Speak First Newsletter - March 2007

This month we’ve got some great ways to help you increase the odds of winning your next pitch. In our experience you can never get enough help when it comes to winning business and many of the tips are useful to anyone who has to present their ideas to others in any situation. If there’s a lot at stake you cannot afford to miss these great hints and tips. In our Tricks of the Trade series you’ll pick up some ideas on how to make a positive first impression.

Warm wishes

Amanda and Jackie

In this month's issue...

• Pitching to Win
• Tricks of the trade - Simple ways to create a positive first impression

Pitching to win

It’s a competitive world out there.  Increasingly people working in every sector need to pitch better than the rest to win business. Often you’re up against companies with great products and services. To be successful you have to convince them that you’re the right people, with the right products. If you don’t they’ll swiftly move on to the next outfit that can.

So how can you develop a competitive edge? How can you win that contract? The secret of being successful comes down to a handful of small differences that make a huge impact on the end result.  Click here to read our eight steps to delivering a perfect pitch.

Tricks of the trade - Simple ways to create a positive first impression

First impressions are important because people form opinions about you – often in a matter of seconds – and rarely change them. If you want to create a positive impact, build effective business relationships and achieve success at work you cannot afford to ignore this vital skill. The good news is there are some simple things you can do to improve your personal impact.

The list below came from research into how people assess physical appearance. Skim through and ask yourself honestly “How do I shape up?”

• Hair – Can you do something with your hair to make it look smarter? How often do you fit in time for that all important good hair cut? 
• Hygiene and grooming – This is really basic and yet we all come across people who treat this one lightly. Do you shower daily, wear fresh clothes and are your nails neat, clean and manicured or a bit ragged round the edges?
• Physique – What can you do to improve your diet? How much exercise do you get? If you want to look and feel good you need to make this part of the way you live your life.
• Dress – Are your clothes clean and pressed or crumpled and in need of ironing? Are you dressed in a contemporary way to impress or stuck in a time warp? Can you see your face in the shine on your shoes or are they slightly scuffed around the edges?
• Smiling – How often do you smile when you meet people for the first time? When you smile in a genuine way people tend to smile back. In a split second we can tell whether a smile is real or fake. So make sure you’re not just going through the motions. A genuine smile floods slowly across your face. Creases appear at the corner of your eyes as they appear to light up.
• Shaking hands – What do people make of your handshake? This gesture originally showed there was no weapon in your hand. Now it represents much more. Is the person confident and self assured, insecure and shy or dominant and controlling? People can make all sorts of assumptions from how you shake hands. The ideal handshake is fully engaged with a firm but comfortable grip.

If you want to find out more sign up for our Developing Personal Impact course.