Marion's Communication Tips

Marion Grobb Finkelstein offers practical, proven and powerful communication tips you can put to use in the workplace. She'll help you increase morale, confidence and productivity by changing the way you communicate. You'll have communication tools to connect with colleagues, clients, employees and bosses... fast!

How to Make a Great First Impression

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

It's a funny thing about first impressions -- they're lasting. If the impression you leave is a good one, it will cast a positive light on every following encounter. This "halo effect" sets the tone for your relationship. Conversely, if the impression you make is less than favorable, that works against you. It means you have to work extra hard to switch negative feelings to positive ones, and it could jeopardize you connecting with others. ...more

WEBINAR: How to Give the "Best You" Job Interview (March 15 @ 2pm) -- Grab Your Seat NOW!

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 3 Comments

Have you ever gone to a job interview and absolutely bombed? You stumbled over questions you know you could answer and then, much to your chagrin, you thought of the perfect response a day later. Or maybe you were so nervous, your brain shut down completely and went blank. Your nervousness may have been misperceived as lack of confidence in your ability to do the job and the interview went downhill from there. ...more

Clean Up Your Image

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

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Clean Up Your Image

Have you purchased any of those web bargain coupons? They're all over the place -- WagJag, Daily Deals, Social Living and more. I've scooped many of them with great success ... and then, some that were less than shining successes, like the one I used this week.

I had a wedding to attend, so I figured it was a perfect time to use my voucher for manicure and haircut that I'd purchased. I'd never gone to this place before, never even knew about it, so I arrived with no preconceptions.

My first impression began from the moment I pulled up in front of the shop. It seemed like a nice enough place in a neighborhood that was being revitalized and soon becoming a trendy hot spot. It struck me that this hair salon had potential, yet had clearly not kept up with the times. Apart from being dated, the thing that struck me the most was its untidy appearance.

It wasn't dirty per se, just unkept. Hair clippings were left on the floor from the cut of a previous client. The storage area enroute to the bathroom was piled with dirty pails and clothes. The baseboards were scuffed, marked and in sorry need of a repaint. The tile floor sported dust that had been dragged in. The posters on the wall had been there for enough time that the thumbtacked corners were beginning to curl ever so slightly.

These surroundings left me with a sense that the shop owner didn't really care, didn't take pride in his work, and didn't give a hoot about what his clients thought or needed. All this made me wonder if I could trust him with my business. Was he competent? Organized? Professional? Mmmm, I had to wonder. This image did not match the image I had in my mind of a well-run beauty shop.

Now think about your workplace. What type of impression does it give? Do your work surroundings project the image that is consistent with your brand, the quality of your work, and what you want to be known for? Does it reflect a professional and organized approach, or are all your files or supplies sprawling across your desk in complete disarray? It might be "organized confusion" for you and give a completely different message to others. For your client, colleagues and bosses, it may be shouting, "WARNING: stay away! Disorganized person works here!". Nothing may be further than the truth. However, clues lead to conclusions and people may read these environmental surroundings as warnings that your work is out of control.

Why risk it? Why not stack the deck in your favor and project the image that instills a sense of confidence in your abilities? You deserve no less.

It might be unfair that the world judges books by their covers. Whether we like it or not, it's also the reality. When the image you project doesn't match what people expect, that gap between expectation and reality may not serve you well. It may be making it harder for you to get the recognition, the pet projects and the rewards that you deserve.

The good news is that there's one person and one person only who controls your workplace environment, and you'll find out who when you look in the mirror. You might not control the whole workplace -- you do control your piece of it. Put the control to work and project the image that you deserve.

By the way ... the haircut and manicure was OK, not great. It pretty much matched the image of the boutique itself. And that, right there, is the whole point. Next time, I'll follow my gut and my impressions and just may walk away. Your clients may do the same based on the impression you give with your workplace. You have the ability to control the image your work space projects. Take a look around you right now and ask yourself honestly, is this the impression you want to make? Is it truly a reflection of your professionalism? If not, you can change it, starting today. You've worked hard to build a great reputation and give a good impression -- let your work space reflect that.

