The Man Without A Face
THIS BELONGS IN EVERY BUSINESS LIBRARY!
You probably consider your favorite actor to be talented, but on some level their physical appearance also appeals to you, reinforcing your positive feelings.
Think you’d appreciate them as much if they were merely a disembodied voice or a still photo on the screen, surrounded by others actively running, jumping and talking?
The interaction would be the same, but the scene would be radically different. I’m thinking your favorite actor might not remain your favorite for long.
You may think this absurd scenario would never happen…yet we see it before us daily during online business meetings. An attendee will show a blank screen portraying their name — and maybe a still photo of themself — and expect the same attention as those who are animated, actively participating, showing charts, etc.
I’ve witnessed this happening in job interviews, sales calls and strategy sessions. Efforts to coax the person(s) to show themselves have rarely been successful, with excuses offered ranging from “a bad hair day” to being deathly ill.
Okay, I’ll give a free pass to the latter. The rest are probably multitasking.
Regular readers know my firm belief that one must stay visible to close a deal. It’s why I advocate drip campaigns, public speaking and networking events…all of which keep you visible without significant expense.
Because the reality is not showing your face and actively interacting with professional associates is sure to minimize your chances of getting that promotion at work or lower the odds of closing that deal.
Remember: People do business with people they know, like and trust. And if you’re not showing your face, folks aren’t going to have warm fuzzies about you. Period!
Of course, if you’re the decision-maker in a given situation, you may not care about making a good impression. Still, your refusal to show your face may prevent solutions-providers from properly reading and reacting to your needs.
Furthermore, in our volatile business environment, today’s subordinate can be tomorrow’s supervisor. People have long memories when it comes to perceived slights.
So improve your odds of business success and keep yourself visible at that next Zoom meeting. Because unless you’re on the radio, providing sound effects to indicate your presence just won’t be enough to persuade most audiences.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Visit www.askmrmarketing.com for more marketing insights.