At the end of my VizThink workshop on Monday, a bunch of people came up afterwards to talk about solving problems with pictures. The funniest was Richard Mulholland, the certifiable lunatic who runs the South African presentation consultancy Missing Link.
(Richard is the less photogenic one on the right. Managing Director Sam is on the left.)
Starting out with the obligatory, "I can't draw, but..." (actually, it was more, "I draw like a $#@&-ing idiot, but...), Richard then proceeded to draw for me the best napkin sketch I've seen in months.
Richard, who as a presentation pro makes a living making first impressions, has come to the realization that first impressions don't mean a %$@! thing. (And he takes himself -- tattoos, silly hats, loud manner -- as his test case.) What *does* matter is LAST impressions.
And here's why (I'm channeling Richard now):
'Imagine that two people are competing for a consulting gig at a bank. One is a certifiable lunatic with tattoos, the other a nice looking chap with a tie and a briefcase. When they first meet the client, the former makes a terrible first impression (the client actually laughed when I walked in), and the latter makes a great first impression.' Like this:
'By the end of the meeting, Mr. Tie has said all the right things and proven his competence in completing the job, leaving an even higher last impression. But Mr. Tattoos has also said all the right things and impressed the client with his energy and competence. He leaves behind a lower overall impression, but one so far above where he began that the client is truly impressed.'
'So looking at the total impression -- comparing the difference between first and last impressions, who do you think gets remembered and gets the gig?'
Richard calls this the "sailboat' chart, for obvious reasons. He drew it on stage at TED Global, hoping to take Malcolm Gladwell out at the knees.
Malcolm apparently had made a pretty remarkable first impression.
Im having an addiction to tattoos...my questions.
1. if you could get a quote tattooed on you what would it be?!
2. What kinda tattoo do you wanna get?!
3. Can you look up a tattoo that you really like?! and put it in here.
4. what is your dream tattoo?!
thts all....im just bored and was just asking. thank you!!
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Where can I buy your new book Richard
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Using tattoos is definitely a unique medium for brand/ product promotion and positioning. It is hard to say whether or not it provides a positive or negative brand image. I feel that it depends solely on the product/
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I think in another way, first impression always count.
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I like the concept and Richard is great, but I wonder would the approach have acceptability for the majority of presenters and the majority of audiences?
Time and again I have witnessed the "shutters" coming down following a poor first impression and, no matter how much sense the person makes as the meeting progresses, the decision has already been made.
If it is in your control to not alarm your audience - at a pitch, an interview, or a preso - why would you take a devil-may-care attitude for those opening moments?
Yes, a carefully crafted opening that makes you stand out from your competition is clearly a good thing; but I suspect that very few people could get away with making a poor first impression in a "no one ever got fired for buying IBM" corporate world.
I wouldn't bet the farm on reason/intellect over-riding caveman instincts ...
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Malcolm apparently had made a pretty remarkable first impression.
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Hi Dan
Totally agree with the sailboat chart - and very funny too (Mulholland made an instant impact on me too - owe him a coffee, by the way). I guess all this goes to prove your points: Everybody can draw and a napkin will do the trick for you.
Looking forward to you book.
Jens Ole / Soulfighters
Posted by: Jens Ole Amstrup, Soulfighters | February 02, 2008 at 03:06 PM