Sunday, February 13, 2011

Speed Dating? Speed Impression Management?

Speed dating, speed networking – seems we just don’t have time to invest in making a good impression any more.  Get it right first time or you lose the opportunity!

Never before have first impressions been so important.  Singles looking for the right partner are speed dating.  Business owners and executives looking to expand their network of contacts are speed networking.  Time is precious.  It is all we have.  Money can be made again but time, once spent is gone forever!

It’s a relatively new concept that makes sense if time is precious, you don’t know which networking event to attend or you are a little on the shy side.  All you do is spend 5 minutes, the bell rings and you move on to the next person.

All well and good!  In a time span of 5 minutes you have the opportunity to talk about your business and how you may be able to do some business with the person sitting opposite you.  Business etiquette out the window!  Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts and see if a connection can be made.

The reality is that the minute we meet someone for the first time, we convey powerful first impressions.  We live in a highly visual world and our impression is either positive or negative.  There is no middle ground here.  How are you being perceived when you sit down in front of that new contact?

First impressions are broken into three categories.

55% is visual - relating to what they see when they meet you for the first time.
38% is auditory – relating to how you sound.
7% is based on what you actually say!

So if you don’t make a positive first impression real quick, you have to work hard to make it up.  You don’t have much time in speed dating or networking.  Give your prospect a chance – make your impression positive!

A business women I met recently attending one of these events and overall found it to be an intense and somewhat overwhelming experience.  She met a man working in a service based industry and decided on first impressions that he would not be someone she would work with.  The minute he spoke, her first impression was confirmed.  He sounded a bit too slick and she felt uncomfortable.  Do you think she listened to anything this guy had to say?  The answer is ‘no’!  Her perception was formed so quickly with the visual and reinforced with the auditory.  And then there was no time for him to make it up!

So before you head out the door to speed date or network, check in on what messages you are sending.

Jobs for the beautiful people



Faces with perfect symmetry are seen as beautiful
It appears that some employers put a higher value on an attractive face than qualifications or experience!  A PR agency admits that whilst the quality of their service is their main attraction for clients, having good looking account executives is a bonus enjoyed by clients.  It seems that as much as we think that appearance dosen’t count, it does!  This relates quite strongly in client facing roles according to Professor Nicola Rumsey who heads the Centre for Appearance Research at the University.  In these roles, your appearance is selling the image of the company you work for”.  As a society, we are pretty much obsessed with looks and reward attractive people accordingly.

How’s this!  Research has proved that attractive people are found guilty less often in course and receive less severe sentences.  Attractive applicants also have a better chance of getting better paid jobs.  One survey revealed that employees spent 1/5 of their salary on looking the part as they believe that the right image is vital to their career.

In comes personal branding.  It’s no longer acceptable to have a great business card, website and an attractive entrance to the building with great feng shui.  An organisation’s staff need to reflect the brand too!  Good looks is about taking care of your appearance, not looking like a cat walk model. 

Most people just don’t know what they don’t know.  It’s a great skill to know how to manage the perceptions of your clients and peers with visual tactics.  First impressions speak volumes.  You can tell a lot about someone by the way they dress and the attention they pay to their grooming levels. Of course you must be able to back it up with the knowledge and skill required for your position.  Research has shown that visual impressions are not so important when the relationship is well established, but remember you need to get to that stage by making a good first impression!  The world we live and do business in is highly visual today.  Skill yourself to play the game!

 
Source:  The Age, HR & Recruitment Section.  Journalist: Eve Ahmed


Maintaining consistency - 7 things you can do right now

People believe what they see.  The first impression happens in the blink of an eye – so you haven’t got much time to work with!

  • 55% is visual - clothing, accessories, mobile phone etc.
  • 38% is auditory – is your pace fast, slow? Is ‘nup’ part of your vocab?
  • 7% is what you say - not much is it?
Let’s face it - people do business with people they like.  This means building a great rapport fairly quickly.  What does your industry look like?  Do you fit that image?  What do your clients expect of you?  All this means is that you get some things right and maintain consistency!  So there are some simple things that you can do that will have a huge impact on your clients.  This will reflect positively on your business success too.  All you have to do is manage the perceptions of others.  You can do it quite easily!  Take a look at 7 things you can do right now:

Colour
The most flattering effect is created when you wear your designated colours. To assist with rapport building, use your eye colour in ties and scarves.  This will ensure your eyes remain the focal point – great way to build rapport!  This rules applies to anything worn close to the face.

You can create the illusion of being taller and slimmer by wearing the same tone from top to toe.  This takes the eye up and down.  Creating the illusion of height has many advantages – so use it.

The best first impression is created with a strong contrast close to the face.  This means teaming a dark jacket with a light shirt for example.  It expresses confidence and is great for business.
 
Personality Dressing
Always dress to suit who you are as an individual because people will relate to what they see.  If you have a bright, outgoing personality, choose a bright or high contrast tie or a bright, trendy handbag for women.
 
Style & Fit
Your clothing must fit your body perfectly.  If it is too tight, the perception is that you outgrew it and can’t be bothered to replace it.  Anything too big looks like it has been borrowed from a friend!  Not good messages to send.  Look out for horizontal creasing on pants and skirts – this indicates the garment is too tight.  Vertical draping on jackets indicates the garment is just too big.  Ok, so maybe it was on sale and didn’t quite fit – the perception is ….. I’ll let you figure this one out!
 
Grooming
The condition of your clothing communicates the level of care you will give to others – particularly in a service based industry.  So repair that hem, get that jacket dry cleaned and press your shirt!

Irregular hair – this occurs in the ears and nasal passages for men and women find it appearing on lip and chin areas!  It forms a visual distraction about the face and this makes it difficult to hear what you are actually saying!

Clean your shoes weekly.  This is crucial – especially for men.  Women will decide how successful you are based on the quality and condition of your shoes.  Remember it’s all about perception and there is no truth in perception!  Women tottering about on very high heels are perceived as flippant.
 
Accessories
Briefcase, quality pen, appropriate compendium to hold your note book.  Keep it all relevant and appropriate to your industry or profession.  Listen to the ring on your mobile phone.  Is it appropriate for the image you wish to project?
 
Intuition
Trust that you are doing many things RIGHT in regard to your current image.  Very few people are in dire straights with their image.  Most people are looking for skills and strategies to save money and time with their clothing choices.
 
Appropriate
For goodness sake – just be appropriate!  Whether you are working on a building site, in a suburban office, with a major corporate or out on a hot date.  Think about where you are and what is going to be appropriate.  There will be times when a tie or complete suit just won’t work for you!