NaBloPoMo (Take II)

In honor of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) in November, I'm going to try to post a little something every day. It may be short and sweet or long and detailed. It could be here, or on my other blog, My Endless Voyage. Let's see if I can get through the entire month without detailing to you all each morsel I ate that day...

Check out today's entry, No Double Required: Psychic Stunts album review over at My Endless Voyage!

Volunteer Work

As the volunteer Membership Vice President of our local sorority alumnae group, it is my job to recruit new members to be a part of our sisterhood. Seems kinda weird, right? I mean, isn't being in a sorority for college kids?

Well, we also take part in some community based activities as well as having fun socials. Part of this is supporting the local collegiate chapters, primarily in the areas of recruitment, philanthropy, advising/guidance, and my personal favorite, Founders Day, where we celebrate the founding of our sorority (kind of like a nation-wide birthday party!)

This responsibility has let me to volunteer my services in creating several documents for the local chapters (collegiate and alumnae alike) and I wanted to showcase a few of them here:

Founders Day invitations and RSVPs for local alumnae/parents
to be printed on 1/4 page light pink cardstock
Damansk pattern by Pixels & Ice Cream

Recruitment handouts for potential new members
Inspired by extension materials from Lindsay Cope
with permission from extension director

What do you think? Feedback is ALWAYS welcome! :)

College and Pepper Spray Don't Mix

Me and high school friends at my graduation party, the day before I left for WSU freshman year (I'm on the far left)

It's August, and across the country college students are packing their twin-sized duvet covers, mini refrigerators and DVD collections into their tiny cars and driving cross-state to go back to school (or maybe that's just me). While going back to school has some very fond memories for this blogger (Cougar football Saturdays, rockin' parties and a fresh start with classes) it also brings to mind one of my most embarrassing moments - EVER.

Enter Lacretia, circa 2004. I am an eager, naive, overachieving freshman at WSU. I have done all the right things to prepare for college, from paying attention during the yawn-inducing orientation, to signing up for sorority recruitment to making friends with my Resident Advisor. I even brought the pepper spray my boyfriend back home gave me for when I'm walking alone on campus. Yessiree, prepared, that's me.

Cut to Lacretia, first week of school. I am trying to make the perfect first impression, but haven't made a lot of friends yet, so here I sit, alone and bored in my dorm room. After an intense desire to re-organize my already color-coded closet, (okay, okay, I'm a neat freak!) I stumble upon the already-forgotten can of pepper spray. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I think to myself,

"Hmm...I wonder if this stuff actually works?"

Against my own best judgment, I flip the lock switch to the 'off' position and turn the can, spraying a short burst away from me...and into a fan. I sputter and cough as I stumble out of my room into the community bathroom and wash my face. Man, this stuff is stinging and tickling and irritating the heck out of my throat.

"Well," I think, "At least I know it's effective."

And then I hear the coughs from the other residents in their rooms. Panicking, I run to the RA's room. When she isn't there, I go across the hall to the boys' Resident Advisor, the coughs and hacks following me, (tauntingly, I might add) across the building. He immediately calls the campus fire department (an action I am sure is unneccessary) and almost instantly the four cutest firefighters I have ever seen show up to question me, making sure to warn me to be careful when I shower so the pepper doesn't wash into "more sensitive areas." I want to die.

I am then instructed to walk the hall and announce to every resident what happened and ask them to open their windows and doors to air out the chemicals. Needless to say, that wasn't exactly the perfect first impression I had in mind.

The moral of this mortifying story:

Lesson #1: Learn to laugh at yourself. Embarrassing situations happen to everyone. Even if you're the laughingstock of the residence hall this week, someone will make an idiot of themselves next week and everyone will forget about it completely. That's what college is all about - making mistakes, laughing at yourself and learning from them.

Lesson #2: College and Pepper Spray don't mix. Just take my word for it - the pepper spray WORKS - you don't need to try it yourself. Ladies, it's important to play it safe, but learn from me, and play it smart, too.

Lesson #3: My one piece of advice for college students as they head back to school? Try anything once, but avoid situations in which you might compromise yourself (and your humility) in front of the cutest firefighters on campus. College is a precious time for learning and experiencing life on your own. You'll have to find your own way, but the freedom to get there is what makes it all worthwhile (and fun!)

