Keeping Up Appearances

We’re now moving on to creating the right impression, building confidence and self-esteem. If these issues are something you are concerned about, these suggestions should help you create your winning strategy for building brilliant business connections.

First Impressions

Remember – you never have a second chance to make a first impression. Within a few moments, assumptions and judgements are made. You know it’s true – we all do it. However hard you try to avoid doing so, you’re likely to make an instant decision about someone because of the way they look, speak or what they wear.

Research says that when making an entrance:

55 per cent of the impression made is how you look-posture and what you wear

38 per cent is the energy and enthusiasm – body language and tone of voice

only 7 per cent is what you actually say to a person.

Visual impressions, therefore, are more persuasive than oral messages.

If you get off to a good start, everything else you do afterwards will be just that much easier. A good beginning not only affects the business contact, it affects your confidence too. Confidence requires preparation and needs to be actively worked at to ensure you achieve the right impact.

When you are well prepared you will appear more confident, and better able to make a positive start to your important business relationship. This is not a question of tricks or gimmicks. It’s about being businesslike and professional and aware of the importance of everything going well at the early stages. Having the intention is the first step towards achieving it.

Looking The Part

Posture and body language

If you’re serious about this and want to be like the professionals, ask your company to invest in some presentation training for you.

Some presentation trainers start by making a video of the way you walk, talk, stand and sit, and how you present yourself at meetings and corporate events. This is a fairly harsh way of finding out all your peccadilloes but it will help you to sort them out swiftly and effectively.

Even if you don’t have the opportunity to get professional assistance, there is a lot you can do to help yourself.

Make a list of the areas you think need attention – such as weak posture and negative body language. Ask a close friend what they think you are good at, and what perhaps they think might be improved. Something even as simple as slouching at your desk is a bad habit. Many people have terrible posture and don’t realise it.

One tip from the experts is to imagine ‘a golden thread’ running from the top of your head to the ceiling. When you stand or sit, imagine this thread is pulling you upright. You will grow taller and instantly be more noticeable.

Watch out for any indicators of nervousness or low self-confidence. These could be fidgeting, covering your mouth with your hand, tightly clasped hands, bowed head and avoiding eye contact.

It’s a natural instinct when you’re apprehensive to want to make yourself smaller. Crossing your arms or holding your bag in front of you are other give-aways.

Controlling your arms gives powerful clues as to how confident, open and receptive you are. Keeping your arms relaxed and to the side of your body shows you are not scared. You give the impression of being able to take whatever comes your way meeting things ‘full frontal’.

The more outgoing you are, the more you’ll use your arms to great effect with big movements and gestures. If you’re the quiet type, you move your limbs less and keep them close to your body.