The EPG Connection

Bill Lampton, Ph.D.
We have all heard this warning: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Also, psychologists, writers, and seminar leaders caution that we only have from seven to seventeen seconds of interacting with strangers before they form an opinion of us.

With this widely acknowledged pressure to “make our case” instantly, here are my seven tips for making your first impression strongly positive.

The greatest way to make a positive first impression is to demonstrate immediately that the other person, not you, is the center of action and conversation. Illustrate that the spotlight is on you only, and you’ll miss opportunities for friendships, jobs, love relationships, networking, and sales. Show that you are other-centered, and first-time acquaintances will be eager to see you again.

Recently I attended a conference. At lunch, my wife and I sat with several people we didn’t know. While most of our tablemates made good impressions, one man emerged as the person we’d be sure to avoid all weekend. He talked about himself, non-stop. Only rarely did anyone else get a chance to speak. Unfortunately, he probably thought he was captivating us with his life story.

I applaud this definition of a bore: “Somebody who talks about himself so much that you don’t get to talk about yourself.”

Closely related: You’ll make a superb initial impression when you demonstrate good listening skills. Give positive verbal cues: “Hmmm. . .interesting!” “Tell me more, please.” “What did you do next?” Just as actors benefit from prompts, your conversational partner will welcome your assistance in keeping the exchange going.

Nonverbally, you show you’re a skilled listener by maintaining steady eye contact. Remember how you respond to the social gadabout who appears to be looking over your shoulder for the next person he wants to corner.

Use the name of a new acquaintance frequently. “Judy, I like that suggestion.” “Your vacation must have been exciting, Fred.” You show that you have paid attention from the start, catching the name during the introduction. Equally as important, you’ll make conversations more personal by including the listener’s name several times.

Be careful with humor. Although a quip or two might serve as an icebreaker, stay away from sarcastic remarks that could backfire. Because you don’t know a stranger’s sensitivities, prolonged joking might establish barriers you can’t overcome, either now or later.

Follow Dr. Wayne Dyer’s advice, offered in his wonderful book “Real Magic,” by “giving up the need to be right.” Confrontations with somebody you’ve just met will destroy rapport before you even start building it. Wait until you have established credibility before you challenge another’s statements.

Appearance counts. Several years ago, a professional colleague offered to meet me for lunch. I decided against wearing a suit, opting for a sport coat and tie. When he showed up in shorts and sandals, the message he conveyed was: “Bill, meeting you is a rather ordinary experience, and doesn’t call for me to present a business-like appearance.” Not surprisingly, that was the last time I met with him.

True, standards for appropriate attire have changed drastically. Maybe the best advice I can share came from a participant in a seminar I conducted. She said, “I don’t dress for the job I have now, I dress for the job I want to have.”

As a communication specialist, I have to point out that an individual’s speaking style impacts the first impression, maybe more than we wish. Listeners judge our intelligence, our cultural level, our education, even our leadership ability by the words we select—and by how we say them.

Think of Professor Henry Higgins of “My Fair Lady,” who changed a “guttersnipe” into a lady by teaching her to speak skillfully. While none of us occupies the lowly level of Eliza Doolittle, we can keep her example in mind. Rather than mumble, speak so you’re easily heard. Enunciate clearly. Alter your pitch, to avoid the dullness of a monotone. Display animation in both voice and facial expression. Gesture naturally, without “canning” your movements.

Keep these seven tips in mind. They will reduce your fear of business and social encounters with unfamiliar faces. More positively, you’ll start enjoying poise and success that you thought were beyond your reach.

“Free Things You Can Do to Help Your Job Search “
presented by Dynamic Resumes
www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com
In these tight times, what can you do to help your job search that won’t cost you anything? Here are some tips I hope you will find useful:

Contact your network to wish them a Happy Holiday. Connecting with your network is the #1 way to get job leads. I recommend that you connect by phone or in person to sincerely wish them season’s greetings and focus on how they are doing. Eventually the conversation will come around to you – summarize your situation with a pleasant manner and upbeat attitude.

Help Others. You can volunteer your time in so many ways! You will feel good, you will be productive, and can talk about these experiences when you are networking. Also, this is a great way to increase your network!

Be a resource. Try to provide assistance, information, etc to others. They will value your experience and knowledge and remember you for it.

Utilize free websites in your search. Job boards like monster, hotjobs, and careerbuilders – you can post your resume for free and gain mass exposure.Simplyhired.com – this is a search engine like Google or Yahoo, except it only searches job listings from all the major job boards in seconds. Linkedin – a business networking site that enables mass exposure and provides a vehicle for increasing connections and growing networks with professionals. Also, recruiters are now using this site to search for candidates.

Free business cards. You should always carry a business card on you, even if you simply have your name, phone, and email address on it. VistaPrint.com offers free cards….really!

Free industry trade journals. These can be found through google and yahoo. Keeping up with industry trends is critical for staying abreast in your field and impressing potential employers.

Personal Information

Name: Tilina Crawley

Title: Receptionist

What you do for EPG: Answer phones,  direct phone calls and welcome all visitors

Education: Associate Degree, working on Bachelors in Psychology

First Job: Sales Associate

Home: Willingboro, New Jersey

Business Philosophy

Essential business philosophy: Always make room for adjustments while striving to succeed

Yardstick of success: I measure my success by how much I’ve helped others succeed

Mentor: Dr. Lamont McLean

True Confessions

Word that describes you: Friendly

Like best about your job: The great work environment “my co-workers are very pleasant & friendly”

Like least about your job: Nothing. I really enjoy it here!!