Comments about this article? Blog them below -- everyone welcome!

PS: have you signed up yet to receive my weekly "Marion's Communication Tips". Visit www.MarionSpeaks.com and fill in the webform, or just email me at Marion@MarionSpeaks.com with "sign me up" in the subject line.

Until next time, here's to ...
Better communication, Better business, Better life,
Marion Grobb Finkelstein
COMMUNICATION CATALYST
Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author
www.MarionSpeaks.com
Marion@MarionSpeaks.com
www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks

© 2011 Marion Grobb Finkelstein
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Response Rate Matters

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 1 Comments

How's your response rate these days? I mean, how long does it typically take for you to respond to an inquiry or request? It could be from your boss, employee, colleague or client -- and how long you take to respond is going to make a difference to your success rate and building relationships.

Jay Arthur, a fellow pro speaker (http://www.lean-six-sigma-money-belt.com), advised me that in the March 2011 HBR reports that sales could benefit from cutting response times. Companies spent $22.7 billion generating online sales leads in 2009. Companies that followed up within the hour were seven times more likely to qualify the lead than companies that followed up after an hour and 60 times more likely than companies that waited 24 hours.

How are most companies doing? ...more

Act the Part

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

Back track about 20 years: I was hosting cablevision shows and doing radio and TV ads, all while holding down hefty full-time communication positions. Then, I decided I'd try my hand at acting. Being in a movie was one of those things on my "bucket list" and I figured it was worth a shot. Regardless of the outcome, I reminded myself, it would make for a good story from my rocking chair in the years ahead. ...more

Oblivious People Drive Me Nuts

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

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OBLIVIOUS PEOPLE DRIVE ME NUTS

I burst out laughing this week when I read a post on Facebook from a friend (thanks Joanna, I owe you one). She was recounting her rather unpleasant grocery shopping experience with an oblivious person. After several attempts of politely asking him to move so she could get her cart past him to the cashier only to be completely ignored, she resorted to her military training and barked out the order in no uncertain terms. I couldn't help myself from doubling over in giggles about the scene I painted in my mind -- this prim and proper lady, this quintessential professional, this woman of decorum and class, bellowing out the command to "kindly move!" Hilarious.

It's always funny when it happens to someone else, isn't it? Oblivious people are the source of much entertainment when they affect another person's life.

Not so funny when it's us living the experience.

Think: bottom of an escalator or getting off an elevator, when the person in the front comes to an unexpected and dead stop. You and the others behind him or her are piling up in body heaps, completely unbeknownst to the person who is the cause of this mishap. They have no idea what mayhem they've unleashed and go about their blissfully unaware business.

What about how oblivious people affect our communications? Sadly, sometimes people are completely oblivious to social clues when it comes to how they communicate. I've seen this dynamic play out in social situations when a person tries to interject into a conversation and others talk right over. Oh, it's so frustrating! The excluded person feels rejected, invisible, overlooked, marginalized and possibly even embarrassed. Oblivious people: they walk the halls of our learning institutions, they hold seats in our offices and boardrooms, and some even make their way into our homes.

So what to do about them? What's the best way to handle the oblivious people in our lives?

The first plan of attack is to bring them into the moment, to raise their awareness of your presence and your needs, and (here's the tough part) to do so politely. For example, in the case of a social situation like a cocktail party or holiday gathering, suppose you see a couple people chatting. You walk over to them, thinking they'll notice your presence and invite you to join in. They don't.

Here's your plan:

Approach the oblivious person or persons and wait for a slight break in conversation (they have to breathe at some point). When you see the pause, take action! Inject yourself into the conversation by saying, "Hi, I don't mean to eavesdrop. I just wanted to introduce myself". Then, extending hand, continue, "I'm Marion, and you're ...", pausing for them to fill in their name or names. Now you have eye contact, a friendly smile, and physical contact with the shake of your hand. Now you're connecting.

