We all know the power of first impressions.  How people perceive us during the first few seconds of an encounter has a major influence on whether they will trust us, be attracted to us, or want to do business with us.  To create a positive first impression, we need to know how to connect immediately with others regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background, mood, or the situation.

I've discovered an interesting phenomenon when organizations bring me in to help "motivate their people."  They may be suffering from customer complaints, staff turnover, or a lack of teamwork.  At first glance, these appear to be front line people problems.  What we frequently find however is that most problems involving attitudes and teamwork are actually just symptoms of flawed infrastructures.  Let's see if this could be true in your organization.

See if this applies to you or your team members in your organization: You've been working in your industry for several years. Your responses to requests from customers, prospects and co-workers are fast and accurate. You know your stuff and your product knowledge is one of your greatest strengths. If this is the case, then the bad news is that your extensive knowledge may also be one of your greatest weaknesses. The reason - you may be inadvertently coming across as being arrogant and insensitive.