The One Second Edge in Business
Is the first second of your encounter killing your business? It could be. Your appearance says so much about you that we rarely can get past a bad first impression. And that first impression could be happening in as little as one second. It could be as simple as a less than enthusiastic look to as complicated as wearing clothes that are not congruent with your line of work. Here are five tips to ensure that you have the one-second edge in business.
1. Smile. Virtually every situation can be overcome with a smile. Smiles are contagious. When you smile people will smile back, and people who smile are more likely to be liked.
2. Dress slightly better than your customers unless you are in certain service industries (we will discuss that one next). Your customers want to do business with people who are professional and appear to be successful. It troubles me every time I meet financial planners who come to business meetings dressed in casual attire. I want to be able to picture my financial planner as successful. In our society successful people dress well.
3. If you are in a service industry dress the part. One of the most successful people I have met recently is a painter who attends networking events in paint-splattered clothes. I can see him as a painter.
4. Avoid radical hairstyles, make-up and jewelry. Men with ponytails and women with pink hair have more trouble being taken seriously by business people. The same holds true for excessive piercings, make-up and tattoos. You may not like to conform but the truth is people want to do business with people they think are like them. There are more clean cut men than men with ponytails and there are more women with blonde, brunette and black hair than there are with pink. And while piercings and tattoos are stylish, they are rare in the business world.
5. Take care of yourself. Consume a healthy diet, get plenty of rest and avoid extremes. You are free to choose your lifestyle but do your best to look your best at all times. There are potential areas of improvement in all our lives. When we are engaged in eliminating vices or health risks we have a natural confidence and self esteem boost that people can see. When meeting people you must be aware of your appearance. Everyone can strive to look their best at all times and when we do we will have a confidence that people can see. That will give you the one-second edge in business.
9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People - How Inc.com Got It Wrong!
9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People, an article recently published on Inc.com, attempts to identify what it takes to be a successful person through identifying the common beliefs held by successful people. For all its well-intentioned information, the article is fundamentally flawed.
9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People should be titled 9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful Assets. Somewhere, somehow, people have been reduced to workers exclusively. Their value is measured in productivity, value for time invested, and revenue generated. And while all this is true, this alone does not make for successful and valuable people. It merely makes for successful and valuable assets to organizations, communities, families, and governments.
People have intrinsic value. You cannot make one more valuable than the other. Once you do, you change the dynamic of people to assets. People can do immeasurably more than mere assets.
People are successful when they contribute to society to be certain, however one cannot truly be successful as a person until they have success in five areas of life:
Personal: Are you living a life that is pleasing to you? Are you living out your purpose? Have you reached a point in life where you realize that what you do matters and that you live in accordance with principles that are to your liking? Do you have rich, mutually rewarding relationships with others that bring joy to your life? Do you have a positive impact on society by giving of yourself through service?
Financial: Like it or not, money matters. Financially, are you living a life that is pleasing to you and financially positive for those around you? Are you financially independent and if not have you set in motion those things that will provide financial independence? Do you give to others financial gifts or tithes? Are you living within your means or are you financed to the hilt? Of course there are things you’d like to possess and experiences you’d like to have that are out of your financial ability, are you at peace with that?
Achievements: Everyone has a desire to achieve, to strive for something they deem worthy. Are you happy with those things you’ve achieved in your life? Have you achieved success in your family life? Are you an exceptional leader? Are you a tireless volunteer? Did you graduate from school and if not, did you overcome this hurdle? Have you experienced remarkable difficulty and persevered?
Health: One cannot be truly successful as a person unless they are healthy enough to engage in life. Are you physically fit or barely rolling out of bed in the morning? If you have a handicap, have you found a way to overcome it or live at peace with it? Health is as much physical as it is mental. Are you mentally tough enough to overcome a health obstacle?
Spiritual: Call it nature or call it God, to deny we have a spiritual existence is fool-hearty. Have you come to the realization that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself? Have you found that spiritual connection that gives you comfort in knowing that, while we have freewill, someone or something is beyond our existence? I believe in God. What do you believe in?
The questions above and others you will undoubtedly uncover in each of the five categories are just the beginning of the journey. And that’s exactly how it should be. Each person must decide where he or she is going before setting a course to successfully arrive at the destination. Decide who you believe you should be and ask the questions necessary to arrive at the destination of your life’s choosing. Be purposeful.
Earl Nightingale said, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” To be successful as a person you must decide what you want in each area of your life and make your life the pursuit of purpose.
For the record, there are 3 Beliefs of Successful People. They believe in a higher power. They believe they are a part of something bigger than themselves. And successful people believe and understand that what they do matters, even if they choose to do nothing. These beliefs are the beliefs of successful people because they ultimately determine all actions of their lives.