Powerful Strategies For Meeting And Greeting People by Glenn Ebersole

Every day in every businessperson’s life, there are many meetings and greetings. And many of those are an initial contact were you want to ensure you make a strong positive first impression. Still others present great opportunities to enhance existing relationships. So if we think strategically, what simple strategies can we use to ensure successful meetings and greetings?

My personal experiences throughout my professional career in the public and private sector bring some powerful strategies to mind for meeting and greeting people. One strategic goal is to make people feel comfortable within the first few minutes of meeting you so they will want to do business with you. If you master some of the powerful strategies I have included below and become confident of the rules for those critical initial encounters, you will have a solid start for long-term profitable relationships. The ten simplest and most effective strategies for meeting and greeting people that I have discovered and used are:

1. Always do your homework about who you may be meeting and greeting. This will help you introduce people in the proper order and will provide you with information to use in the introductions of others.

2. Develop a 30 second elevator speech to introduce yourself and practice it so it becomes very natural for you.

3. Always stand up when you are introduced to someone. Standing will allow you the opportunity to engage the person on a more equal basis (eye-to-eye). The message you send if you remain seated is very negative and tells the other person you don’t feel they are important enough to warrant you standing up. There may be circumstances where you are not able to stand, and then it is appropriate to ask to be excused for not getting up.

4. Always smile! It is important to remember that your facial expression sends a stronger message than your words. You want to look as if you are pleased to meet the other person, regardless of what you may be thinking at that time.

5. Always make direct eye contact when meeting and greeting someone. This sends them a message that you are focused and interested in them. Staring somewhere else or looking around the room will send a very negative message of disinterest in the person you have met.

6. Always introduce yourself immediately. Do not wait for someone else to introduce you.

7. Always be prepared to offer a firm handshake. And understand that the person who puts out their hand first is displaying confidence. One note of caution her is that if you are in a foreign country, always research the local customs and procedures for the handshake.

8. Always commit to remembering the names of people you meet. A simple and effective technique to assist you in remembering people’s names is to repeat the name of the person as soon as you hear it and then use the name a few times in your conversation.

9. Always be sensitive to using first names of people you have just met. A word of caution would be to be more formal on the first encounter. Today, I find that many people will suggest or request that you call them by their first name, unless it is a very formal setting.

10. Practice, practice, practice the use of the powerful strategies.

If you want to learn more about powerful strategies for meeting and greeting people and the tremendous impact this can have on your success and the success of your business, please contact Glenn Ebersole today through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com