Conversation Starters

A networking event or company function can sometimes be daunting for a lot of us. Social interaction comes naturally to others but to you and I it may be a "mumble moment" every time. We hesitate in interacting as much as we should to benefit from the potential opportunities in the room. So for the next event you attend, why not take Lynne Brennan's list of tips and put them to good use:Dedicate a number of topics you feel confident about discussing to start the conversation with like:

• Sport
• Music
• The surroundings - if it is an event you need to travel to
• World affairs
• Holidays
• Food
• Films
• Favourite people and places
• News items
• Business associations
• Industry news and happenings

Be sure to:

• ALWAYS read a daily newspaper to ensure you are up to date with business news and current affairs.
• AVOID initiating a conversation on politics or religion and asking questions of a personal nature i.e. income, sex, family.
• If you tend to speak quickly, remember to pause now and again - make it easier for people to listen to you and understand you.
• If you discuss business - AVOID gossip. Be loyal to the company, department and your colleagues and be sensitive to the reaction of others.
• When conversing, show real interest in the person you are talking to. The minute your mind wanders, you will show the person you are talking to that you have lost interest and they will notice. Do not interrupt others or talk over them when they are speaking. Use phrases of encouragement like:
  - "That's interesting, where did you see that?"
  - "I noticed an article about your company in..."
  - "So tell me when you decided to..."
  
• Give some thought to developing some links of your own - empathising with others soon builds relationships:
  - " I appreciate that feeling"
  - "Yes it is difficult isn't it?"
  - "That must be really exciting"
  
  It will make the person you are talking to feel comfortable because you are building empathy, not just talking about subjects that are of particular interest to you.

For more information - visit our website www.profimpressions.co.za

The ME in my brand - COSMO October Issue

Define YOU, define YOUR BRAND
Your brand is all you say and do, and your image and etiquette are the visual part of that brand. To define your brand, ask yourself:

Who am I? 

What do I stand for? 

What do I believe in? 

Where do I want to go?

Your brand must be authentic and reflect your personality, values and vision. Write down your mission(what you do) and vision ( what you can do-your promise) and set your goals.If you are always labelled by your colleagues as being a "funny" person, that will become a part of your brand.

Develop it!
Companies spend millions on branding and marketing and ensuring they are ahead of their competitors, you too need to develop YOUR BRAND to stay ahead of the rest. Identify your strengths and talents and invest in them. Ask yourself:

What do I want to be known for?

If it is being accurate and detailed then request jobs or tasks that highlight these skills and this will bring those attributes to the attention of others. If it is being warm and empathetic, nurture this to draw others to you. If it is being articulate, go on a presentation course to hone this. (Check out Paul duToits site http://www.presentationskills.co.za/ for some options) If it is something as simple as having amazing eyes, then highlight them with makeup, learn to use them and be known for them in a positive light.
Do a BRAND INTERVENTION.
Once you have a clear description of your brand, look at the areas that are not working and put a brand intervention in place. Consider your appearance, etiquette, body language, confidence, voice and communication skills. You need to at all times be consistent in your actions, words and appearance. You cannot subconcsiously say " I am a fun loving girl but I want you to take me seriously while prancing around in a lace cami, tartan mini and stilettos; wielding a cellphone covered in a barbie case.

Keep RE-EVALUATING your brand.
If you notice that people are no longer taking notice of you or projects are slowly slipping away then  re-evaluate and make changes. Update your knowledge base about your job, your industry and what is in fashion to keep BRAND YOU at the cutting edge - learn from others -what works and what doesn't.

From the Cosmopolitan (October Issue) article I contributed towards:

The Road to Miss SA

Haydee recently took the gorgeous Miss South Africa ladies through a powerful Personal Branding and Etiquette principles workshop - the presentation was televised for "THE ROAD TO MISS SA" insert and will be airing this Sunday - 30 October - on MZANSI MAGIC - Channel 107 on DTSV at 19:00pm - be sure to tune in and get an idea of the journey involved in becoming the next Miss South Africa.

Admin and Finance Organisation

Are you so organised that every time you open your mail it goes straight into a clearly defined and neatly labelled filing system in your office/kitchen/lounge? Or is there a semi-permanent pile of paperwork growing on that dining room table? What about your e-mail inbox or the bills you still need to pay... Joan van Zyl put together a fantastic article in the YOU Makeovers magazine - Summer Issue on sorting through one's life in different areas including admin. She talks about dividing your finances into two groups - NOW and FUTURE.

The NOW group is about the basics - staying within budget  and getting rid of debt.

• Determine your net worth (financial position) - subtract what you owe (bills,loans, accounts) from what you have in your account at the moment.
• For one month keep a pen and notepad in your handbag or use your phone and make a list of every expense you spend your money on then go through your list and see what buys were a necessity and what were just careless spends. Could you be making those purchases using loyalty points like e-bucks?
• Now take this info and compare them to your bank statements from the last 3 months and draw up a budget - including your debts and savings - include expenses that may only be monthly or yearly.

The FUTURE is the bigger picture - this is where you will be planning for the future and securing your financial freedom.

