Mission Australia NEIS

It’s a social world and realistically the relationships you form with your stakeholders will be influenced by how you present yourself.

Follow up:

Communicating

When starting a business, communicating your ideas effectively is very important. Consideration needs to be placed into the type of language used both in speech and written form.

• Speaking
  • Speak in a clear and polite manner
  • Use proper English, not slang
  • Maintain eye contact
  • Try not to be distracted

• Writing - Use a standard business format
  •   Keep language formal and to the point
  • Ensure spelling and grammar is correct
  • Have someone proofread your work

Meeting people
Whether you’re meeting with other staff members, customers or suppliers it is always important to present yourself in a professional manner.

• Punctuality
  • Know the venue of the meeting and plan your journey
  • Aim to be there at least 10 minutes before the meeting
  • If you are going to be late, phone the person immediately advising them when you think you’ll arrive. Give the other person the option of rescheduling if necessary

• Professional behaviour 
  • If this is a first meeting, introduce yourself clearly
  • Maintain eye contact and be polite
  • Try not to interrupt other people when they’re speaking

• Personal presentation
  • Dress professionally, make sure you are clean and tidy
  • Pay attention to grooming, not too much make up and jewellery
  • Avoid strong perfume, cigarette and other overpowering smells

• Agenda
  • If you are hosting the meeting, inform people of the topics to be discussed so that they can prepare
  • If you are a guest to the meeting be sure to obtain a copy of the topics being covered and prepare yourself by bringing any questions you may have

• Sell yourself
  • Speak confidently and with enthusiasm
  • Maintain a good posture
  • When asked a question, give a full answer to the best of your ability
  • If you don’t understand something don’t be afraid to ask questions

• Follow up
  • Make notes during a meeting so you can recap
  • Ensure adherence to any deadlines that have been set
  • Email or phone the people you have met with to say thank you and/or obtain feedback

Networking
Meeting new people and forming new relationships can help you with your business both in the short and longer term. To network effectively there are some useful hints to remember:

• When alone at a conference, observe your surroundings. Approach people who are also by themselves. You can also ask the coordinator of the event to introduce you to a group you may be interested in
• Don’t interrupt people who are already deep in conversation. Wait for a break to introduce yourself and do so confidently
• Try to find some common business goals with people; share your failures and triumphs
• Exchange business cards
• After the event write notes you may want to remember, and follow up with contacts you have made

Time Management
Running and managing a business can be time consuming and thus it is important to appropriately prioritise your time.

Maintain an up to date diary. Find a system that works best for you; either hard copy that you can bring to meetings or electronically through your computer, or both. Have a list of tasks to complete and don’t neglect more important tasks for something that is easier to do.

Be aware of issues that may be a distraction to you and prepare some tactics to address or avoid these. Bare in mind that it is also important to take a break; there is no use continuing to work if your focus is wearing thin and the distractions grow bigger.