EMPOWERMENT SKILLS

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EMPOWERMENT SKILLS

• Tips to help you succeed,
• get a job, keep it, and get ahead in life
• Bo Crouse-Feuerhelm, CPSM
• Director, Client Services
• AMEC
• January 27, 2007

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Three Major Empowerment Skills

• Etiquette Skills
• Networking Skills
• Writing and Speaking
• Roberts Rules of Order

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Everyones biggest fear Etiquette
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Its really simple!

• Eating utensils
• First course - start with the outside piece
• work your way in.
• utensil above your plate is for dessert.
• Which water glass, coffee cup, bread plate is
  yours?
• Harder at a round table unless you remember this

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Runny RightLumpy Left

• Runny water, ice tea, coffee and soup
• always on your right.
• Lumpy bread, salad, dessert are on your left
• dessert can be above your plate
• If you sit first and claim your bread plate and
  water glass
• the rest of the table will be relieved and
  impressed!

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Common Sense Prevails

• Eat bacon, fried chicken and large shrimp with
  your fingers
• unless it is in a sauce
• Pass clockwise to your left
• Wait for everyone to be served before you begin
  eating
• Place your knife and fork in the center of your
  plate when finished

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Away from the Table

• Name tags - lose the lanyard!
• Wear on your right side
• Attach it high on your shirt or collar
• During reception
• You can hold either a drink or a plate of food
  not both
• Eat food at a table if at all possible.
• Always hold drink with a napkin to avoid cold and
  sweaty hands.

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400 Level Networking

• Get an advance list of attendees
• Split up do not hang out with people you
  already know
• Work the room alone
• Choose a table where you do not know anyone
• Strike up a conversation with the person on your
  left

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5 7 12

• 5 fingers
• start with a handshake
• 7 seconds
• how long you have to grab the other persons
  attention
• 12 minutes
• average time you should talk to one person
• move on.

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Elevator Speech

• The speech that you prepare and practice
  beforehand.
• Keep it short the time it takes to ride an
  elevator
• Make it unique enough to capture the listeners
  attention in seven seconds.
• This is NOT party or aim speak

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Elevator Speech Dos Donts

• Do
• Introduce yourself
• Ask questions about the other person
• listen with interest to their answers
• Be confident in your actions and words
• Begin with something unique about yourself

• Dont
• Give your resume
• List your name, major and graduation date and
  then be silent
• Dominate the conversation
• Let the other person do all the talking

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We All Need to Feel

• Interesting
• Special
• Engaged
• Safe
• Connected to Others

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Questions and Answers!

• Ask questions
• Where do you work?
• What do you do there?
• How do you like what you do?
• Give feedback
• That sounds interesting!
• Relate your experiences to what they are saying
• We talked about that subject in class and I find
  it very interesting because . . .

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Two Ears One MouthListen Intently!

• Learn as much as you can from this person
• Let them know your interests, talents and
  aspirations
• Be confident!
• Remember confidence is the exact opposite of both
  timid and cocky!
• Ask them for their business card.
• Politely move on by thanking the person for their
  time or for sharing their knowledge.

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As Soon As You Walk Away

• Write on the back of their card
• Two unique things about that person or
• Something memorable from your conversation
• Did not get their card
• then write down their name, where they work and
  two unique things.
• Use the attendee list to find their info

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When You Get Home

• Send a handwritten note to every person you met
• Refer to the event you met them
• Refer to your conversation and note the two
  unique things
• Ask them to review your resume
• Tell them why you want to work at their company
• Thank them again

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Example

• Dear Melody,
• I really enjoyed meeting you at the ISPE Annual
  Meeting in Orlando. Our conversation about
  redheads and your experience at the Naval Academy
  were one of the many highlights of our lunch!
  Thank you for updating me about Genentechs
  staffing needs 2006-07.
• It seems you really enjoy working at Genentech
  and find your position to be both challenging and
  rewarding. Genentechs focus on cross training is
  appealing to me as it would provide the
  opportunity to learn about various positions in
  the organization.
• With your staffing needs in mind, I am enclosing
  my resume and would really appreciate you
  forwarding it along to the appropriate people at
  Genentech. I am very interested in design,
  commissioning and qualification of pharmaceutical
  processes and hope to find a position in the
  biotech industry upon graduation in December
  2007.
• Melanie, thank you again for sharing your
  knowledge of the industry with me. I hope to see
  you again at the conference in Tampa! I will call
  you in a week to discuss the next step.
• Kind regards, Bo

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Two Weeks Later . . .

• Call or email the people you sent notes and
  resumes
• Ask them who they forwarded your resume to.
• Call that person and ask if they need any
  additional information
• Ask if you could get an interview scheduled or
  who you need to contact to schedule your
  interview.

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A big differentiatorWriting and Speaking

• Seek and take every opportunity to get outside
  your comfort zone
• ISPE Student Poster Competition
• Write article about your poster
• Publish it in local newsletter, ISPE publications
• Write an article for university publication
• Get involved with ISPE Student Chapter board and
  other professional and civic organizations

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Always useful

• Roberts Rules of Order
• www.robertsrules.com
• Comments? Answers?

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Thank you and have a great day!
I believe you can only be great at something you
love Maya Angelou