The Importance of a Winning Smile in Business

Someone will have judged you in the first three seconds of meeting you. 


Their opinion of you will be formed when they take in how you look, your body language, demeanour, mannerisms, and what you're wearing. Three seconds isn't very long and we all know you never get another chance to make a first impression. 

It's important if we're talking something like a first date - and even more important in business. 

Here are a few tips you might like to try on for size:

• Get wherever you're going on time - it's discourteous to be late and makes you look ill-prepared; leave enough time to find the venue and consider the worst case scenario re: parking or public transport
• Look the part - wear the best quality, fitting clothes you have, pay attention to your shoes, hair, nails (men and women), make-up and accessories, and always dress how you think you would need to look if you get the job/win the deal/join the team
• Give a firm handshake - there's nothing more off-putting than a limp wet handshake!
• Be yourself - don't try and be someone else, it'll show and you'll look and feel uncomfortable
• Be properly prepared - go through the project/job spec/company information thoroughly and rehearse questions and answers out loud. Visualise the venue/interview so that it feels like you've already been there; that way you'll feel less intimidated when you get there. Take all the background paperwork that's necessary and research any statistics or info you need so you don't flounder if asked
• Don't forget to turn off your mobile phone - who wants to hear the Birdy Song ringtone while you're trying to win a big deal or a dream job?!
• Appear calm and confident - believe you'll win and you will
• Be positive - really believe you'll get the business. 
• Be attentive - prepare some sensible questions as it shows you want to get involved and have taken time to find stuff out
• Make eye contact and ... SMILE! 

Did this help? 

Did you get the job or win the business?

Have you got a tale of when it all went horribly wrong which you'd like to share?

Do let me know.

Start Up Britain - great idea!

Yesterday I went to be part of the mentoring team at Start Up Britain. It's a great idea started by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and supported by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and government. It's  privately funded by sponsorship and support from multi-nationals and corporates like Dell, Microsoft, AXA and Virgin Media. 


The idea is that big businesses - together with local small business owners - offer advice or inspiration to those thinking of starting up (or who have just started) their own business. The Start Up Britain tour bus is currently roaming round the country stopping off at various cities for a few hours at a time, inviting people to network and access advisors on all sorts of useful topics like finance, business planning, IT and PR and marketing (see more on www.startupbritain.org).


So off I merrily went, ready to impart all sorts of knowledge and advice to would-be business people. I was interviewed for local radio and filmed for a YouTube channel for Start Up Britain. And as I was being asked questions about why I set up in business and what advice I could give, I inwardly reflected on the (nearly) nine years I've had my own company, the highs and lows, and everything I'd learnt on the way. 


I realised I never stop learning ... about new ways of doing things, new ways of approaching issues, quicker methods, better methods, whole areas of fresh information, innovations, endless challenges. And I decided that actually it's the newness of every day and what it brings, helping my clients achieve their goals by showing them what works, and (of course) keeping my business going through the tough times as well as the easy ones, that gives me a kick.


I met some lovely people at Start Up Britain, some I knew, some were fresh faces but all were there for the same reason - to either give something back or to learn. A rather altruistic approach to networking which was refreshing, positive and something in which I was proud to take part. 


Because the event was held in the grounds of the latest academy in the area, some of the students were also involved. They were beautifully presented in their brand new uniforms, eagerly listening to those who were offering information on different businesses as careers, and helpful in looking after their guests. A real credit to their school.


This was a fantastic example of big business, small business, successful entrepreneurs, the education system, young people and community coming together in the best possible way, no matter which part of the country - to share knowledge, offer young people the world of business as a career choice, and to show those interested in starting up a business that if they get the right advice from the start and keep it real, it can bring in some just rewards.


Start Up Britain? Of course we can.


Do you agree? Let me know.

Trouble with Twitter? Lost on LinkedIn? Fazed by Facebook?

I recently ran a Basic Introduction to Social Media training course for the PR and fund-raising team at a local charitable organisation and it was so well received, I was asked by others to do more sessions.