-- Lacretia Taylor

{Photo by moi}

First Impression Checklist

Making a memorable first impression is the first step in effectively networking with others

Good first impressions are an important part of networking. Now that you have a better understanding of how to make a good first impression, remember these seven tips to make the most of your networking opportunities:

• Check all marketing materials for consistency, grammatical and spelling errors
• Be relatable - find a common interest, either in the professional or personal realm
  
• Smile - think of your "happy thought" for a more natural smile
  
• Relax - Heart racing? Short of breath? Step into a private area (your car or the nearest restroom) and take five big belly breaths - this slows down your heart rate and allows you to collect your thoughts
  
• Listen - Stop thinking of your next answer or what question you want to ask and actually listen to what the person in front of you is saying, and respond appropriately
  
• Be yourself - Don't misrepresent yourself or lie. This also includes sounding like yourself in your marketing materials
• Find your mantra - Similar to meditation, find a phrase that can help relax you in stressful situations and remind yourself of how great you are (my mantra is "calm, confident, caring and kind" - some of my best qualities - kind of catchy, no?)

-- Lacretia Taylor

{Photo by moi}

Seven Seconds - How to Make a Great First Impression

One...two...three...four...five...six...seven. That is exactly how long you have to make a first impression, according to a 2004 article in The Eleusis, the official publication of Chi Omega Fraternity. I know what you're thinking...

"What? That can't possibly be! No one can make up their mind about liking someone that quickly! It's not fair!"

It may be an inconvenient truth, but the fact is, first impressions matter, and they are a key part of building a personal brand. During my stint as a Collegiate Leadership Consultant last year, I had my fair share of practice at making first impressions. I traveled across the country, meeting with a different group of students each week. As a part of my 4-7 day visits, I conducted a thorough analysis of their chapter operations as well as officer evaluations - let's just say I didn't always receive the warmest welcome - even more of a reason to polish my first impression skills.

Although making a first impression can be overwhelming and nerve-wracking (especially in a high stress situation like a job interview), a few tips and a basic understanding of how people perceive you can make the sometimes awkward situation less painful. Here are some tips (I learned them the hard way) to ensure you're making the most of your seven seconds:

Get a Grip
Your handshake is often the very first physical contact you have with any person you meet, likely landing somewhere in that first seven seconds, so use it to your advantage. According to Jacob Share, fellow blogger and creator of JobMob, "...if your handshake is particularly good, you will stand out and people will remember you."

Not sure how to go about giving a good handshake? Read Share's 19 Qualities of the Best Handshake in the World and What Does Your Handshake Say About You?

Act the Part
The key to having good confidence is "fake it until you make it" - stand up straight, practice appropriate responses to questions, and speak clearly and loudly. The most confident people are often the most engaging as well. To effectively engage your audience, remember SOFTEN

S - Smile. Smiling automatically makes any person (nervous or not) seem more approachable and friendly. If you're like me and hate the feeling of a forced smile, think of a funny story from your past, or a cheesy one-liner from your favorite comedy - thinking of these "happy thoughts" will help you relax and will eventually give way to a more natural grin.
O - Open posture. Women especially have a problem of crossing their feet while standing and grabbing their arms at the elbows or clasping their hands when they become nervous. This posture sends the unintentional message of "go away." To open your posture, stand with feet shoulder width apart (or for women, with the heel of one foot touching the instep of the other foot) and place hands at your side or clasp them behind your back. This will send the message that you are comfortable in the situation and open to meeting new people.
F - Forward lean. People who are engaged (and thus, engaging) lean toward the person they are speaking with. Another tip: practice "mirroring" the other person's body language - it sends a subliminal message that you relate to each other - the more relatable you appear, the more likeable you are.
T - Touch. Now, this may not be appropriate for all settings (Read: professional meetings, interviews, etc.) but if breaking the touch barrier is appropriate (outside of the aforementioned handshake) it can create a sort of bond between you and the person you are engaging. This can be as simple as touching the person's elbow or back to guide them into a room, or touching their arm as you introduce them to someone new. In some instances, a hug might even be appropriate (I have several sorority sisters go in for a hug the first time they meet me!). Keep in mind that everyone has different standards of what is acceptable when it comes to touch, so err on the side of caution, but if the other person initiates the contact, it is best to reciprocate (even if you're not a particularly "touchy" person).
E - Eye contact. You don't want to seem distracted by looking around the room too much, but you don't want to engage in a staring contest either. Try looking at the person in the eyes for 3-5 seconds at a time, and then looking away for the same amount of time - just avoid looking down at your hands or feet (a sign of self-consciousness) or at the clock (a sign that you are in a hurry or desire to leave).
N - Name. The sweetest sound to any person is the sound of their own name. It is advisable to use a person's name at least three times during your first encounter. This is also a good trick to remembering their name. Repeating it as much as possible commits it to memory, making it easier to recall later. Not sure how to work it into the conversation three times? Try once at the beginning, ("Hi, Lacretia, it's so nice to meet you") once in the middle ("That is so interesting Lacretia, tell me more about that") and once at the end ("I have really enjoyed talking to you, Lacretia, I would love to get your contact information so I can find out more about that!"). Cheesy, yes. Effective, totally.

