Setting a Good First Impression
Introductions can be awkward, to say the least! With Christmas and other festive events among us, there are usually many social events that accompany them. Family gatherings, work parties (and spousal work parties), and church functions are just a few of the many opportunities where you will likely encounter an introduction to someone you’ve never met before.
But to many of us, the thought of meeting new people can be intimidating. Just thinking about meeting your fiancé’s family or your best friend’s chums can lead to anxiety, panic and stress. Well, stress no more!
Here are 5 simple things you can do right now, to relieve that stress while you make a positive and lasting effect on each new person you meet.
1. Smile
A smile is relaxing to both you and the person you are smiling at. It sets a non-aggressive, friendly atmosphere. Your muscles will start to relax and your stress, nervousness and anxiety levels will diminish, leaving you happier and more at peace with the new situation. Happy people are like magnets – they positively attract others to them.
2. Make Eye Contact
Making eye contact shows that you are paying attention to the person and that you think they are important. Making eye contact also holds the other person’s attention to you. Be sure not to glare or stare at them when making eye contact but instead, smile through your eyes; it’s not hard to do. One of the beautiful things about each and every one of our faces is that when our lips smile, our cheeks and eyes follow along and smile too.
3. Let Your Body do the Talking
Didn’t your mother always tell you to stand up straight? A straight posture shows confidence and a respect for one’s own self. Years ago, it was customary and thought as polite etiquette for a man to stand up, while a woman could remain seated when being introduced to someone new. Fortunately today is more about equality and treating eachother with the respect we want to be shown. Therefore, regardless of whether you are a man or woman, you should always stand up (whenever possible) when meeting someone new and in most cases, shake their hand to acknowledge and welcome them. Remember, body language speaks louder than words so if you’re body is going to do some of speaking for you in setting that good first impression, then stand up tall and let it say "I acknowledge and welcome you with confidence and self respect".
4. Say My Name, Say My Name
Destiny's Child has it right! Ever notice how you can be deeply involved in something but the slightest sound of hearing your name will make you automatically STOP what you you’re doing and look up? Our brains become programmed at a very young age to the sound of our own name and from that moment onward, our ears perk up and our brains spark at the mere mention of our name. When you meet someone new, using their name will get their attention and make them feel important. Repeating their name when you are introduced to them is also a good way for you to remember their name, which can prevent embarrassment for you the next time you encounter them.
5. Speak a Phrase
Rather than just saying ‘hi Bob’ or ‘hello Troy’, use their name in a short sentence or phrase, such as: "Hi, Nice to meet you Bob", or whatever you are most comfortable with saying naturally. Asking a question, such as "Hey Troy, what’s up?" is also a great conversation starter that shows you are interested in knowing more about them, while providing them with an opportunity to respond. Ask an open-ended question if you can, which is a question that cannot be answered by a quick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (Open-ended questions usually begin with a Why? Where? How? or When?)
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Using one, two or all 5 of these simple techniques will not only relax you – body, mind and spirit but they will also help you to make a positive and lasting effect on each new person you meet this season – and any season. Give it at try!
From the Sofa to Success
Don't you love hearing stories of the underdog - winning? Especially people having success even when starting with absolutely nothing but a dream?
I sure do!
How is this for an underdog story: 
Brian was an unemployed former Marine, just out of the service so broke he's sleeping on his best friend's mom's couch and doesn‚t have any real job prospects. How did he pull himself up by his own bootstraps and convince multiple businesses to start paying him thousands of dollars a month for his new-found expertise? I'm pumped up to share this amazing story with you from my friend Mike – it goes into a LOT of detail and you'll walk away with an action blueprint… just for dropping by. You need to check this out now… really! Click Here to experience Brian's Story
P.S. You don't need to be a genius to get a LOT of out of this, go here now before its gone: Here's Brian's Story
Monday, December 7, 2009 marked the start of the long awaited UN (United Nations) Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen (aka COP15). Here, our world leaders come together to try and agree on solutions targeted at the global warming crisis. During the course of the convention, Mark Terry, Filmmaker and Director of ‘The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warning’ has been invited to showcase his new documentary and be on hand to answer delegates’ questions and concerns. The film is scheduled for a total of 17 viewings during his stay in Denmark.
