There are many different factors to successful business. It is much more than just a job; as a fully-fledged way of life, doing business well has a steep learning curve. One major aspect is learning how to deal properly with one’s associates. The importance of getting to grips with this cannot be overstated. In business, your associates are a central part of your working life. While you should do your best not to be too externally influenced, certain people can help you further your career. This can be of particular importance if you are an executive within your company. If the company in question is your own brainchild – well, that’s something else altogether.
All of us could benefit from learning how best to deal with our associates. An important part of this delicate act is successfully impressing them. Once you have impressed them, you more or less have them in the palm of your hand. And that is a very powerful position to be in, particularly if you are about to make a deal. Read on to find out how to impress your associates when it matters most.
Your Morning Routine
Working towards impressing your associates starts long before you shake their hand. On the day of a big, important meeting, it is vital that you start the day right. Getting a good night’s sleep is an essential first step, so make sure you get a decent amount. The better you feel about yourself, the better the meeting is likely to go, so ensure that you take time with your usual washing routine. It goes without saying that you should dress well, but how exactly to go about achieving that is the subject of much debate. A good rule of thumb to follow is to overdress, rather than underdress. What this means is that, when in doubt, go for the smarter option. Even if it turns out you are hugely overdressed, that is better than the opposite. When it comes to impressing your associates, it is difficult to go overboard. So be bold and dress to impress. Don’t be afraid of not looking the part. As long as you treat yourself well, and act confidently, people will accept you. And the quickest way to reach confidence is by dressing in your absolute best. If there is only one tip for success for you to take away, it’s this.
The Preparation
It is no good going into a business meeting unprepared. You wouldn’t start a business venture without planning it out, at least, a little. Likewise, when you are meeting someone for an important meeting, you need to make certain plans and preparations.
If you don’t already know much about the person you are meeting, then that should be your first task. Discover absolutely everything you possibly can about your target. Learn everything there is to know about them. At the very least, you want to try and discover what their basic business approach is. If they have their own business, how and when did they get it up and running? What is their style like? It’s a good idea to mirror their style somewhat. However, you obviously don’t want to go overboard with this. If it looks like you are copying them, then that will come off as insincere. Nobody wants a shadow hanging around them at a meeting!
It’s not just about learning the other person, however. You also need to plan out the meeting itself. This is a sure way of successfully impressing your associate. If you have the meeting planned out fully, it gives you the power in the conversation. You know where you want to go with it, and you know how to take the meeting in the desired direction to achieve it. If you carry this off with enough confidence, anyone else in the meeting will follow your lead without too much hassle. And, more often than not, that means you will end up with what you want. Remember: preparation means success.
The Arrival
Once you are fully prepared for your meeting, you next need to put some thought into your arrival. It’s no use turning up on a public bus and running the rest of the way. Every detail counts when you are trying to impress someone. That means you can’t skimp on the transport either. It is a good idea to look the part from start to finish. With that in mind, consider getting hold of a limousine via American Limos. This is an affordable way of hiring a limo for the day. And believe me – if you turn up in one of those, your associates are bound to be impressed.
A small hint: arrive, if you can, just slightly late. That way, everyone will see you arrive. Also, you will be giving the impression that you take things in your stride. This is bound to pay off later on.
The Greeting
Now comes the most important part of the entire meeting: the greeting. This is where everybody makes an immediate unconscious judgement of everybody else present. What this means for you is that you now have the opportunity to get across, clearly, who you are. You can also express why it is that you should be listened to above anyone else. And all of this can be done with a handshake.
A successful business handshake needs equal parts confidence and submission to achieve the effect. You want to be able to say that you command respect, but also that you respect the other person. The way to achieve this is to use a handshake which is as balanced as possible. Grip their forearm very lightly with your non-dominant hand as you shake. This is a proven way of instilling exactly those ideas which we have been talking about. Ensure eye contact is remained, but softly – you don’t want to stare them down. Remain tall and confident, and smile gently. These little things all work together to create a truly powerful repertoire. The end-result is an amazed business associate who is much more likely to deal with you.