So if you're having trouble understanding Twitter, lost on LinkedIn, fazed by Facebook and bothered by blogging, join us for a half-day of informal, fun and interactive training on one of the following dates:


Thursday 29 September - or - Wednesday 5 October from 2 to 4.30pm
at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher's Croft, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3HZ.


There's plenty of free parking and even tea/coffee and buns as well!


It costs £50 per head which is payable in advance. Please quote Ref SM2 when booking, which you can do by emailing the address at the top of this blog. 


Places are limited so do book early - and the world of social media will demystify before your very eyes!

How to keep your clients happy

How lucky I felt last week when I arrived to deliver a media training course with a fellow consultant to a group of senior executives in the not-for-profit sector. 


Lucky the room was OK, that we finally got the equipment to function properly or that the refreshments were more than adequate? 


No - lucky that they were delightful, positive and fully participative, approaching the day certainly with a little trepidation (who actually likes media training?) but with great enthusiasm, gusto, intelligence and humour. And lucky that as a team, they were mutually supportive yet constructively critical.


On the commute back I reflected on the day, of course, considering how to improve the session for future use and why trains have to be so hot, overcrowded, generally unpleasant and dirty. Nothing new there. 


After the day's course finished, the chief executive had invited us all for drinks in the early evening sunshine at a bar close by. We were a diverse bunch but we'd gelled during the day and were at ease with each other, laughing and chattering about what had gone on, who'd done what, useful tips and swapping stories. 


Feedback from the day was really positive and we'd asked for honest input which they provided in a rounded and practical way.


So I felt really lucky the outcome once again was - happy clients. 


Last week saw a number of other happy clients and this prompted me to consider how to keep them in this state. 


Here are my thoughts - feel free to add any more:

• Manage expectations so everyone knows what's going to happen and when (and then do all you can to surpass those expectations)
• Provide a comprehensive contract, to cover them and you
• Learn about their business - you don't need to (and can't possibly) know everything, but just enough to be able to do intelligently what you have to do
• Don't be afraid to ask - I've yet to meet anyone who's actually perfect
• Never promise anything you can't deliver
• Always call back and acknowledge communications
• Keep in touch and regularly update on progress
• If something happens to stop you achieving an objective, let your client know and explain how long it'll take to sort out
• Set out their objectives clearly with practical steps to show how you'll help achieve them
• Refrain from using jargon, but explain what stuff means if need be
• Don't be afraid to be devil's advocate 
• Go out of your way to fit in with your client's working life if it's reasonably possible
• Invoice regularly and clearly; if nothing's a surprise, it might even be paid quicker!
• And - show a little love from time to time; we all like to be appreciated

A valuable lesson from the events of the last week : be prepared!

I'll leave the politics and rhetoric about last week's riots and the inevitable aftermath to the politicians and the great and the good. 


The inevitable thoughts of this PR professional turn to the aspect many businesses innocently caught up in that dreadful carnage perhaps hadn't even considered - crisis PR management and business disaster recovery.


I wonder how many of them had policies and procedures in place to deal with the sudden loss of livelihood, staff, stock and/or utilities. Does your company? Did you think it won't ever happen to you? Do you still think that?


Regrettably every company, big or small, needs to be prepared for an unexpected eventuality - from a scenario where a member of staff absconds with all the funds, to the murder of a tenant, fire, flood, fraud or any number of other possibilities including the omnipresent need to back up computers off-site!


Business recovery plans are essential so that the potential for loss of earnings or services are minimised and quick turnaround to 'business as normal' is maximised. 


Crisis PR management policies and procedures are equally vital so you can effectively manage communications and the ramifications of a potentially negative situation, and save your reputation. 


Can you do all this on your own? Possibly if you know how, but it can be cost-effective and stress-relieving in the long run to bring in an expert. 


I've been compiling a programme for a media training course I'm delivering later this month which includes crisis PR management, and I couldn't help wonder as I was doing it if the affected businesses in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham have the help they need to get their feet firmly back on the ground. In the case of the bigger companies and corporates, I've no doubt they do - but what about the small to medium size ones and the micro businesses? 


