Making an impression that is aligned to your goals will help you enormously, because it establishes and reinforces the expectations others have of you. And what they expect, they’re likely to get.
Here’s a little example.
If your aim is to become a top-flight negotiator, you’d better begin creating that impression as fast as possible. Acting weak, vague and indecisive will convey the notion that you are not terribly good at negotiating.
Consequently, people will not respect your abilities, nor invite you to the party. If opposing you, they will frankly just walk all over you, or at least expect that they will be able to (and what they expect, they’ll likely get).
Instead, being well-prepared, talking in a strong voice, making clear points, all create different impressions that align with your move towards becoming a top-flight negotiator. In this case, people will react accordingly. On the opposing side, they’ll be working harder on their preparation, practicing their arguments and regarding you with caution.
Once you’ve begun in this way, keep moving further forward and with a strong track-record, you’ll soon get the reputation of being a tough negotiator.
So, think carefully about what impression you wish to create with your stakeholders, customers or whatever group you identify as being important to your goals. A simple way to do this is outlined in the video linked below, creating the right impression.
Related to Impression Management
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