• Unless you are one (you shouldn't need to read this article if you are), you will most likely need the help of a financial advisor - ask a friend or family member for a recommendation.
• Money is unfortunately what makes the world go round and we are all dependent on it's importance so read the financial magazines, listen to the financial segments on the radio - stay informed about what goes on in the financial world.
• Change your perspective - instead of thinking about the lack of money "I" have, start thinking about how much you could have if you managed it better.

What about household admin - all that paperwork mentioned earlier.

1. ORGANISE your life NOW - buy files and labels and start sifting through that paperwork and separating everything into the correct piles and filing them away.
2. Use boxes for the post that you know you will not be able to get to straight away. Label them "IN" "OUT" "ACCOUNTS" "TAX" etc.
3. Search for a budget template on the internet and utilise it to see what you should cut back on and what you can spoil yourself to each month - try www.mydebt.co.za/downloads/personal-budget-spreadsheet.xls
4. Always check value for money - from policies to account promises to bank fees.

Trends for the Summer Season

For our other latest tips visit our website here www.profimpressions.co.za or click on this link to go straight to our Latest free Tips section

What we can do for you

Image Training

What we can do for YOU

For more information visit our website - www.profimpressions.co.za

Brand YOU

“Personal branding is self-expression amplified to influence and command attention. This has everything to do with your business success, especially in attracting media exposure and seducing new clients” – Ben Angel.

What is Personal Branding to you? For many of us; someone who can be referred to as a brand are most likely famous and well known, someone who endorses other brands and has celebrity status. Well we are wrong. Personal branding should be implemented by all of us. We are our own brand representing the company we work for. Just like celebrities do, we too can build Brand Preference and Brand Equity - we can differentiate ourselves from fellow Personal branders (colleagues.)

The best way to discover your Personal Brand is to treat yourself like a brand and use
exisiting marketing tools:

• Do a SWOT analysis:
• Your Strengths
• Your Weakness's
• Your Opportunites - what defines you from others
• Your Threats - what do other colleagues/competitor employees have that you don't and how can you turn that into an opportunity.
• Write down your mission (your purpose) and vision (your future promise) statement.

According to Ben Angel – author, business and lifestyle columnist, personal stylist and marketing specialist on personal branding – your personal brand is about how you position yourself within the market place. It is made up of everything you are, do and have:

- Your clothes

- Your hairstyle

- Your intentions

- Your interactions

- Your emotional energy

- Your facial expressions

- Your tone and medium of communication

"By creating a memorable and distinct personal brand for yourself you invite consumers/clients/customers into your world and help them relate to you. This makes it difficult for competitors to copy this relationship you have forged with your clients. Nobody can copy the essence of who you are as a person, so the more 'you' that you put into your brand, the more rewarding and successful it will be. These assets are intangible, you cannot pick up your essence and hand it over to your client, but you can definitely make your client feel it and in turn, be a memorable part of their brand experience. You must be able to stand head and shoulders above the rest in a crowded marketplace to be successful in your chosen industry.”

Ben Angel addresses a few important questions:

·         Do you have the personality it takes to take your industry by storm?

·         Does your personal brand distinguish you from your competitors?

·         Have you positioned yourself as the ‘go-to’ expert in your industry?

·         Have you carved out a clear niche for yourself in the marketplace?

·         Are you newsworthy?

·         Do you embody the values that your target market aspires to?

It is important to remember that YOU + YOUR BUSINESS = THE COMPLETE PACKAGE that prospects are either drawn to or repelled by.

“Be a Remarkable Brand”

This corporate presentation will provide you/your staff with the skills to:

• Represent a consistent, authentic brand
• Impress others with your image excellence, business etiquette and professionalism
• Make your personal brand a powerful and influential tool in today's fast-paced world

Now is the time to take control of your brand. Let the team at Professional Impressions help you or your company to increase the impact of your impressions. We look forward to helping you design your personal brand and unlock your unlimited potential!

Visit http://www.profimpressions.co.za

We would like to credit Ben Angel - Sleeping your way to the top in business - check out his website here for some amazing tips and articles. 

Your Grooming Checklist

Many of us forget certain grooming details which we oversee or do not consider important. Take a look at this quick checklist compiled by Lynne Brennan and take note of the ones that may have slipped your routine groom.

General to do's:

• Keep your hair trimmed and clean.
• Wear just enough perfume/aftershave to smell good - not so that colleagues can smell you before you have even come around the corner in the office.
• Have clean and manicured nails - especially after working with products like paint or oil over the weekend.
• Make sure your shoes are clean and there are no holes or scuffs.
• Use a clothes brush or lint roller to ensure your clothes are pristine.
• Check yourself in a full length mirror for any hems, loose buttons or unzipped zips.

 To do's for women:

• If you do paint your nails, ensure the paint is not chipped.
• Keep a spare pair of stockings handy.
• Add accessories that suit you and your outfit.
• If you have long hair, do something with it - the wake up and go look does not support a professional image.
  
