Every few years it is wise to do a self analysis. Who you are and where you are going with your career or your business?
Before the fall influx of activity starts, take a hard look at
you. Are there areas that don’t quite meet your expectations?
Let’s start with a key part: your persona.
Yes, we all could stand to lose a few pounds but what I am
talking here is the perception you present to your customers and
clients. Who are you and what image do you convey?
When you walk out the door, aside from obvious personal grooming, are you presenting a confident, poised, prepared professional? Or are you harried, disorganized and totally unprepared for your upcoming face to face?
Your persona is much more that just your physical appearance. You need to be comfortable with who you are and how you present
yourself to the world. One item out of whack can ruin your entire personal presentation.
Now before out run out and buy a new wardrobe consider what items can affect someone’s opinion of you? Think about your own
personal experiences. What turns you on or off about a particular person you have met? Were there certain red flags that just set you off before this person even opened their mouth? I know we all occasionally give someone the once over and make not so nice judgments about a person we have never met, but do what you can to ensure someone is not saying this about you.
Here are a couple of thoughts.
Do you looked harassed, unprepared of just plain out of sorts
when you walk out the door?
Is your personal appearance up to par? Or do you look like you
just rolled out of bed?
Are you ready to face the day armed with the comfort that you are prepared for anything?
Is your briefcase, laptop, file folder, presentation materials
organized and ready to go?
Have you organized your thoughts and your 30 second elevator
pitch?
Do you have some interesting small talk prepared to warm up a
cold client or to get a dialogue going?
Are you prepared with the right contact names and numbers should
something happen to delay or prevent your presentation?
Do you have a plan B should the person you are meeting be
unavailable?
Knowing that you have mastered all of the above should instill an air of confidence. If you can’t say yes to the above questions then a little advance planning is in order. Take some time at the end of the day to marshal your thoughts for the following day. If you are simply not a morning person, then schedule low key activities in the am and save the power activities for later in the day when you can perform at your best.
Above all — don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet all the
above criteria. It takes planning and work to become an
accomplished professional. Just because you haven’t thought about you the person before doesn’t mean that you can’t start now. Remember you can repackage yourself at any time to suit your personal needs and objectives.
Other articles on similar topics that are in the “Packaging Yourself Workbook.”
The “Packaging Yourself Workbook” is $29.95 plus shipping and
handling. Place your order @
Topics include:
How to prepare an Elevator Pitch,
How to Make the Most of those First 30 Seconds,
How to Speak your way to Fame and Fortune,
How To Promote Yourself and Your Company,
How to Become an Expert in Your Field.
Learn how to accomplish things no one else is doing and to get people to think about you in ways they have not thought before.
And much more including critical checklists for those important business meetings.
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