What Difference Does it Make Anyway?

by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

Experts tell us that when we meet someone new they assess us in the first seven seconds.  Not a lot of time to make a great first impression.  First impression blunders can be avoided with preparation.  Although it only takes seven seconds to make a great first impression, that impression can be undone just as quickly if who you are after the meeting is not congruent with who you present yourself to be.

Savvy business people can usually detect when something doesn’t quite fit.  You may impress a client, boss or potential employer with a dazzling presentation, but if you are not able to deliver after the initial meeting, the positive first impression will be lost. In fact it can have a very negative impact on future interactions. Integrity and authenticity are your biggest assets.  The ten minutes following the initial meeting can deepen the connection significantly.

Be professional in all business situations. Your reputation is very important to creating long term trusted relationships.  Here are six tips on creating and maintaining a positive first impression:

1. Have a friend or colleague provide a personal introduction whenever possible.  This will help build credibility even before the meeting.  A personal introduction can greatly increase your chances of a successful connection, no matter the reason for the introduction in the first place.

    

2. Take the time to learn about the person/people/organization you are going to meet with.  With the easy access to information on people and organizations through the internet and social media, do your homework and find out as much as you can about them before the meeting.

    

3. Be sure you have a clear objective for the meeting.  Let the other person know the purpose of the meeting.  This will help guide the conversation and keep the questions in line with your objective.  No surprises.

    

4. Be confident and knowledgeable without appearing a braggart.   Professionals expect other professionals to be knowledgeable without being a know it all. Asking questions and sharing will build rapport more quickly than a long dissertation about what you know.

    

5. Do your homework and dress appropriately for the occasion. This might seem obvious but often it is ignored.  Your normal business casual attire may not fit in all environments.  Check first.

    

6. Be punctual, use good manners and smile.  Being on time says a lot about who you are and how you live your live. It is absolutely imperative if you are to make a great first impression.  Always say please and thank you, sounds obvious and again not always done.  A smiling face is more appealing and easier for a new person to connect with.  Show your pearly whites!

Visualization- The Lazy Man’s Tool for Success???

When I ask participants in either my sales or presentation skills training programs if they visualize, I often get a blank stare back at me.  I then go on to explain that visualization is a mental practice that can help you achieve more of what you want in your life and prepare you mentally for success.  The great news is that you can do this from anywhere, sitting on your couch or lounging in your backyard.  It requires no accessories or tools.  Whether you are mentally rehearsing your next presentation, your golf swing or asking for a raise, you are setting yourself up with a better chance for success.

Some research shows that mental practice is almost as effective as physical practice and by doing both was more effective than doing each one alone.  Many athletes both novice and seasoned create very detailed mental practices engaging all their senses to enhance their performance.  Tiger Woods has been doing this since his pre-teens.

Jack Nicklaus, World Champion Golfer has said: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head.”  Muhammad Ali, Heavyweight Champion used different mental practices to enhance his performance in the ring such as: affirmation; mental rehearsal; visualization; self-confirmation; and the most powerful epigram of personal worth ever uttered: “I am the greatest!”

We have learned from brain studies that our thoughts produce the same mental instructions as actions.  We can train our brain through our mental practices.  This can result in increased effectiveness, improved motivation, increased confidence and simply setting yourself up for the expectation of success!

So how can you use this at work?  Great question!

Start by getting very clear about your desired outcome.  Imagine you are looking at a TV screen and you are watching yourself in the future, having already achieved what it is you are wanting to achieve.  Engage as many of your senses as you can.  Notice how you are feeling once you have achieved success.  Notice if there are other people involved, what are they doing and saying?  Practice, practice, practice!  It is good to practice just before going to bed or just when you wake up.

The next time you have an important presentation to deliver, practice it in your mind as well as physically go through your presentation.  You will be amazed at how much more you will be in “flow” and confidence you will feel. 

If you are in sales and have a new client you want to impress.  Of course, you will do your due diligence and thorough research about your potential client, but this time you are going to go one step further.  You are going to step up your sales game and spend some time before the call visualizing how the call will go.  You will see yourself connecting with the prospect and watch in your mind’s eye how you easily and effortlessly you interact with this person.  You will visualize how the call will end and see agreement to your desired outcome.  I recommend doing this several times before an important meeting.

The next time you have to engage in a difficult or challenging conversation, see yourself with the other person working things out so it is a win win for everyone.  By mentally rehearsing in such situations can help calm your nerves and help you stay more present during the actual conversation.

Doing visualization exercises doesn’t guarantee that you will get everything you want but studies have shown that results increase when they are combined with practical practice.

