First Impressions

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment

Rita Mae Brown


Make a Great First Impression

Harry Beckwith, Christine Clifford Beckwith, Beckwith Partners

Best ways to make a great impression -- whether you are trying to win over a new business contact or your future in-laws...

Let the joke be on you. The problem with most jokes is that they’re made at someone else’s expense, whether it’s a Polish joke, a blonde joke or almost any other kind. The one kind of joke that never hurts anyone’s feelings is the one aimed at yourself. Pick something small and silly that happened to you recently. This will endear you to others.

Be unforgettable. We knew a marketer with a client who loved baseball. She found an unusual baseball, bought it and sent it to the client. With that one unforgettable gift, she cemented a lasting professional relationship.

Don’t send a holiday card. Nearly every company sends its clients and associates cards around the Christmas holidays. With many holiday cards coming in, yours is just one in the crowd. Instead, send cards throughout the year on truly special occasions -- on a client’s birthday, his child’s graduation or when his favorite team wins a game.

Remember people’s names. The best way to remember a person’s name is through vivid images. You can associate a new person with a famous person. Example: If you meet a Tom, think of Tom Cruise and imagine the new Tom on a cruise ship.

Show respect. An easy way to show respect is to actively listen. One way to do this is to listen in images. If the person you’re listening to is talking about a skiing trip she took, imagine her racing down the mountain. Next, when it’s your turn to speak, pause for a second before responding. It shows that you were really listening instead of just waiting for your turn to speak.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Harry Beckwith and Christine Clifford Beckwith, Minneapolis-based founders of the consulting firm Beckwith Partners, whose clients include Fidelity, Merck and IBM. They are authors of the best-seller You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself (Warner Business). www.beckwithpartners.com.

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