The young man, probably 18, stepped into the downtown Chicago office building
elevator at 7:59 a.m. on a Tuesday morning this July. Shined shoes. Dress
slacks. Winter-weight, wool tweed sport coat two sizes too big (Dad’s? older
brother’s?), carefully buttoned. Black portfolio in one hand. Paper towel
mashed in the sweaty palm of his other hand. Good posture. Determined demeanor.
Smiling.
The elevator doors opened on the floor occupied by Chicago's Jobs for Youth www.jfychicago.org , a nonprofit that matches
young men and women from low-income families with jobs in good Chicago companies. The Jobs for Youth office was dark, it wasn't yet
open for the day. The young man's face fell and he immediately looked
at his watch. "I guess I'm early. I have an interview at 9:00," he said
to me, now smiling.
Too bad I don’t have a job opening right now at Kathy
Schaeffer and Associates, Inc. www.ksapr.com, I thought, imagining I’d consider hiring
the young man on the spot.
I do believe in the adage, “You get only one chance to make
a first impression.”
Good communications – written, verbal and non-verbal – can
be the passport to a good first impression. Lasting good communications help
establish one’s reputation. Some examples that barely scratch the surface
include:
Written communications: Just as a good résumé clearly
and quickly conveys a job applicant’s strengths, a concise and appealing
company brochure, informative annual report or a concise, relevant fact sheet
establishes you and your organization as reputable. A well-written,
easy-to-navigate Web site makes a good first impression, too. Letters, e-mails
and other “routine” daily correspondence are the true reflection of expertise,
skill and professionalism and shape lasting impressions. How’s the grammar? How
many typos? Were the responses timely? Did the correspondence make it easy for
the recipient to find relevant information?
Verbal communications: Knowing one’s stuff is a prerequisite.
Knowing how best to convey it to specific persons or audiences is just as
imperative. Start with the audience in mind. What does the audience want or
need to know? This is different than starting with what I want to tell them.
What is the simplest, most engaging way to convey that information? Is there a
way to foster dialogue, rather than monologue? Does the spokesperson use good
spoken grammar? Can voice modulation or intentionally changing the speed or
tone of voice make communications more successful?
Non-verbal communications: The first non-verbal
communication is outward appearance. What is my spokesperson or representative
wearing? Does his or her clothing match the level of formality demanded by the
occasion or audience? Is the look professional? Has the spokesperson considered
how to style his or her hair appropriately for the occasion? What jewelry to
wear or not wear? What about exposure of cleavage, tattoos, midriff, bare legs
or toes? Beyond that, one’s posture, eye contact, body language, attitude and
actions speak volumes – and many volumes have been written about non-verbal
communications.
What do you think?