I hope you never need to use them, but I recommend getting a crisis PR management policy in place as soon as you can, as well as a business disaster recovery plan. 


Business owners, directors or managers: you owe it to your company, stakeholders and staff - remember that classic motto and always be prepared! 

Because you're worth it!

Several times recently I've been asked by consultants fairly new to the business how to price and how to judge if their fee level is right.


My answer is always the same now. Maybe it wouldn't have been in the early days of my own business but experience has taught me to value myself, my skills, my knowledge and my experience. After all, if I don't, how can I expect anyone else to?


Consultants are brought in for very specific reasons by clients, ranging from lack of specialist in-house resources or skills to verification that what's planned is right. Importantly, they're buying in the expertise, knowledge and talent they feel they haven't got at the time. We can provide solutions to problems, tried and tested techniques, and calm logic and advice where and when it's needed. And this quite rightly has a value.


My own fee structure is commensurate with the size of the organisation, such as large corporate, SME (small to medium size) and micro business, having regard for the potential size of available budget and with a special rate for charities and not-for-profits. I also do some pro bono work for selected small local charities by way of giving something back to the community in which I live and work.


However I'm often approached by companies who think PR, for some reason, is an add-on or afterthought instead of the core business function it should be. 


PR is about reputation management, effective communications with stakeholders of all types, and handling crises appropriately (among other things) - fairly crucial elements to a business. So why expect fees to be less than the reasonable cost of any other professional service? If I have toothache, I go to a dentist and my expectation is that I'll pay for that qualified and experienced service. If I need a lawyer or accountant, I pay a reasonable rate. The same applies to a professional PR practitioner.


Why, say the new consultants? 


Assuming you're bringing talent, skills, experience and value to the table, this is my response: because we're worth it!

The business that is show business

For those of you who don't realise it exists, may I introduce Chimera Entertainments to you.


Chimera Entertainments is a division of Chimera Communications and was set up as a really useful add-on for any client looking for entertainers for personal or business functions of all sorts.


If you're planning a corporate event, product launch or team-building exercise and need a table magician, large scale illusionist or rib-tickling comedian; if you're having a staff party and want to win some brownie points with the gang; if you're getting married and want a great singer or band (who may or may not sing "Lady in Red"; if you're producing an advert and need a voice-over artist or impressionist (cheaper than the real thing); or if you're having a party and want something different - like a top notch pickpocket (how did he do that?!) then we can make it work for you.


Never underestimate the value of laughter. It's not only good for your health, it's good for your soul. 


Until next time.

Welcome to the ChimeraCommsBlog

It was only a matter of time... it's not as if I've deserted Twitter or LinkedIn but I feel I should spread myself in an equitable way across the social media spectrum. Welcome to the ChimeraCommsBlog.

My aim is to update you on news and views from the world of Chimera Communications, let you know what I and some of our clients are up to, and to share some of the more amusing things that tend to happen along the way.

This evening I've been networking. I tend to pick events quite specifically, otherwise I'd be forever networking and not actually doing the work. 

For me, each event I go to has to have a legitimate outcome - either there are people I want to meet for a specific business reason, there's an interesting and worthwhile speaker, I'm supporting a useful organisation, it's in a place of interest I might not normally go to, I'll more than likely get some business out of it, make some really useful contacts or the food's good!

Tonight it was for the speaker, the organisation and the venue. The speaker I was particularly keen on hearing was the charismatic and compelling Jeremy Spiller from White Hat Media. The organisation was the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. And the venue was The Hove Kitchen, which I hadn't tried before. The bonus was that the food was very good, and I met some useful business contacts and set up at least one meeting.

Today's tip then? Choose your networking opportunities carefully and try not to come away feeling that it wasn't a good use of your time or money.

Until next time, I'll leave you to ponder this: "There's no such thing as bad publicity" - true or false?