As a career coach I have worked with thousands of clients and prospects. This blog is about a partial catalog of unwitting behaviors that I find get in the way of those who are trying to get ahead in life. When I observe them from my clients I tell them and try to correct them from their errant ways. So, from the list below if you have embraced any of the less desirable patterns of behavior, see if you can detect those and correct them for you own good!
- When sending an urgent email and requesting a response for even a regular email always include your contact phone # in that message. Better yet, make it a habit of having your best contact # right in the email signature. Please also make sure that your full name is in the signature (not just a “Dave”). This simple approach provides the needed context, and an option for the recipient to call you back (a much more efficient way to respond, especially for urgent messages), no matter where the recipient is.
- When leaving a phone message always start with your full name (not just “Dave,” again, and provide some brief context (“I met you at your workshop yesterday”) with your contact phone #. Leave a short message (15-30 sec.) and again your # at the end. People often retrieve their messages remotely and when the phone # (often garbled due to poor mobile connection) is only at the end of a long message it is annoying to have to play the entire message multiple times just to decipher the caller’s phone #. That phone # is perhaps the most important part of the message for the recipient.
- Have a professional greeting in your voice mail, identifying clearly who you are. Replace the generic (and often robotic) greeting that comes with the product or service you purchased with a personal and professional greeting that announces your name and other details (“Thanks for calling. This is Dilip Saraf of Career Transitions Unlimited….”). About 10% of the people are either dyslexic or hurriedly misdial phone numbers (such as while driving). Unless they know whose phone they have reached you might miss an important call. If you do not have a personal greeting you may be viewed as too lazy to change it; not a good first impression!
- When requesting an introduction to someone (especially someone more senior) from your contact on LinkedIn (or any other social network) make sure that your request is well presented. In my own case I get many requests from those who want to join my LinkedIn network. I simply ignore those that say, “Since you are the person I trust I want to join you in your network.” Before you initiate any such request for an introduction or for connecting someone that you think is worth your while, make sure that your request makes it worth their while to connect with you.
- If you want people to remember you and to know who you are have your picture in your LinkedIn Profile. It is much easier to remember someone by looking at their picture and then forming the right context in your mind before connecting with them. Also, it is helpful to have a link to your LinkedIn Profile right in your email (as a part of your signature). With nearly 160 million members some common names can have thousands of entries on LinkedIn, as an example.
- Regardless of how dire your situation is (e.g., being out of work for a long time) do not assume that that the world owes you something for your suffering. Always approach someone from whom you want help with the proper language and manners. If they help you make sure to acknowledge them through a generous Thank-you note.
- When writing such notes make sure that you make specific reference to how their help made a difference. So, instead of merely writing, “Thanks for your help”, say, “I really appreciate your going out of your way to introduce me to Jim Smith. This introduction opened new doors for me that were previously closed. As a result, I was able to get a large contract from one of the referrals Jim gave me. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know; it would be MY pleasure! Once again, thanks a million.”
- If someone goes out of their way to help you in your time of need, immediately acknowledge that help, and when your situation improves, do something special for them that they will remember.
- When someone does great work (unrelated to what your needs are) acknowledge that and show your appreciation for a job well done. Everyone (including your company’s CEO) responds well to a genuine compliment. They are free, so use them generously.
- Don’t spend time personalizing your plight (“I should have done this and not that”). Instead, take the experience personally and learn from it. Live in the “Here and now.”
Good luck!