| |
| |
|
|
Networking Information |
|
|
|
Unforgettable First Impressions Part 4: Become a Social Gift Giver
Do you ever wonder why single people give flowers, wine, candy or mix CD's on first dates? Bingo! Because they want to get lucky! Just kidding. They bring gifts because they want make a great first impression. And that's the sixth and last element of this system: giving gifts. But I'm not talking about gifts you eat, drink, listen to or have to water. I'm talking about social gifts. I purposely placed this element last in the system because it helps you put into practice many of the ideas we've already covered. In all of my reading and research on first impressions, the best description of "social gifts" was written in a book called First Impressions by Dr. Ann Demaris and Dr. Valerie White. I'd like to look at their theory of the four types of social gifts, but take it a step further with some specific examples you can use tomorrow to make flawless first impressions. Social Gift #1: Show Appreciation and Respect "Thanks for your honesty; it means a lot to me." "Thanks for the interesting conversation, Randy. I really learned a lot." "Thanks for bringing me that bottle of water. I thought I was going to choke on that piece of broccoli." Social Gift #2: Discover How You're Alike "Where did you go to high school?" I don't know why we're obsessed with this question. But the answer always discovers the CPI (Common Point of Interest) - whether it's a person you both know, an old football game or just a memorable teen moment. It's amazing how easy it is to give a social gift to someone simply by asking this question (And if you're reading this book and you grew up in St. Louis, my answer to "The Question" is Parkway North). But that's a St. Louis thing. Still, the list of open ended questions you can use to find out how you and your conversation partner are alike is endless! Social Gift #3: Satisfy Curiosity You may be wondering if, after more than four years, this question ever gets old. Not at all. I've always enjoyed answering this question not only because it allows me to talk about my passion, my business and the validation for my existence, but also because it empowers me to give a social gift as a result of being approachable. After all, seeing a nametag worn by a person who's NOT in a meeting or at work is awfully strange. And people just have to ask. People just have to satisfy their curiosity! But there are many other ways to give social gifts for the sake of someone else's curiosity. My favorite is through trivia. You know those useless trivia facts found on daily calendars, candy wrappers and emails? They're not so useless after all. In the summer of 2004 I read a sidebar in USA Today that said the following: "Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans consume 150 million hotdogs. If you lined up that amount of hotdogs from end to end, they would stretch from the moon AND BACK seven times." When I read this I was amazed. Maybe I was nauseous - I don't recall. Either way, I learned a piece of trivia that was both relevant AND interesting. So for the next few weeks before, during, and after the Fourth of July, I made it a point to use it at the beginning of every conversation I had. And as it turned out; people were more interested in wieners than I thought. We started discussions about holidays, hotdogs, fireworks, baseball games - you name it! And it was all because of a simple piece of trivia. Another great benefit of trivia is it will positively affect someone's demeanor. Offer some trivia to someone and watch as she raises her eyebrows, nods her head, smiles, alters her body language and leans forward. Trivia expedites the entire communication process! And it's all because your not-so-useless social gift will make people comfortable and more willing to communicate. Satisfying curiosity will almost always produce this result. Social Gift #4: Uplift Them GOOD NEWS: You can be contagious too! Here's how: use fun, laughter, jokes and interesting stories in your daily repertoire of giving social gifts. "But Scott, I can't remember any of them. I hear a joke or a story and then never think about it again." No worries. The best way to organize this content is with a "Laughter Log." I've been using mine for several years as a way to organize my content for books, speeches, articles and learning tools. But it's also perfect for conversations. Simply get a blank notebook or journal and take a few minutes at the end of each day to write down a few notes. Ask yourself this question; then scribble down a few notes about the incident. Do this every day and after a week or certainly after a month or year - you'll have some great material to incorporate into your "first impression lexicon." Laughter Logs reminds me of the first time I met my friend Billy. I was a junior in college at Miami University. He and I were walking down the same path but not speaking, so I decided to break the silence. "Hey man, you wanna hear a great joke?" I asked. After I told him one of my favorite zingers, Billy introduced himself to me, and immediately we felt like we'd known each other for years! We walked further and realized we even knew some of the same students on campus. After we said goodbye and decided to meet up later in the week, Billy said, "Hey thanks again for the joke - I really needed a good laugh." Remember, even if you don't have a lot of time, these four types of social gifts will help you become UNFORGETTABLE! © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
