by Nan Gibbons, @healthnut2011
As an entrepreneur I've gained business experience through a lot of trial and error. As a single mom I'm used to figuring things out on the fly. You can only plan so much of your life; and both parenting and business come with a lot of curveballs. To keep you going strong, here are three tips on how to appear on top of things.
1. Fake Preparedness
You can't always plan your day as well as you would like, so work around that.
Have Questions: Whenever I've had to lead an impromptu meeting I would start by asking questions. This gives you a chance to collect your thoughts and helps the client actually focus the meeting topics. They're doing the work for you.
Have Materials: Printing takes time and money. I'm fastidious about saving any data or materials on a cloud computing network so they are always at hand. Doing this makes said data available anywhere you have an Internet connection.
Have Poise: Sometimes problems work themselves out during meetings. I can't tell you how many times I've had a client come up with a solution to their own problem. In meetings you want to foster that environment. Listen closely, nod your head, and be positive.
2. Looking Awake and Alert
Long nights of working on a presentation often run straight into early mornings of giving a presentation.
Wash Your Face: The skin on your face exfoliates very quickly. When you wake-up you are effectively wearing a mask of dead skin. Wash your face and look noticeably more alert and awake.
Style your Hair: It doesn't even have to be washed just put it in a bun if it's long or spike it to the front if it's short. People will just assume you put a little too much product in.
Open Your Eyes: Eye drops will help with redness. Put a pair of metal spoons in the freezer the night before. Lay them on your eyes for a few minutes in the morning and they'll help with swelling, darkness and the bags under your tired eyes.
3. Good First Impressions
You only get one chance to make a first impression!
Be on Time: However, if you are running late, apologize for your tardiness briefly and then get directly down to business. If your tardiness doesn't disrupt anything, then it will be forgiven. Don't let it upset you.
Be Calm: Before you enter a room, take a deep breath. Stride in calmly and confidently. If you seem flustered people will think you can't handle responsibility.
Be Attentive: Stand up straight. Look people in the eye. There is no reason to stare but not being able to look someone confidently in the eye denotes unreliability.
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Nan Gibbons is a Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, & Fitness Advisor.
Twitter: @healthnut2011
