Regardless of your business, profession or career choice, one of the biggest mistakes I have seen most professionals make when they first meet someone is not putting in the extra effort to look professional.  Barring impromptu meetings, scheduled client and prospect meetings possess numerous mental and physical issues -- issues that can be overcome.  To that end, we have prepared six tips below to help make your next first impression one of your best first impressions. 

6 Tips For Making A Strong First Impression:   

1.  Dress To Impress: As cliché as this saying has become, it still holds true in today's society -- your clothes, your hair and your hygiene are all factors that most people will base their initial judgment on.  While it is true that the workplace is becoming more casual and less stringent about dress codes, it is always a safer bet to overdress.  You can always leave the jacket behind, ditch the tie, loosen a few buttons and roll up your sleeves if you find yourself entering a more casual setting.

 2.  Listen Attentively: First impressions are not one-sided interviews.  They are opportunities for whoever you are meeting to gauge just how quick you are on your feet and how genuine your interest is.  Drifting thoughts or distant gazes tell a speaker that your attention is elsewhere, which is not only insulting but also leaves a poor first impression.  Be sure to nod along with certain points and respond with short phrases like "I agree" or "Hmm" to show you are participating.  These conscious efforts will act as anchor points that keep you locked down in the conversation.  

3.  Use A Person's Name: Another way to show that you are paying attention as well as help learn and memorize a person's name is to use the person's name when asking them a question. Each time you include a listener's name you establish certainty of your participation in the discussion, personalize the moment and help make yourself more memorable in the process. 

4.  Be Articulate: For some, speaking articulately comes naturally.  For others, it takes careful, conscious effort.  And you know what?  There's nothing wrong with that.  It is better to pause and think carefully for a moment about what you want to say than to just blurt out the first words that pop into your head, especially if they are incoherent and easily misunderstood.  Clear, concise communication is valued in the business world, so maintain a moderate pace while speaking, properly modulate your voice and enunciate your words. 

5.  Skip On The Humor: As tempting as it may be to slip in a bit of humor or crack a joke during a first meeting or call, don't.  It's one thing to be light-hearted, but humor is a fuzzy area.  What one person perceives as an innocent thought or comment another might perceive as ignorant, racist, sexist, homophobic, classist or just plain rude.  And if you actually manage to say something misconstrued as any one of those previously mentioned faux pas during your first impression you can pretty much kiss your chances goodbye. 

6.  Don't Call Someone "Man, Bro, Girl, Gal, Pal Or Buddy":   When you are speaking with a client, prospect or referral source (or for that matter your boss), especially one you have only just become acquainted with, make every effort to avoid using informal, intimate nouns such as "man, bro, girl, gal, pal or buddy." This is the language of friends or close acquaintances, not professionals doing business.

Executive Summary: It doesn't matter if you are a recent hire or the new CEO for some Fortune 500 company -- the first impression you make is going to be what defines you AND your business.  To ensure your first impression goes smoothly follow these tips and you will be well on your way to greater success.

Let's assume for a minute that you are riding in an elevator with ten of your best prospects -- all who are interested in buying what you sell.  So tell me, what will you tell them during a 90-second elevator ride?  Oh by the way, your toughest competitor will be giving this same group THEIR "elevator pitch" during the ride down. 

Do You Have A 90-Second Elevator Pitch?

If you are in sales and/or marketing, it is important for you and your salespeople to get someone's attention as they are traveling down the buying process.  But without a compelling story to tell, you will be considered just like everyone else, and wind up competing on price more often than not.  This is why you need to have a planned elevator pitch -- one that quickly quantifies the uniqueness of your business.  Doing so will not only allow you to educate people on your value, but also help a salesperson move prospects to the next step of the sales process by asking good business questions, closing, etc.

Knowing Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Will Dramatically Improve Your Elevator Pitch.

Your USP is one of the top components that drive prospective buyers to learn more about your business.  Ultimately, this will bring in more leads and sales to your company.  By the way, the best USP in the world will do you no good if your sales and marketing people are NOT using it.

Most Sales And Marketing People Are Lazy Communicators. 

Remember, every potential buyer your salespeople talk to (or that reads your marketing messages) is judge and jury.  They determine your sentence by where they spend their money.    Therefore, think about what your business does or can do to separate it from the competition.  After that, write down the things you do and/or can do that will make your business unique in the mind's eye of a prospective buyer. 

Ask Your Sales And Marketing People This One Question Today:

Sometime today, walk up to each person on your sales and marketing team and ask them this one question: "Tell me, as if I was prospect you were talking to right now, what makes our business any better or different from the competition?' 

Now ask yourself, was their story compelling enough for you to want to learn more?  Most likely, the answer will be a big fat no.

Executive Summary: The goal of a business owner and/or sales leader is to employ people who can communicate the company's USP in a concise fashion, whether verbally or in print.  In doing so you will find that every prospect will say, "Wow, you are different."  And that's a beautiful thing.

One of the most important things a business owner, marketing pro or sales leader can do is to create a marketing strategy that keeps them in front of their target audience.  Doing so will help build trust, credibility and brand recognition -- the three things that can turn a prospective buyer into a sale.

Shocking Sales And Marketing Facts: 

Staying in touch with your database of clients, past clients, prospects and referral sources is one of the most critical jobs for any business.  As a national marketing consulting firm that has put well over 20,000 hours of research into sales and marketing, we have uncovered several shocking facts, including:

• 50% of all salespeople stop calling (for at least 9 to 12 months or altogether) a prospect or referral source after their FIRST unsuccessful attempt at getting the sales process started -- a number that jumps to 85% after their SECOND unsuccessful attempt and a staggering 99% after their THIRD unsuccessful attempt.   
• 95% of all salespeople are unable to predict the actual close date of a sale with any degree of accuracy; therefore, how can they predict the moment when their coldest prospects will become interested in what they sell?
• In a medium- to high-value sale, it takes 15 to 30 conventional drips (telephone conversations, face-to-face meetings, voicemail messages, personal e-mails, letters, etc.) before a salesperson closes a cold prospect.

Since you now know these interesting and eye-opening stats, don't you think it makes good business sense to create an automatic sequence of campaigns to stay in front of your target audience?  Of course it does. 

Theme-Based e-Mails Are The Key To Your Sales And Marketing Success.

By providing your target audience with new and useful information on a consistent basis, you not only show them you are an expert in your industry, but you also establish yourself as a trusted resource when it is time for them to make a buying decision.

What Are Theme-Based e-Mails?

Theme based e-mails fall into three primary categories. 

1.       Educational (Such As Newsletters)

2.       Informational (Such As Press Releases)

3.       Sales (Blatantly Trying To Sell Something In The e-Mail)   

A Good Ratio For Your Themes Is:

§         50% of your e-mail marketing campaigns should be educational-based themes.

§         25% should be informational-based themes

§         25% should be sales-based themes. 

The ratios listed above are highly dependent on your industry and target audience, but are a good rule of thumb for most B2B companies.  In a B2C environment, the ratio of "sales" themed e-mails is closer to 80%.  If your ratio is not on target for your database of readers, you risk losing them altogether.  Remember, your target audience needs to feel like you are helping them, not spamming them with content that does not apply to them.

Executive Summary: Sure, e-mail marketing is a cost effective way to stay in continuous contact with your target audience, but more importantly, it a great way to keep them engaged in your brand.  And by keeping someone engaged, you will not only keep your business top-of-mind when they are ready to make a buying decision, but will also remind them to recommend your business to someone they know.