Do you make a good impression on people? In today's fast paced world, the answer to that question can make or break your business. And if you blow it with the impression you leave on someone, you may not get a second chance...

I found this excellent piece over at BusinessWeek in their archives recently, by Carmine Gallo. Some simple rules that Gallo fleshes out for you.

My favorite is "Respond to e-mails within 24 hours." I sometimes find that that is a hard sell for people who don't qualify as "digital natives." They think that email is a less pressing form of communication than telephone traffic (or even snail mail). The opposite is true. I can generally judge where I fall on someone's list of priorities based on how long it takes them to answer my email. Eight hours tells me they've been busy. Thirty minutes lets me know I'm important to them. Three days means there's a good chance that their answer no longer matters to me (and that I won't waste time communicating with them again...).

Gallo sets out seven rules in all. Simple things - like making eye contact with people and leaving intelligent voice messages when you call someone.

You can read all seven of Gallo's tips here.


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