By Ann Londrigan
Apparently it now takes just 7 seconds for someone to form an opinion based on first impressions, said communications consultant Stacey Hanke in her session “Speak to Be Heard! Boost Your Earnings Potential as an Effective Communicator.”
Hanke shared research that shows 55% of that first impression comes from your visual cues (what the listener sees, your body language); 38% comes from your voice (the inflection, variety and projection) while just 7% comes what what you actually have to say.
“In this challenging market you must understand that people sell to people,” said Hanke, president of 1st Impression Consulting, Inc. based in Chicago with clients ranging from Coca Cola to the U.S. Army. “Perceptions are reality. You determine the perception the listener creates in their own minds by the way you communicate. They key to getting your message across is to gain trust and believability.”
Hanke said the stats do not imply that what you have to say is not important. It’s clearly very important to share good information with your clients and prospects, but your message will have little impact if you’re not believable. Through a series of exercises REALTORS® in the crowd learned about proper posture including how to stand sit and move to create a good impression. Hanke said “gesturing” with your arms and hands show confidence and can effectively emphasize what you have to say. She warned against fidgeting with your hands, pens or other items you are holding that can be distracting and may be perceived as lack of confidence.
“The most powerful skill you have is the ability to pause and take a relaxing breath,” says Hanke. She coached REALTORS® in an exercise to eliminate filler words that become distracting to listeners. The most common include uh, um, so, like, okay, actually, basically, well, and, but, you know and however.
Silent pauses instead of these filler words give the listener a chance to hear, understand and absorb your message, said Hanke. Pausing invites the listener to share in the conversation. It can also create drama and heightened anticipation when you pause before or after a specific point that you want a listener to remember.
And eye contact is key. You should not speak to your notes or to your PowerPoint.
“The relationship with your listeners begins with eye connection,” said Hanke. “When speaking to two or more clients, complete one sentence or thought with each person then move on and take your time to pause when you move your eyes from one person to another.”
