Do the Same). Marketing Essentials: The 15 Second Elevator Speech You're at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices your name tag and asks, "So what do you guys do?" Quick -- what's your answer? You've got about 15 seconds before the doors open. Discover Your Own Source Of Business Leads Generating new business leads is critical in your success, no matter what business you're in. Being aware of certain principals can help you increase your business leads list and generate an explosion of sales. Network Marketing Secret: On Becoming the 'GoTo' Guy For years we've been taught to identify ourselves as reps for one XYZ company or another.~We have our fancy business cards printed, some letterhead, maybe an address stamp. 8 Ways To Develop Confidence In New Situations Do you enjoy one-on-one networking, however, the thought of walking into room full of people you don't know horrifies you? You're not alone. Yes, even a social butterfly, President of the Social Committee in High School and avid networker knows how you feel. Are You Leveraging Your Business Network? Just yesterday I received an email from a colleague telling me her husband had been laid off from yet another corporate job. Will the downsizing ever stop? I doubt it. How to Avoid Falling Asleep Behind the Conversational Wheel Think about the last time you feel asleep behind the wheel. Dangerous, isn't it? Even if it's just for a split second, nodding off while driving puts you and the other drivers at risk. Strategic Networking: Take the Shortest Path to Success Do you use Ryze or LinkedIn to promote your web based business? If so, you may have noticed that everything is linked to everything else. Here's how to take the shortest path to networking success: use keywords and a targeted linking strategy. Your Front End While surfing for traffic or browsing your safelist emails, you are sure to have noticed the very large number of networkers promoting similar, if not identical, programs. Empowerism and Profit Rally are everywhere, as are health related and telecom based MLM opportunities. Effective Business Networking: 5 Tips For Mastering The Art of Networking The heart of any business is the connection it has with other businesses and individuals that it can call upon to help meet its needs. Networking - any activity designed to create, maintain and utilize interpersonal connections - is an essential business skill. Networking Skills: Arguing in Context If you're fond of a good debate, you know how to annihilate someone else's position in an argument while still somehow managing to keep a friendly rapport with that person. This tactic is frequently used by politicians and lawyers, and one that will no doubt come in handy in online networking. How to be Known Why business relationships are formed with certain people?If you go to a networking meeting and look around the room, can you tell which individuals you would like to converse with? It is likely you will gravitate towards those that are engaged in conversations and have an enthusiasm about them. If you see people sitting around looking like wall flowers, you will not be as likely to find out more about them. Come Home Rich - How to Get the Most out of Your Next Conference Success in your career depends upon how well you manage your professional development. A prime source of this development comes from being a member of a professional association that relates to your career.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