College Grad's Networking Pays Off With Job Referral, Hiring « CBS ... - CBS San Francisco Bay Area
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creating Successful Alliances and Partnerships through Networking Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the first elected Black Governor in the United States gave me advice that I will never forget. He said, "From this point on, when you walk into a room, walk in that room like you own it, when you talk with people remember to stand on your principles, keep your word, and people will want to associate with you. Lesson 15 - Meeting the Prince with More Reputation than Power The StoryBusiness has a habit of testing us as individuals and as entrepreneurs. Several years ago I retained my first entertainment agent to represent my business and me. Business Networking - Extroverted Web Weaving for the Introvert If you have been in business for any amount of time, you go to networking events. Did your body just seize up? Was there a swelling of nervousness in your gut? Are you about ready to stop reading? I encourage you to stay with me about networking. Flying High, Flying Far "What me? Sell myself? You have to be joking!"This was the response I received from one of my clients when I suggested that she needed to get out there and promote herself. She had to "network". 10 Top Tips for Successful Networking 1. Recognise the importance of networkingAsk any successful business person and they will tell you that above all else networking skills are absolutely vital to grow your business. Networking: What the Heck is a Ryze? If you're new to the internet marketing club, you may have heard about "Ryze." What is that, you wonder? Ryze refers to the Ryze Business Network at http://Ryze. Five Steps for Expanding Your Customer Base with Guerilla Networking As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. How to Avoid Falling Asleep Behind the Conversational Wheel Think about the last time you feel asleep behind the wheel. Dangerous, isn't it? Even if it's just for a split second, nodding off while driving puts you and the other drivers at risk. Youve Got Personality, Use It! For the self employed professional, nothing is more important than the image you project to your clients and potential clients. Napoleon Hill put it best when he said, "People buy your personality and ideas long before they buy your products and services. Real Business Networking Doesnt Happen at Networking Events Real networking isn't about handing out business cards at a networking event, or seeing how many you can collect before the event is over. Real networking is about relationships that, when cultivated properly, will breed referrals and positive word of mouth about you and your company. The Anatomy of a Brain Cramp; The Retainer and the Lavalava - Communication In life, you have to successfully work with people to get anywhere. You can't avoid it. A New LinkedIn Discussion Forum for High Power Dealmakers For those of you interested in international business transactions or the business networking organization, LinkedIn, a new Yahoo groups discussion forum has been created. Several Yahoo discussion groups already exist on the uses and preferences concerning LinkedIn, such as the Yahoo Group forum called MyLinkedin Power Forum (MLPF), but the messages on that forum were biased. The Answer to Your Worst Networking Nightmare Imagine you just met your ideal client at a networking event. He's friendly, has great ideas and could use a valuable person like you to help grow his business. Putting The Fun Back In Networking Networking is one of the most important skills a person can attain to be successful.. Hows Your Net Working? In recent weeks, I've had the opportunity to pass along no fewer than five referrals to other people in my network. I also recently received a very professional and non-pushy email from someone I've never met, who is a member of an organization I'm part of. Lesson 14 - Whats In A Handshake? The StoryAs a child growing up, one of the many life lessons instilled in me was to wash your hands before eating and after using the restroom. As a child I often played in the dirt and places where germs customarily manifested. Why Cant I Remember Your Name? You're terrible with names. You forget someone's name within ten seconds of their introduction, and it embarrasses you. Where to Find a Cash Windfall of $10,000 - $1,000,000 - You Never Knew You Had There is a rather famous true story called "Acres of Diamonds".It is about a successful farmer who risks everything searching the African continent for diamonds. Sticky Situations: Nametag Best Practices Because a person's name is the single context of human memory most apt to be forgotten; because self-disclosure is the single most effective way to build rapport and connect with people you just met; and because initiating the conversation is half the battle - your nametag is your best friend.However, improper creation and wearing of nametags can work against you (and your business) if you're not careful. Why Arent You Talking to Me? Your nonverbal communication talks before you do. Only seven percent of interpersonal communication is transmitted verbally-the remaining ninety-three percent speaks for itself.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |