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Do Not Overlook The Details

June 21, 2010 by 4 Comments

We all have heard that we need to dress for success and I would like to clarify this statement.  Dressing for success might mean different things to different people.  Some people think of dressing for success as wearing a suit with a white shirt and tie if you are a man or a suit jacket and skirt if you are a woman.  This is true but we need to look a little deeper and pay attention to the details.

Shoes – What type of shoes are you wearing?  Depending on the culture of the organization that you are planning to do business with or going on a job interview will determine the type of shoe you wear.  This is especially true for women.  You do not want to wear too high of a heel especially if the office standard dress is conservative.  Men should make sure that their shoes are polished and absent of any marks or blemishes.  You may consider carrying a disposable neutral color shoe shine packet in your pocket just in case your shoes get scared in your travels.

Cleaners – Prepare yourself for the meeting in advance by placing your suit for this meeting in the cleaners.  Ideally you want to wear the outfit that was newly cleaned.  This will ensure that it is pressed and will present you in the best possible light.

Eat in Your Undies – Now I know this might sound strange but I recommend that you eat breakfast before you get dressed for the meeting.  This will prevent you from spilling something on the outfit you are going to wear.  It would be bad if you spilled something on your outfit for the day and had to wipe it off.  But worse than that, you might spill something and not be aware of it.  Eating and doing your morning preparations, brushing your teeth and the like should be done prior to dressing in the outfit that you plan to wear for the day.

Paying attention to these details will help you dress to make a good first impression.   Please feel free to share tips and strategies that you use when dressing for an important business meeting.

Filed Under: Business, First Impression Tagged With: , , , ,

Are You Stuck At The Crossroads

June 20, 2010 by 4 Comments

At some point in time in our lives we all find ourselves at a point of indecision. This may be because there are so many choices that we feel paralyzed. When we are caught in this type of situation we are standing at a place I call the crossroads.  In travel the crossroads are a point where several roads converge at the same location.  When you approach the crossroads you are placed in the position to choose.  Even if you know where you are going you have to choose which road to take.  One road might be better paved than another.  One road may be up hill and the other down.  Not all roads will take you to the desired location.

If you have traveled the road before and know where you are going the choice will be easy to make. More than likely you will make a quick decision and move forward.  What happens if you know where you want to go, but have never been there before?  You may be stuck at the crossroads.  This is the time you need more information to make a choice.  What steps should you take to feel more confident about making a decision?

You may want to consider asking for help or directions.   After all if you had more information you might be able to make a better decision than just guessing which road to take.  Remember not making a decision is a choice but you will not progress and be stuck standing at the crossroads forever. You want to make sure that you do not ask just anyone for help and direction.  You ideally want to ask someone who has experience or who has traveled on the same journey that you are currently on.

Being willing to ask for help, direction or instructions are vital to improving the opportunity for you to arrive at your desired destination when you are at the crossroads.  This means that you will not only listen, but take notes and ask questions especially when there are directions or instructions which are not clear to you.  You might consider repeating the instructions aloud to the person advising you to ensure that you both agree that you understand.

Then there is the most perplexing question of all, what happens when you are not sure of your destination and you approach the crossroads?  This is reason to give you pause.  A wise person once said, “If you are not sure where you are going then any direction will do.”  That sounds funny but it is true.  Before you take your next step you need to take a good look at where you have been.  This will provide you with the information where are you prepared to go.  If you want to speed up the process speak to someone who can help you process the information about your past and help reveal what your future desired location should be.

In essence the crossroads are a metaphor for decisions in our lives that have us stuck, frozen in time and we are reluctant to ask for help.  When you find yourself standing at the crossroads I recommend that you get a coach.  Almost anyone who is or has been successful has a coach.  Why, because we do not become successful alone.  There are a number of people throughout our lives guiding us down the road to our desired destination.  When you receive instructions from someone with experience or who has traveled down this road before your learning curve is reduced.  You are more productive and will arrive at your desired destination in a shorter period of time.

Why not consider hiring a coach or speaking to someone who is an expert in the area that you desire to pursue.  You will feel more fulfilled; less stressed and no longer stuck standing at the crossroads.

Filed Under: Business, Relationship, Your Talents Tagged With: , , , ,

What Your Hand Shake Says About You

June 19, 2010 by 5 Comments

When you prepare to shake someones hand what is going though your mind?  I ask this question because how you answer it speaks to your success in making a good first impression.  Have you ever met someone for the first time and when they shock your hand they squeeze it so hard that it feels like they are trying to hurt you?  You remember the incident but it did not leave you with a good first impression.

How about the hand shake you received when it appeared that the person hardly wanted to touch you?  There hand was limp, pointed toward the floor and they pulled away as soon as possible.  They left an impression too, but not one that was welcoming or fostered the opportunity to develop a trusting relationship.

How you shake hands is vitally important to developing a good relationship.  You should offer your hand and lean forward (to show interest – inviting a return hand shake).  When you receive the other persons’ hand in yours I recommend that you make eye contact and smile.   This will help to instill trust and open the opportunity to develop a relationship.  Making first contact with someone new is like a waltz.  It is a dance done with grace and dignity.  The approach is slow, intentional and deliberate.  You do not want to have a rock and roll approach where you are moving without an anticipated next step.

You make a physical connection when you shake hands.  I know that you want it to be a good, lasting and positive impression that you make when the hand shake is over.  Feel free to share your hand shaking experiences both good and bad below.

Filed Under: Business, First Impression, Relationship Tagged With: , , ,

Your Body Speaks Even When You Do Not

June 17, 2010 by 8 Comments

Did you realize that more than 70% of our communication is nonverbal?  In fact I read an article which said that a recent UCLA study suggested that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues.  What does this mean to you when making a first impression?

As you approach someone they will be watch your facial expressions, eye contact, posture, hand and feet movements, body movement and placement.  All of this happens in less than 30 seconds and people will make a value judgment of who you are and what you are capable of doing long before the first hello.   With this said let’s talk about:

Eye Contact – Depending upon your culture or upbringing how comfortable you are making eye contact with a stranger will vary widely.  If you plan to be successful in business then you need to be willing to talk to new people.  Having good eye contact is crucial to developing a meaningful and trusting relationship.  People want to do business with other people who they trust.  When you do not keep eye contact with someone who you are speaking with it gives the impression that you have something to hide.  So if you are someone who does not maintain good eye contact when speaking to someone new what should you do?

I recommend that you practice.  Where? Everywhere, at the supermarket, in the cleaners, at the ice cream shop, any place that you find people you do not know and that you share something in common with.  What do you share in common?  The location where you are and what you are doing there.  That can be the opening of the conversation, “Did you see any great sales in the circular?”, “I usually come to the cleaners on Wednesday because they give you 20% off did you know that?” , “I love their Butter Pecan  Ice Cream what is your favorite?”  Practicing will make you more comfortable and give you a chance to become more aware of your eye contact.

Another suggestion is to think of the new people you meet as potential new friends not strangers.  These are potential new friends who are willing and able to work with you but you just have not met them yet. I read an interesting post by Marlene Green entitled “We have the power to change our conversation” and thought you would enjoy reading it as well.  Please feel free to share what has worked for you in developing better eye contact when speaking to new people.

Filed Under: Business, Interview, Relationship Tagged With: , , , ,

Free Webinars

June 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

When you hear the words free webinar what do you think?  Not worth my time?  How good could it be if it were free?  Well I would like you to look at free as an opportunity to try something and see if you like it.  It is the same as going to the Supermarket or Cosco and trying a sample food item or beverage that they are running a special on.

Normally you probably would not have considered trying the item that the store has to offer but since it is free you thought you would try it.  The same thinking applies to attending a free webinar.  The best part is you can listen to the information via phone or by computer.  A webinar allows you to see what is being taught.

If you are a visual learner like me you enjoy watching what is being taught and retain it better by watching.  My friend Toolie is conducting a free webinar tonight, Tuesday night, June 15th, at 6 pm Pacific, 9 pm Eastern time as part of her “I Can Fix My Web Site” series.

If you think your website could use an improvement I would recommend signing up to attend this free webinar.  This is an opportunity to learn great information and sample my friend Toolie teaching style.  Don’t miss out.  Click the link to register and please feel free to tell me what you thought of the Webinar.

Filed Under: Business, Website Tagged With: , , , ,

Free Cool Web Site Features Webinar

June 12, 2010 by 2 Comments

Do you have a blog or website that you feel could look more up to date?  You really want to be able to make these changes to your blog or web site yourself but you just don’t know how?  Or maybe you have a little knowledge to get started but you are just not that confidant to go all the way and start to fix those things that have been bothering you about your site.  Help has arrived.   Jocelyn “Toolie” Garner has been my web coach for a number of years.  In fact I learned HTML from one of her courses.

Let me tell you I was scared out of my mind when I started blogging.  There were so many things about a web site that I just did not understand.  Toolie made the secret language of HTML come alive for me.  Now I am building web sites for Physicians, Speakers and Coaches.  It is amazing to think that I am doing this at all.  And Tollie has played a major role in providing me with the knowledge to be successful.

This is why I am so excited to share with you Toolie’s free Cool Web Site Features Webinar.  Toolie is a great teacher.  She explains things in easy to understand language and does not make you feel like a dunce when you ask a question.  She will be teaching a class on the web this Tuesday on cool web site features.  And her class is free.  All you have to do is sign up for Toolie’s free Cool Web Site Features Webinar here.  I forgot to tell you the time.  The class will be Tuesday night, June 15th, at 6 pm Pacific, 9 pm Eastern time.