Here's a caution: if you've been standing there for more than a few seconds and the clique you want to break into hasn't included you in its conversation, don't wait for the invitation -- it's probably not coming. Nine out of ten times, it's not because these people deliberately are being elitist and are intentionally snubbing you, but simply that they are blessedly oblivious. Don't waste energy being offended when likely none was intended; just take the initiative yourself. If it's met coldly, you're no worse off. Chances are however, that you introducing yourself into a conversation at a social venue and doing it in a polite and friendly way, will be well received. And if it's not, then those people are oblivious to what they're missing in meeting you, and that's their loss.

Until next time, here's to ...

Better communication,
Better business,
Better life.

Marion Grobb Finkelstein

Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author

www.MarionSpeaks.com

About Marion

MarionSpeaks was created by Marion Grobb Finkelstein and is a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations improve their businesses and their lives by improving their communications. Marion is devoted to empowering men and women across Canada, United States and beyond with communication skills to live the lives and enjoy the relationships they truly want.

Marion@MarionSpeaks.com

What is Social Media Saying About YOU?

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

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What Image Do You Communicate?

by Marion Grobb Finkelstein, 0 Comments

Perception is a funny thing. What one person perceives as attractive, another sees as a complete turn off. What catches someone's eye, another simply disregards. What you think no one will notice about yourself, other people do.

Our image, how we project ourselves to the outside world, is communicated in many ways. How we talk, how we listen, and what we do are just a few examples of how we show others who we are and what we believe in. How we look physically is another.

Does your physical appearance and how the world perceives you match your internal perception of self? Are you really projecting the image you want? Is that image consistent with what you stand for and who you want to be?

Projecting a professional image is, in part, how we look. The old adage, "don't dress for the job you have -- dress for the job you want", acknowledges that how we appear physically helps to shape the way others perceive us, our roles, and our potential. Our physical image is ideally consistent with the professional image we want to portray.

An interesting event occurred a few months ago that reminded me of this fact.

I arrived at a conference to deliver a session, and a participant walked up to me and said, "oh my, you look waaaay younger in person than you do in your photo". Gasp. I didn't know whether I'd been complimented or insulted. I knew the photos of me on my website were not the best, but heck, they didn't look that bad. Or did they? I got my answer shortly after when on two other separate occasions, I received similar comments from clients. (Yes, people really do say these things).

I believe in the "message of 3". When I get three unrelated sources telling me the same thing, I follow what they're saying. I take it as the universe trying to tell me something, and I listen. In fact, I listen to the universe while it whispers before it feels the need to shout.

Clearly, it was time to update my photos, so after these several "nudges", I took the leap. I connected with a wonderful photographer who, I believe, captured the real "me". (Thank you Mario Menard, www.ottawaportrait.com for helping me show the world what was inside me all along!). My website portrait shots are now fresh and contemporary. Someone visiting my website will see a woman who is professional and approachable. My photos are now consistent with my "MarionSpeaks brand".

Is your image and how you portray yourself consistent with who you are and what you want to be? If not, I highly recommend you treat yourself to getting your photos updated to capture the "real you". Having a great portrait shot instills confidence, makes you feel good when you look at it, and tells your clients what they can realistically expect when they meet you. A good photographer will capture the essence of a person, a personality, an authentic self. Think of the outstanding portraits of Armenian-born Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. It was his ability to capture the seed of the person's personality on film that catapulted him to working with the world's most famous. That ability to connect the "real you" with how the world perceives you is magic.

Portraying yourself authentically in all the ways you communicate means having consistent messaging. It's more than "just a photo" -- it's your image. And in the final analysis, your image being consistent and authentic makes great business sense.

Until next time,

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