“It’s a great honour to be invited to The UN Conference in Copenhagen” Mark said, during his celebratory ’send-off’ party last Saturday evening. “I’m really excited to be showcasing my film to those with the power to actually change how our world is managing this crisis”. ~ Mark Terry
Filmmaker Mark Terry is an official UN delegate representing Canada at this UN conference. You can keep up on Mark’s quest at the UN in Denmark by visiting the film’s *Official* new website at:
www.TheAntarcticaChallenge.com
Have your voice heard in Copenhagen. Visit Mark’s new website between December 7 and 18 and leave him a message for Denmark. http://theantarcticachallenge.com
Introducing: Singing Lessons Now. com
This website offers free tips and techniques to improve your speaking and singing voice. Lessons are FREE and feature Lisa Smith from Lisa Smith's Power Haus. Lisa is an accomplished vocalist who has studied classically for many years and is now starring in her own Rock Band. The lessons are quick, simple and easy to follow. This is NOT just for singers. If you do presentations at work, are in charge of pitching sales ads and promotions, or you'll be speaking at an upcoming wedding or other event, you can benefit from these lessons. Anyone wanting to improve their vocal ability will learn in a fun, relaxed manner in the comfort of you own home. For more information, please visit: http://SingingLessonsNow.com
A friend recently mentioned that they wanted to ask for a raise and some benefits but didn't know how best to approach it. They asked if I had some suggestions that might help ease the stress and anxiety of taking on the boss and asking for more – without fear of losing their job. Here is my simplified method - 3 keys to Effective Negotations. Follow these steps and not only will you NOT lose your job but you'll walk away much happier with the results and feeling more confident in your ability to negotiate.
- Make a list of your accomplishments. What have you done to improve the company? Have you made the boss's life easier in any way? Perhaps you've catalogued a warehouse, organized the office so things are much easier to find, maybe you've made a list of important contact numbers and put this list at the boss's fingertips, saving tons of time for them, or completed a project that reaped huge benefits or time savings for the company. Whatever you've done, make a list. It's important to come from the boss's perspective, rather than your own. Instead of saying, 'I've done this for you…" (making it all about you) you should say how the boss or company has benefited. For example, you could say something like: "Because the warehouse is now organized, it takes half the time to pick stock, which means we can now pick and ship twice as much in a day than we could before, providing faster delivery to our customers' (if you have actual numbers of how much you've saved the company, be sure to include that.) What this shows is value – your value.
- Set up an appointment to discuss. Your boss is busy, so it's not fair or considerate to just spring something on them. Besides, this is important to you and you may only have 1 shot at it, so you want to make sure you do it right the first time. Set up a time to discuss it but keep it short – a half-hour (30 minutes) is more than enough time to negotiate a raise (or whatever). You'll need to call the meeting something, to give him/her some idea as to what the meeting is about. You can call it "performance review" or 'status and update', or something like that.
- Keep it short, concise, and unemotional. When the time comes for your meeting, do not include things like "it would really help me and my family to have benefits…" Begin by stating how long you've been with the company and that you enjoy it there. That will immediately put the boss at ease and open to hearing what you have to say. Make a copy of the list for the boss so they can follow along as you quickly review it. (Take extra effort to make this list presentable and error free – use spell and grammar check.) After you have finished reviewing your list of accomplishments, that's the time to ask for the raise. The boss may even ask you what you want before you have the chance to ask for it yourself. Again, keep it short and unemotional. When you're asking, say that you believe you have earned ……(the raise, extra vacation, whatever); don't say you 'deserve' it.
Important: Understand that the boss may be prepared to answer you right away and tell you what they think or they may not. If there seems to be a pause or lag in their response, don't lose your cool. The boss should be the next one to speak – however long that takes, especially if they are a controlling type of personality who likes to make the decisions. If they are not talking, it's because they are thinking. I know that silence can be uncomfortable but if you really want your raise, then don't interrupt their train of thought. If they want time to think about it, then that's ok too and not a bad sign - ask for a follow-up date & time in the not too distant future. They might just need to go back to their books (or another department – or speak to their boss) before granting you your request. Good luck!!
To learn more about how to communicate with all 4 personality types more effectively, visit:
http://sweetspottraining.com/personal/discover-your-personality-type/