  
  

To do's for men:

• Trim your beard, moustache and any excessive nose/ear hairs that may be sprouting.
• Pluck your eyebrows - unibrows are not acceptable in this day and age.
• Accessorise minimally with a watch, wedding ring and dress ring.
• Ensure your socks cover the space between your trouser bottoms and shoes tops when seated.

Package Yourself For Success Workshop

You have the business expertise and knowledge, so why are you not getting the deals? The way you present yourself has an impact on the outcome of a situation. Your mannerisms, etiquette and image are key players in the “first impressions” theory. People looking for success want to do business with people that look and act successful. Now, close the deal by packaging yourself for success.

Re-energise you/your staff by booking them on this workshop. Contact us today.

The Power of Body Language in Communication

According to Wikipedia body language is - a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously. Body Language is therefore very relevant to management and leadership, and to all aspects of work and business where communications can be seen and physically observed among people yet we seem to dismiss and not take enough notice of them.

Dr Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology says there are three V's which make up the communication signals we send to others - they are:

Visual = How you look - 55%
Vocal = How you sound - 38%
Verbal = What you say - 7%

With these numbers in mind consider how much communication is dependant on how we say something and not actually what we say in business. It is necessary to perfect your job skills says *Lynne Brennan, if your non-verbal signals are out of sync with your spoken message, the people listening to you will feel uncomfortable, or may not believe - or be interested in what you are saying. Body language is a vital part of spoken interaction and it is worth continually developing your ability to read other's signals.

What do these habits mean to you?

1. Running fingers through hair
2. Sitting back with both hands behind the head
3. Legs crossed, arms folded tightly
4. Sitting forward, head nodding occasionally
5. Supporting the head in the right hand with an elbow resting on the table
6. Foot tapping, fist clenched
7. Hands over eyes
8. Direct, strong eye contact
9. Stroking the chin
10. Hair-twisting
11. Rubbing an earlobe
12. Tight-lipped with both hands on hips

Here are Lynne Brennan's interpretations:

1. Unsure/ frustrated or angry
2. Know it all
3. Defensive/ annoyed
4. Interested
5. Bored/ tired
6. Frustrated/ angry
7. Does not want to see someone/ something; disappointed, frsutrated/ angry
8. Aggressive/ dominant
9. Deep in thought
10. Nervous
11. Nervous/ doubtful/ not telling the truth
12. Aggressive

One of the most basic, powerful and well-known body-language signals is when a person crosses his or her arms across the chest. This can indicate that a person is putting up an unconscious barrier between themselves and others. Alternatively, the person could be cold and reflects this with arms folded.

Consistent eye contact can indicate that a person is thinking positively of what the speaker is saying. Lack of eye contact can indicate negativity. On the other hand, individuals with anxiety disorders are often unable to make eye contact without discomfort.
Or if while making direct eye contact, a person is fiddling with something, even while directly looking at you, it could indicate the attention is elsewhere.

There are three standard areas that a person will look which represent different states of being. If the person looks from one eye to the other, then to the forehead, it is a sign that they are taking an authoritative position. If they move from one eye to the other, then to the nose, that signals that they are engaging in what they consider to be a "Social Gaze" with neither party holding superiority. The last case is from one eye to the other and then down to the lips or further below the chin which is a "Personal Gaze" and usually only used when in a company with someone you have a personal relationship with.

Disbelief is often indicated by averted gaze, or by touching the ear or scratching the chin. When a person is not being convinced by what someone is saying, their attention invariably wanders, and the eyes will stare away for an extended period.

Boredom is indicated by the head tilting to one side, or by the eyes looking straight at the speaker but becoming slightly unfocused. A head tilt may also indicate a sore neck or Amblyopia, and unfocused eyes may indicate ocular problems in the listener.

Deceit or the act of withholding information can sometimes be indicated by touching the face during conversation. Excessive blinking is a well-known indicator of someone who is lying. According the Wikipedia recent evidence has surfaced that the absence of blinking can also represent lying as a more reliable factor than excessive blinking.

Info sourced from Wikipedia and Lynne Brennan's book Business Etiquette for the 21st Century - What to do and what not to do.

For info regarding workshops we offer that touch on body language click here

Personal Emergency Kit

 For those "just in case" moments when a last minute meeting pops up or the day turned out to be a lot hotter than what you were expecting it to be, a button has fallen off your jacket or your nail breaks whilst filing away important documents.

There are a number of mini catastrophes that can occur throughout the day so be prepared and have a small collection of necessities stored inside one of the drawers in your desk. There are numerous stores which stock mini travel sized toiletries which are ideal for your emergency kit. Always be prepared for the unexpected by having all or some of these items in your office:

• Lint roller
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Nail file
• Hairbrush/comb
• Deodorant/Perfume
• Breash freshener/mints
• Shoe shine
• Travel sized sewing kit
• Tissues

For Women add:

• Spare tights/stockings
• Make up basics

For Men add:

• A spare shirt
• Razor/ electric shaver

This list of items will cover the basics for any such personal emergency which may appear during your busy day in the office.

Source: Business Etiquette for the 21st Century - What to do and what NOT to do by Lynne Brennan