One thing that has not changed in the age of digital is the importance of a first impression. It still counts.
But what has changed is the amount of time we have in which to make one.
Our average attention span is purported to be that of a goldfish - less than nine seconds. That makes the idea of the elevator pitch sound like an eternity of time in which to capture someone's attention.
Photo-shopped pictures. Catchy headlines. Slick video. Podcasts that can come on a walk with me.
All vie for our attention amidst the sea of chatter that washes over our lives each day - feeding our impatience as we all fall victim to systemic ADD.
Don't have what I like and I'm gone.
Don't make it easy for me to find and I'm gone sooner.
It would be easier for me to snag more than the requisite nine seconds of your time if we happen to meet in person.
Human connection still rules above all.
But your first impression - your first clue to my personality or that of my brand or that last item you plunked down your American Express card to buy- most likely happened here.
On line.
More and more - on your smartphone or tablet.
The question is does yours match up?
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I love all things digital. I admit to getting a bit geeked out over a cool new App or some new techie tool designed to make my life easier. But when it comes to standing out from the crowd and making a good impression the best and simplest way is by indulging in one or more of these good old-fashioned human tricks.
1- Say what you'll do and do what you say. A lot of people will tell you what they are going to do, but the fact remains that very few follow through.
2- Be on time. This is one of my pet peeves. Just ask my NYU students. For that matter ask anyone who knows me. I'm always on time. For two reasons. I consider your time valuable and do not want to keep you waiting. The second is I consider my time valuable too.
3- Listen. Actively and with interest. Most of us don't listen very well. We're off in that delusion that multi-tasking is cool. So why just sit and listen, when I can listen and check my emails or texts at the same time. The message you send is that the person in front of you is just not that important. Worse, they are likely to be telling you information that could help you, but you will never really know because you were only hearing, not actively listening.
4- Ask questions. We're all so busy talking today we forget to ask questions of the person in front of us. Asking questions shows interest in the other person. It builds relationships. It makes you different.
5- Do your homework. So, so easy to do today. But so many fail to do it. Just type it into Google. Check a Twitter feed. I never meet with anyone new without first checking out their LinkedIn profile.
6- Be authentic. I'm talking true authenticity. Not the staged kind. Corporate speak is so very 20th century.
7- Smile. It changes everything. We've gotten so used to staring at our computer screen that sometimes we forget how to emote when in front of another human. We forget what a lasting impression one smile can make.
note: This is Day #28 of the 30 Day Experiment. Here are the details on how it all started.
