PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
Art of the Cocktail: Business Development in the Social Arena
Managing the impression you make and maximizing your ‘like-ability’ are the keys to making every networking opportunity consistently profitable. First impressions really are important. The way you greet people can set the tone for the entire interaction that follows. If you make a poor initial impression, you may spend the rest of your time overcoming it.
Meet and mingle with your colleagues while you learn from the pros. Brush up on the protocols of introductions, business card exchange, conversation management, and more. Learn the secrets to business development through rapport building.
We start with a 15 minute presentation covering the basics of:
- Emotional connection
- Authentic Communication in the Social Arena
- Approaching groups
- Introductions: yourself and others
- Cocktail etiquette
After this, we’ll list the issues that often cause confusion and discomfort for professionals attending social functions on the PowerPoint for participants to consider. Typical issues include, leaving groups, talking with client’s spouse, coping with criticism, handling gossip, transitioning to business talk, business card exchange, and many, many more.
Business Casual: What it Is, What it’s Not
The 90's ushered in a new look in business attire and the trend is firmly in place in the 21st century. Many organizations have adopted a more casual approach to business wear for employees on “Casual Friday's", or even for regular dress throughout the week. With casual clothing now an important facet of business dress, adapting to these changes poses new challenges for both men and women. This workshop sheds light on this difficult-to-gage attire requirement. What’s too casual? Are jeans okay? What if I like dressing more formally? You will not only learn what’s expected and acceptable, but you’ll learn the intricacies of colour theory, grooming, and assembling the right wardrobe.
Business Professional: Promoting Your Best Self
What to wear? What’s the right look? Does this even fit? Is this right for the weather? What you wear, how you look, and how you carry yourself makes a bigger difference than most people realize. Over half of the impression you convey to others is based on appearance. Be sure to convey the appropriate message by presenting your best professional self. The four major image appearance components; hair care, skin care, colour analysis, and wardrobe development are reviewed in depth. Both men and women will learn the “must knows” and the “never do’s” in this informative, entertaining, and interactive seminar.
Dining Etiquette: Maintaining a Positive Impression
In this fun and interactive workshop you will be given tips on putting your best foot forward with the non-verbal communication, effective introductions, table small talk, serving yourself at a buffet, dining demeanour and behaviours that will make you confident in any business social situation. You’ll learn the differences of attending larger group buffet venues and smaller dining situations.
Conversing with your clients at the dinner table is always an opportunity to create and strengthen the relationship, or to inadvertently weaken it. Understanding the ingredients of good conversation, knowing what to say and when, directing and redirecting the interaction, and being capable when it becomes difficult, are the hallmarks of excellent dining etiquette.
Etiquette Essentials for the Contemporary Workplace
In today's professional environment, responsibilities often extend beyond the workday into the evening, and beyond the workplace into the social arena. Whether it's client lunches, networking evenings, or business conferences, most professionals find themselves, from time to time, in the "social business arena." However, these occasions sometimes trigger insecurities. Where do we sit at a social event? Who gets introduced to whom? What is the best type of handshake? When and how should I present my business card to international clients? How can I make it clear to my client that I intend to pay for the meal? What spoon do I use for my dessert?
Grace Under Pressure: Professional Protocols
We all need to be aware of how our behaviour is being viewed by others, especially clients. It’s no secret that clients and colleagues are using the behaviour they see to form their lasting impressions of you. Feel comfortable in conveying your best self by learning the why, when, where, and how of professional protocols. These “rules” of office behaviour are not restrictive; in fact quite the opposite is true. Knowing what the expectations are, and knowing how to meet them provides a foundation of confidence and composure that enables personal expression without the worry of: “am I doing this right.”
Individual Image: One on One with Your Own Image Consultant
This service is invaluable to anyone, male or female, looking to improve their professional appearance. Credibility, confidence, and being professionally up-to-date are all signaled through appearance. People simply believe what they see. Lynne Mackay will consider your career aspirations and will evaluate your present wardrobe with this in mind. Lynne’s guidance on what to stop wearing, and what to start wearing is extensive. Lynne considers everything from hair, make-up, eye wear, jewellery, body type, budget, working conditions, business casual, business professional, etc. to make this time well spent. Past clients have noted that this service ended up saving them money because they made better investment purchases.
Performance Networking: Galvanizing Professional Support
Networking is the set of communication skills required to build relationships, inform others, and learn from and about co-workers and clients. Managing the impression you make and maximizing your ‘like-ability’ are the keys to making every networking opportunity consistently profitable. First impressions really are important. The way you greet people can set the tone for the entire interaction that follows. If you make a poor initial impression, you may spend the rest of your time overcoming it. In this fun and interactive workshop you will be given tips on putting your best foot forward with the right handshake, effective introductions, and presenting and requesting business cards with confidence. You’ll learn the differences of interacting in a large group venue verses the requirements of a more intimate setting. You’ll master the principles of impression management by exploring perceptual tendencies, the ins-and-outs of small talk, and the subtleties of office diplomacy.
Professional Image: The Psychology of Perception
A universal perceptual tendency is to “judge a book by its cover”. We form lasting opinions based on what we see. In fact, over half of the impression you convey to others is based on appearance. The look of credibility, composure and professionalism must accompany the message for an audience or client to accept it. You must be believed to be heard, and we believe what we see.
Be sure to send the full message by visually presenting your professional credibility. This seminar is about attaining a professional presence that in all circumstances speaks well of you. Learn how your body language, dress and personal style impact the decisions others make of you and your ideas.
Professional Presence: Communicating Confidence
To be self-confident in professional and social situations is a feeling of freedom- freedom to be you. To be encumbered by concerns of how you look, how you act, what to say, how to say it, etc. constrains your willingness to get involved, to be creative, to be assertive, ultimately to be yourself. This workshop takes the pressure off by giving you the easy to implement strategies of looking your best, conversing with confidence, and dining with grace. Learn how to network for results, listen to create goodwill, and make introductions with flair. Knowing you’re making the right impression with ease and comfort provides you with the psychological and emotional space to be yourself. This workshop is designed by choosing elements from our other full day workshops to create a customized experience for participants.
