Making the Right Impression

We have all heard the saying about first impressions. It certainly applies in your business as well.

We only have one shot at making a first impression. The best way to make your first impression with that referral source or that prospect or that new donor is to make it the right impression. And to do that you need to do your research.

Google searches can yield surprising detail about the firm, or the owner, or the donor you are about to meet. Next, check LinkedIn. Most professionals are on LinkedIn. Facebook and Instagram can also yield personal information if they are not on LinkedIn. And do not overlook public real estate filings. The neighborhood where your profiled prospect resides will tell you an enormous amount of information.

If your prospects are businesses, consider subscribing to one of the many business information sites. Dun & Bradstreet is likely the most common source used to understand company size, financials, and ownership. First Research is another which was my personal favorite in my corporate position. It provided great insight on each industry and well worth any subscription fee. The more you know, the better informed you are, and the likelihood of impressing your prospect increases.

We can never know as much as our prospects. They have the benefit of having lived their experiences. We can only inquire and research and observe from afar. But doing your homework to try and understand their experiences or at least know about them can make the first impression the right impression.

My best prospects and clients have always been those I can relate to the most. Same intellectual curiosity, same life passions, same philanthropic interests. If your passion is saving animals, likely a person who takes extravagant trips to shoot winter foxes, and moose, and wolves is not a good fit for you and your business. And, yes, that is a real life example from my past.

While we who are selling a product or service or mission wish to make the first impression the right impression, remember your prospects also need to make the right impression with you! Together, your overlapping common interests can set the stage for a productive and successful relationship.

Making the right impression like today’s blog photo of The Marquis de Lafayette is all about positioning. Choose your surroundings and your prospects wisely and you are on your way to making the first impression the right impression.

Be well.