First Impressions

2023 • Staff Education

You’ve done great product training. So, what’s still missing? That answer is often teaching staff to better engage with others…team members and consumers.

Tip: “Ask people for action up front…at the beginning. This way they’ll know exactly what you’re asking them to do and the reasons why.”

As John Millen, CEO of the Reputation Group, puts it, “People are deciding within seconds whether it’s worth listening. Scientific research confirms that we have between three and seven seconds to engage people before they move on.”

Here are seven tried-and-true tips created and published by Millen, who also produces a weekly communications blog, Sunday Coffee.

THE BIG 7

1. Questions: Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes or no questions.

2. Numbers: “Use a couple of key numbers in the beginning to gain interest and set up your premise. Warning: Don’t overwhelm people with too many.”

3. Story: “Tell a story or short anecdote right off the bat. People love that, as long as you tie it in.”

3 to 7 seconds
“Scientific research confirms that we have between three and seven seconds to engage people before they move on.”

4. Analogy: “What situation do you find your business in? What is the major challenge you’re trying to motivate people to overcome? An analogy, or metaphor, can change their perspective.

5. Request: “Ask people for action up front…at the beginning. This way they’ll know exactly what you’re asking them to do and the reasons why.”

6. Quote: “The right quote…can set the tone. My favorite communication quote, which comes from Maya Angelou, is: ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’”

7. Joke: “When speaking on dealing with anxiety, I often tell Seinfeld’s joke: ‘According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.’”

The point? “Open strong,” concludes Millen. “You’ll feel a sense of connection that will give you the energy to keep engaging them all the way to the end.”

What are your suggestions for making powerful and relevant presentations? Tell us about it and share in the conversation on Facebook here.