The most important lesson you’ve learned: Always go by first impressions

Life motto: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

Pet Peeve: Superficial people

Person most interested in meeting and why: Barack Obama- very powerful & influential

Et Cetera

Most influential book: Missing Links to a Victorious Living by Dr. Lamont McLean

Favorite movie: City of Angels

Favorite vacation spot: Poconos

Favorite way to spend free time: With my children

My good friend Clayton Clark, owner of Eastborn Home Mortgage in Moorestown is fond of saying “If nothing changes, nothing changes”. I think it’s his way of saying that change is generally a good thing and that positive progress can only occur when the status quo is shaken up. Now, Clayton is a pretty smart guy so lately I’ve been trying to apply his philosophy on change to the interesting times we currently find ourselves in. We see previously indestructible corporate giants like General Motors teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, unemployment reaching the highest levels in 20 years, the first African-American family moving into the White House, seemingly daily technological advancements, and perhaps the biggest change of all… the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series. Wow! To quote another pretty smart guy… “The times they are a changin’”.

I’d like to focus on the positive aspects and learning opportunities we can take from the ever changing employment landscape. Certainly the recent report that the unemployment rate hit 6.9% is not good news, but what it tells me is that 93.1% of the employable population ARE working (call me the eternal optimist). Also, if we are looking for learning opportunities, we all need to peel back a few layers and examine what industries are laying off, and what industries continue to hire. We also need to come to grips with the fact that as the employment scene changes so do the desired skill sets and expertise growing, hiring companies look for in great candidates. Sure, the American automobile industry is laying off in droves, but smaller auto companies committed to building energy efficient, “green”, eco-friendlier vehicles are booming.

In fact, it is my heartfelt belief that industries geared toward earth friendly, energy conserving, carbon footprint-lowering practices will soon be, and in many cases already are, the new providers of vast employment opportunities. Companies committed to developing alternative forms of energy like wind, solar and nuclear are growing as we speak. They are most definitely looking for excellent candidates in a variety of positions. Beyond those companies that directly produce green products, there is a highly noticeable shift ACROSS ALL INDUSTIRES toward green thinking and energy conservation in general. Therefore, for example, even though the construction industry is down construction companies continue to aggressively seek out and hire executives who hold the LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Job candidates at all levels and across positions that possess similar certifications and/or are cognizant of green practices will continue to become increasingly employable.

Another example of looking beyond the immediate can be found within the current credit crisis. Although not exactly uplifting it is a fact that companies whose stock in trade is in collections, foreclosures, bankruptcy, business liquidations, etc. are busy and hiring. So, while the thousands of people who have been laid off from the mortgage industry might have to wait quite awhile for the industry to rebound there are options for immediate employment. It may require some re-training, re-tooling or further education but the opportunities are there. Again, it might not be the job of your dreams but it is definitely a way to keep the wolf from the door.

Please don’t get me wrong. That these can be scary, challenging times is indisputable, and I would never try to sugar-coat that fact. But it is my contention that change is good, that we grow stronger because of change, and that great opportunities exist in the face of, and because of, change. So, embrace the changes in your life; learn from them, and do your best to improve what you have to offer to those companies that are hiring. Because there is one thing that will never change… there will always be a demand for hard working, highly skilled, well-prepared people.

 

Congratulations to our September 2008 employee of the month, Judi Franks. Judi registered for temporary work in April of 2008 and has very successfully completed five different temporary assignments for Emerson Personnel Group. Judi demonstrates a strong work ethic along with a pleasant, positive attitude. We appreciate all of her hard work as well as her sunny disposition. Congratulations, Judi!

Ordering your corporate gifts each holiday season is no small task. Who should you include on your list? How much can you afford to spend? There’s thinking, planning and lots of number crunching to do. The biggest question of all, however, is what on earth you should buy for all these clients and employees.

When it comes to holiday gift buying this year, two words are all you need to know: technology and eco-friendly. Both are the hottest trends in promotional products for 2008. Stick to these categories this holiday season, and you can’t go wrong.

Even grown-ups want toys, and that’s one reason why tech gadgets are so popular. You can give a promotional product that’s fun to play with and even more fun to show off. The Chairman 1.7, for instance, is a keychain that stores and displays digital photos. Your clients will enjoy uploading their favorite photos and showing the pictures to their friends and coworkers. People are amazed to see how much technology can be packed into this palm-sized picture frame.

Speaking of palm-sized technology, promotional USB flash drives are another affordable gift that taps into our love of technology. These are small gifts that pack a big promotional punch. Like the digital photo frame, the Foldout USB Flash Drive 64MB is also small enough to keep on a keychain. Be sure to preload the flash drive with photos of your products, catalogs, informational videos and a personalized message.

With all these handheld gizmos on the market, it can be easy to forget about the technology we relied on long before PCs changed the world. Binoculars made be older technology, but they’re still a part of our modern lives. We can enjoy a closer look at sporting events and theatrical performances. Binoculars are also great for nature buffs. To put a fresh spin on this classic gift, try a model like the Outlook Binoculars. These silver and black binoculars have a contemporary silhouette and come with a coordinating vinyl carrying case.

But don’t get so caught up in all this technology that you forget about this season’s other big trend: all things eco-friendly. Green is the buzzword du jour, and as a business, you’ve got to tap into what’s hot. Giving green gifts is actually a lot easier than you might think. Major promotional product suppliers have started carrying various types of eco-friendly items for you to customize. For instance, you can take the ordinary tote bag and turn it green with an order of Organic Market Bags. This holiday gift touches on several current trends. Organic cotton is all the rage, and lots of people are carrying their purchases home in tote bags instead of plastic ones.

This year when you’re about to start racking your brain for holiday gift ideas, stop and repeat this mantra “technology and eco-friendly.” You’ll simplify your shopping, and those on the receiving end will be delighted with their gifts.