Dress to Impress
This is probably what most networkers and job searchers spend the most of their time on - what to wear. However, many people don't get past the clothing part. In all honesty, your appearance goes beyond the interview suit - it encompasses your hairstyle (think professional, not sexy), smell (leave the perfume/cologne at home), accessories (distracting piercings or other jewelry can leave the interviewer thinking more about your obnoxious nose ring than your interview answers) and nervous ticks (Do you play with your hair? Crack your knuckles? Say "you know" a lot? Recognize these habits and stop now). Try videotaping yourself to really understand how people perceive you. As far as dress goes, my best advice? Be conservative and professional, but most of all, be comfortable in what you are wearing. No one wants to see you tugging at your skirt or tripping over your too-long hem. That's just awkward.

Build Your Brand
There are hundreds of Web sites devoted to improving your personal marketing pieces such as business cards, resumes, portfolios and cover letters. These documents are often send ahead or leave behind pieces and can leave a more lasting impression than your single meeting, so you should put time and effort into making sure they send the right message about you. The best piece of advice I received regarding my marketing pieces was to make them "consistent, memorable and uniquely you." Heeding that advice, I created a personal letterhead to use on all of my documents to connect them and give my potential employers the idea that I am someone who takes pride in being consistent and unique, two qualities that can benefit their company. Two other important tips for these pieces - make sure they are error free (it helps to have one or more people read over each document to check for grammatical or spelling errors) and make sure to customize each cover letter and resume for each company you apply to. If a cover letter looks like it was copied from a book or Web site, the hiring manager will more than likely assume you did not care enough about the job to investigate their particular needs and your documents will be tossed into the circular file (otherwise known as the trash can).

Channel Your Inner Ms. (or Mr.) Congeniality
Make sure you are emulating a positive attitude toward everyone you meet. You never know who is friends with whom. Oftentimes, administrative or executive assistants and receptionists are consulted for their opinion of a person. In fact, according to a recent OfficeTeam survey, 61 percent of executives polled said they consider their assistant’s opinion important when evaluating potential new hires. Make sure you are on your best behavior as soon as you step out of your car. This means being polite to the receptionist, spitting out your gum and leaving your phone in your bag, even when you are waiting for your appointment - you never know who is watching you!

Whew! That's a lot to remember for seven seconds, but the more you practice, the easier it will be to make good first impressions your second nature. Any other great tips for making good impressions? Do you have a personal horror story about a first impression you made or someone made on you?

-- Lacretia Taylor

How NOT to Communicate with Your Audience

Chris Brogan posted this video on his blog today, relating it to how Facebook fails to use the information they have about their consumers to effectively advertise to them. The post, "Facebook - PLEASE do better with your ads" is an issue I can definitely relate to. When are advertisers (and let's face it, many self-absorbed PR and marketing professionals) going to understand that the first thing you need to do as an advertising, PR or marketing firm is LISTEN to what your audience wants?

Without further adieu, the video:



-- Lacretia Taylor

Personal Brand, Revisited

Geoff Livingston had an interesting blog post today, titled "Brand and Reputation Are Not Synonymous." The post essentially argued that today's social media experts may have a great personal brand, but lack the reputation to back it up.

With today's tools, personal brand is easily built up quickly - some Twitter applications even promise to add hundreds or thousands of followers overnight, while reputation is built over time from clients seeing positive results from the actual work produced. Still confused? Think of personal brand as someone who has made a name (a really big name) for his or herself and reputation as the behind-the-scenes work that is put into that brand. On the internet, it's much easier to portray oneself as having a really big name without the behind-the-scenes work. Think Michael Jordan without his slam dunks. It doesn't make sense, but it's still happening all over the internet.

So what's the big deal? Well, people are trusting these bloggers/twitter users/personal branders to give them advice. Some users are even claiming to be doctors when they have no medical experience. This false accreditation is hurting social media users everywhere. If people continue to abuse the system and portray themselves as a strong personal brand without substance, then information from social media will no longer be credible. Eventually, those using false means to puff up their personal brand will be found out and only those who can back up their claims will remain, but I have a feeling that these users will tire of the game long before that point comes.

I'd like to return to the idea of authenticity from yesterday's post. The easiest way to avoid the issue of having a strong personal brand but an insufficient reputation is to remain authentic. Your personal brand should always be based on the actual work or results produced. It's great to be in the spotlight, but if you don't have the results to back it up, your readers, followers and audience will move on.

Bottom line? No, personal brand and reputation are not synonymous, but if you have the substance to support your claims, personal branding can be a great tool to set you apart from the rest of the crowd. And if you're not interested in an authentic approach to personal branding, please step aside.

-- Lacretia Taylor