================================================= Simply Speaking...Selling Yourself & Your Ideas E-Zine Volume 1, No 9, October, 1998 Copyright, 1998 ================================================= Published by Lenny Laskowski, International Professional Speaker President of LJL Seminars (tm) 106 Schoolhouse Road Newington, CT. 06111-4002 United States Of America (860) 666-4855 or Toll Free 1-800-606-4855 Web page: E-mail: ------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: 1. Article "How to Create a Great First Impression-PART I" 2. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation services 3. Lenny's keynote speeches 4. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets 5. How to request more information about Lenny's services 6. How to Subscribe / Unsubscribe - REVISED!!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- * FREE Monthly Speaking Tips - October, 1998 * ---------------------------------------------------------------- "How to Create a Great First Impression" (PART I - The Telephone) They say you can't judge a book by it's cover but how many of us judge people by the way the talk, the way they talk or even by the way they answer the telephone? We form opinions about people the first time we see or hear them. We even form opinions about people we have never met! Conversations with people we know about people we do not know can bias our opinion of people before we meet them. People's "perception" about us DO matter. As a professional speaker who provides workshops, keynotes and consultations on presentation skills and public speaking, I know that we are all judged by people through "What we say", and "How we say it". We are also judged by "How we Dress", "How we walk" and even "How we eat our food". In the work environment, we judge people by the size of their office, the location of their office or by the number of people working for us. As a business owner YOUR company is judged by the way your receptionist answers the telephone or greets people at the door. Think about it! You CANNOT, NOT! make a first impression. People always form an initial impression about us the first time they come in contact with us whether it is in person or whether it is over the telephone or even by the way we leave a message on THEIR answering machine. Every other contact with after that first time either supports or conflicts with that first impression. Create a good first impression and the relationship grows from there. Create a bad first impression and your relationship with that person can be an uphill battle. Whether we are communicating "one-to-one" over the telephone, "one-to-a-group" such as a small business meeting or "one-to-a-hundred" such as during a presentation other people's impression of us is very important and we should work hard to make sure that FIRST impression is a great one. Below I have provided some tips to help you make a great first impression in two telephone situations: 1. Receiving a telephone call 2. Initiating a telephone call This month I will first discuss the situation where you have received a telephone call. 1. Answer the telephone by the 3rd ring (Or your answering machine) - I usually answer my phone by the second ring and rarely do I answer it on the very first ring. My answering machine will automatically answer my phone after the third ring. 2. Make sure your greeting is professional. - It is important that your greeting is friendly and professional. Don't answer the telephone and try and speak with food in your mouth! - (How many of us can tell when the person we are speaking to on the other end is EATING!) Playback your answering machines personal greeting. Does it sound professional? Do your greet people politely?, do you leave them with instructions on "what to do"? I am amazed how often I call someone and their answering machine greets me with a greeting which I can't understand, and worse the person has used the words, "Uh", or "Uhm" over 3 times during the 15 second greeting. Remember I am a speech coach and I especially notice these things. 3. Be prepared before you answer the telephone. - Have a pencil or pen along with a pad of paper near your telephone so you can write down important information such as their NAME. When speaking to them, use their NAME during the conversation but don't over do it. 4. Be an "active" listener. - by using step 3 above you can be an active listener by writing down important information. Ask them to spell their name if you are not sure. Ask them when it is the best time to call them back. 5. If you answer the telephone and someone wan't to ask you some specific questions but you ARE NOT prepared because their file is in the other room or at the bottom of the pile just say, "I am in the middle of something at the moment, can I call your right back?". This will give you a chance to collect the materials you need and when returning their phone call you are now prepared to speak. (A more controlled situation). If they insist on "holding on" just say, "Please give me a moment to get your file". NOTE: If you put someone on hold DO NOT make them wait more than 30 seconds. I have had people put me on hold for so long I was able to read that article I was dying to read while waiting for them. 6. If you are out of town, check your messages frequently. I usually check my messages twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon, unless I am not able to interrupt what I am doing. If I am in the middle of a seminar or coaching session with a client, THEY are the most important priority. I will call at a break or when I get home. 7. Return telephone calls promptly. - One of most unprofessional things a business can do is NOT RETURNING PHONE CALLS. How many of us have attempted to contact some over a period of days or even weeks and you find that YOU are the only one initiating the telephone call. One of the comments I have heard from my clients or potential clients is, "Thank you for returning my call so promptly!" or "Thanks for getting back to me". I have actually been hired for speaking engagements over other speaker because I not only returned their call but I returned it that same morning, not 3 days later. I have been contacted by newspaper reporters who are working on an article and have contacted me for my expert opinion. I have even had calls from magazines who would like to publish one of my website articles and are calling for permission and need to know TODAY! Remember, these people are often working on a deadline to complete their article and cannot wait days for you to return their call. 8. If you have a staff which works for you, call in once in a while on the road and see for yourself how they greet people when they call. Pretend you are a potential client. How were you treated over the telephone? If it was less than favorable, it's time to make some changes. Remember that first impression WILL be initiated by that "in coming" telephone call and the impression you make, either directly by you, your staff or even your answering machines greeting or voice mail will determine is they call you back. Think about the eight points I have discussed and make changes or adjustments where you need to. NEXT MONTH - Initiating that telephone call ======================================================================== 2. Seminars, Workshops, Consultation Services Link to on-line seminars: =============================================================== 3. Lenny's keynote speeches Link to on-line keynotes: =============================================================== 4. Lenny's books, videotapes, audiotapes & booklets Link to on-line catalog: =============================================================== 5. Where to get more information Lenny's services. Feel free to request information about Lenny's seminars, workshops & keynotes. If you would like a formal proposal, please E-mail your request to: Sales@LJLSeminars.com or mail to the address below: Lenny Laskowski, International Professional Speaker President of LJL Seminars (tm) 106 Schoolhouse Road Newington, CT. 06111-4002 United States of America (860) 666-4855 or Toll Free 1-800-606-4855 =============================================================== ******* You can earn 10% commissions ******************** =============================================================== You can also earn 10% commissions on any leads you send my way. Provide me the name, address & telephone number of those you know who might be able to use my services, make the initial call with them and tell them I will be contacting them and send me an E-mail that you have done so. When I contact them and if we result in doing business with them I will mail you a check for 10% of the total contract just for referring us. ============================================================== 6. How to Subscribe to This E-zine: Send an e-mail to majordomo@ljlseminars.com and in the BODY of the message type: subscribe simply To unsubscribe to our newsletter by e-mail: Send an e-mail to majordomo@ljlseminars.com and in the BODY of the message type: unsubscribe simply =========================================================== ************************************************************************* FREE Monthly Speaking Tips ==> ============================================================ Feel free to distribute these FREE tips to EVERYONE you know. You may also publish these tips in any of your company's newsletters or publications FREE if you include the above address below and credit me as the author. Also, send me two(2) copies of the actual publication to the address below: As new monthly tips are developed they will be e-mailed separately. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks again for visiting my website and remember to keep returning EACH month for new tips. Also, let me know if you would like to see any other speaking tips and remember to pass these tips along to EVERYONE you know! Until next month! - Lenny Laskowski :-)