Exceptional Profitable First Impressions
Think about client relationships. What distinguishes the good from the bad? Much of what you uncover will probably lead back to mutual feelings you had during your initial meetings. In other words, we tend to remember more of what we feel. Importantly, we protect ourselves from bad memories and are drawn to good ones.
You may think all of this talk about feelings is not about business, but you would be way off the mark. Exceptional performers use their instinctual knowledge about memory and feelings with artistry. It is part of what makes them magnetic. They are the people we go back to again and again because we feel good in their presence and they deliver the goods we came for on top of that. They fit the definition of the most powerful people in the world, the types of people or organizations that we go to that get things done more efficiently, more expertly and with more grace than we could.
As you strive to create successful first impressions, it’s useful to know there are more negative receptors in the brain than positive ones; therefore, an unpleasant hook is set more quickly when your first meeting doesn’t get off on the right foot. The lesson is clear. First impressions are worth thinking about before you make them. Here are some tips to anchor positive memories in your business relationships:
If someone expresses fear of any kind, make him or her feel safe as quickly as you possibly can. You might not always have good news, but get creative and think about at least one safe and reasonable upside to this person’s issue. You need to remove the danger, or at least minimize it. Telling someone to “deal with it” instead of empathizing with his or her fear.
Part of those initial memories will be from the first meeting; the rest will be the immediate follow-up contact you have in the relationship. Find non-annoying ways to keep in contact within the first few days of meeting new people. They want to feel important and wanted. They want to feel like you were paying attention to the conversation. That’s what they remember about you when describing you to friends. Send off a quick e-mail.
There are fewer, more powerful paths to the heart than laughter and lightness. Not all humor is appropriate for all situations, but laughter and lightness are always right. Listen for openings that sound like tangents to the business at hand but are really stress busters. Hobbies, family, vacations all bring up lightness and sometimes laughter. If you want to establish positive feelings in a relationship, always check your conversations and contracts for fairness.