If you have always wanted to make your web site unique with special features that will attract your visitors to connect with you, then you must attend this call.  I know you will benefit from the call and be happy you invested the time to learn how to do it for yourself.

Filed Under: Business, Free Offer, Website Tagged With: , , , , ,

Building Your Irresistible Brand

June 11, 2010 by 5 Comments

Do you have a dream or idea about your business?  Have you thought of developing products and services for people you know can benefit from them? But you have not been successful because you have not determined your brand identity.  This is a problem that a number of us face when we are starting a new business.  The best thing to do is to get someone to help you.  You need someone who can provide you the strategy you need to be successful.  You need someone with a proven track record and results that you can measure.

That person is my friend Lethia Owens.  Lethia is a certified personal branding and social media marketing strategist with a track record of measurable proven results. She knows there are a number of people across the country that could benefit from the information she has to share so she decided to meet the people where they are.  Lethia has embarked on a 7 City Tour that extends from one end of the country to the other.   Check out her TV news interview below.

I met Lethia about 5 years ago at the National Speakers Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Fl and she is a dynamic international speaker.   When she was in the process of putting this tour together she asked if I would be a co-manager of her affiliate program for the tour.  I accepted and would like to invite you to become an affiliate too. 

If you are not familiar with the affiliate process it is a great way to help others and make money too.  With that said I must reveal that I will make money as an affiliate if you purchase from the links in this post.  But if you become an affiliate you can make money too.  You will get all of the details from clicking the 7 City Tour Link and scrolling to the bottom of the page and click the “Earn and Learn” Affiliate program link.

If you cannot attend one of the tour dates yourself consider sending this information to a friend who can.  Better yet there may be a way for you and your friend to attend the tour at a city near you for the price of one admission.  Check out the city and tour information for details.  You and your business will benefit from the information that Lethia has to share.  If you plan to come to the New York City Tour I look forward to meeting you there.

Filed Under: Branding, Business, Soical Media, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chairing A Conference

June 10, 2010 by 4 Comments

Last year I chaired an Anti-Racism Conference for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.  The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey has more than 158 parishes and covers the area south of Newark to Cape May, New Jersey.  How I came about this position is really funny.  I happened not to attend a diocesan committee meeting and was selected as the conference chair.

Tip # 1 – Be sure to attend all committee meetings

I had been a committee member on the previous anti-racism conference team and had experience as the inaugural fall conference chair for the newly formed Toastmasters District 83.  One of the challenges was coordinating group meetings because the location that we met previously was not going to be available.  The rising gas prices and logistical issue prompted me to come up with alternative solutions.

Solution # 1 – Establish a free Teleconference line for the committee

Solution # 2 – Meeting time will not exceed an hour

Solution # 3 – Record conference call so people who missed the meeting could hear it

Solution # 4 – Built and internet membership site to post the recorded meetings

These solutions introduced the committee members to technology that they had not used previously.  This allowed the meetings to be more efficient and productive.    In fact this process worked so well that they have adopted this process and currently use it for meeting.

I presented the results of being an anti-racism conference chair at my local Toastmasters club as part of a high performance leadership project (HPL).   High Performance Leadership is a module project in Toastmasters in which you establish a committee, a vision, a leadership project to work through and give speeches along the way.  In the video I am presenting the results of my HPL and hope you enjoy it.

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Speaking, Team Work, Toastmasters Tagged With: , , , ,

Why Speak?

January 6, 2010 by

A number of people have asked me this question over the years.  Why speak?    I speak to inspire others, share knowledge and make people smile.  It is my passion to touch other people’s lives in a meaningful way.  Having the opportunity to deliver a message that resonates with the audience, inspires them to be their very best and makes them smile brings me joy.  It is my intention that whenever I speak the audience will walk away more informed, enlightened, and joyful.

Kevin Thompson MPA presenting at CUNYHumor plays a major role in my presentations.  People learn and retain more when they are enjoying the message.  My goal is to ensure that the message the audience hears is memorable if not unforgettable. This is the reason that I tailor and customize my presentations for each organization or association.  Yes this requires more preparation but it results in making an unforgettable connection with the audience.  I believe there is nothing better than making that type of connection with the audience.  I enjoy watching their eyes light up as I speak.  Seeing them smile and roll with laughter brings me joy.  I am happy and fell fulfilled knowing that I made that connection.  Having the opportunity to touch another person’s life, mind and heart in a positive way is one of the best ways that I know to spread joy in the world.  Why do I speak? I speak for all of these reasons.  I am looking forward to speaking to your organization or association.   Click this link, fill out the form and let’s discuss how I can communicate a message that will resonate with your audience.

Filed Under: Business, First Impression, Relationship, Speaking Tagged With: , , ,
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