It's the Customer, Stupid!: 34 Wake-up Calls to Help You Stay Client-Focused

Chapter 10. Perception Is Reality

The first 30 seconds of a call or meeting set the tone for the remainder of the contact. The last 30 seconds are critical to establishing lasting rapport.

What kind of first impression do you think you give? Would you do business with you based on your initial appearance and impression? Perception is reality, and the client's reality comes from a first impression—be it good, bad, or indifferent.

When my three sons were growing up, we had an incentive plan in place in our home that offered ways for them to earn money on a daily basis. We never believed in giving allowances. We charged our children to live in our home—a fee they could offset by earning money to do certain tasks.

We also required our sons to invest the money they earned. If their checking account exceeded $500, they had to transfer the money into an investment of some sort. They were allowed to choose, but they had to invest it. If they failed to invest it, I forewarned them that I would confiscate it. One of my twin sons—who was 11 at the time—looked up confiscate in the dictionary and declared he would not allow that to happen. Fair enough, I told him. How do you want to invest your money? He thought on it for a day or so and came back to me.

"Dad, I'd like to buy some stock!" I asked him where he learned about stock and he advised me that he had been reading my Wall Street Journal and watching CNN. Well, that one threw me for a loop; I don't even read my Wall Street Journal.

Surprised ...