“Ordinary people believe only in the possible.  Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible.  And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible.”  ~ Cherie Carter-Scott

For the month of September I thought I would make it “Ten Tips Month.”   I will share with our readers ten tips to enhance team building ideas, customer service skills, leadership development and sales coaching skills.  Some of these tips may be new ideas to you and others may be reminders of the importance of the things you are already doing.   As I say in my workshops “We all know things, what is most important is what we do with what we know.”

Customer Service

Building and maintaining excellent customer service takes focus and due diligence.  Every customer interaction has the opportunity to communicate how much your organization cares. 

1)      Good enough never is – I love this saying by the Debbi Fields the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies.  If you ever hear yourself say “good enough” stop and ask yourself “Has this been done to the best of my ability?” or “Has this been done the way it was meant to be done?”

2)      First impressions count – The saying “Your never get a second chance to make a positive first impression” is very true and I think companies need to have a great “first impression” attitude always.  Your relationship with your customers can never be taken for granted or assume once you have them they will be loyal to you.  A few bad experiences can undo a positive “first impression” very quickly.

3)      Sweetest sound – Our name – people love to hear their name.  When interacting with a customer use their name at least once during the conversation.  Caution here, do not over use or it can actually have an adverse effect.

4)      Everyone is your brand 24/7 – sometimes in a workshop when I say this people look at me like I am crazy.  Think about it, you work all day in a company and you sing their praises, then go out for drinks with colleagues and bash and complain about the company.  What are you communicating to your colleagues or anyone else who might be listening?  It is my personal belief when you represent a company (we are all really in customer service) we need to be responsible about what we say both at work and during our time off – 24/7.

5)      Train your employees – give your employees the adequate training and resources to effectively manage all situations that may arise to satisfy any customer issues.  If there is the occasional situation that needs special attention, make sure your employees know the proper channels to go to so they can get things resolved quickly.

6)      Keep in the loop – most customers are understanding when things go wrong.  It is not so much that a problem has occurred, more important how it is handled.  If the situation takes time to resolve make sure you keep the customer updated daily so they are never left with the feeling that no one cares or you have forgotten them.

7)      Online reviews – customers may not complain to you directly and if you have a place for feedback on your website, they may feel more comfortable letting you know this way.  It is also a great practice to perform periodic satisfaction surveys.

8)      Track challenges – when there has been a challenge it is a good practice to debrief what happened and explore ways to change processes to prevent another occurrence.  By tracking and monitoring changes you will have an audit trail of your improvements.  Also letting a customer know that you have addressed the issue will show them you take their loyalty seriously.

9)      Apologize first – when there is a customer complaint – apologize first, then correct the problem.   By telling the customer you are sorry they had this experience, it will show you are willing to take responsibility and it also lets the customer know they were heard.  In some situations the customer may be wrong but they should always have the feeling that you are there to support them.

10)   Employee input – often managers miss the opportunity to solve some of their customer service issues by not asking employees their input.  I learned this the hard way, years ago when I was a Customer Service Manager of a manufacturing company.  I thought I had to have all the answers and solutions.  Not so.  Once I started to ask for suggestions, things moved a lot smoother and new procedures were implemented much quicker when the ideas came from the employees.

By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

For the summer months I thought I would like to share with you some of the great articles written by my Alliance Members.  Please enjoy the following article submitted by Sharone Bar-David:

Successful Delegation

Sharon works with managers to become more effective leaders.  She realizes how difficult it is even for seasoned and capable people to delegate, and how, when they do so, the process often goes awry.

Below are some tools for delegation that maintains the sanity of all involved, avoids micromanaging, and definitely curtails the habitual “it’s easier to do it myself” approach.

Oddly, the principles of successful delegation apply equally well at work and at home with your partner and children.

There are two stages to any good delegation: the Set-Up phase (where you set up the assignment), and the Execution phase. In the Set-Up phase, ensure that you free up time for the conversation. Make it a focused discussion, not an on-the-fly process. Attention at this stage will pay off in spades later. Consider doing the following:

1. Contextualize. Relay why this job is important and how it fits in the larger scheme of things.
2. Define the Results. What’s to be done & when. Focus on WHAT, not HOW.
3. Specify Resources. The resources (technical, human, financial, training) that the person can access while executing the job.
4. Parameters. Convey limitations and potential hazards that may impede success.
5. Set Standards. The standards that will be used to measure success.
6. Define support. When and how you will be available to support the person and when are the expected check-in points.
7. Negotiate. Adjust the above based on person’s feedback.
8. Get commitment. Ensure understanding, confirm expectations.

In the Execution phase:

1. Follow up. See how things are going, at the times defined in the plan. If you over-do it, you’re micromanaging.
2. Evaluate and correct. Make necessary modifications and offer suggestions as needed.
3. Cheerlead. Express satisfaction and demonstrate appreciation for a job well done, even when not yet complete.
4. Reward. And do so both publicly and privately.