Put Your Best Foot Forward: Make a Great Impression by Taking Control of How Others See You Hardcover - 2000

From the publisher

People are always judging you. Whether you are in a meeting, on a date, in a classroom, or on the telephone, others are constantly forming impressions of you -- often drawing conclusions from traits you never knew you had or didn't know influenced others. When you understand how impressions are made and how to accentuate those positive qualities that appeal to others -- and eliminate the negative ones -- you will have mastered a powerful interpersonal tool and learned how to Put Your Best Foot Forward. Written by Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, America's best-known jury consultant, and Mark Mazzarella, a seasoned trial lawyer and lecturer, Put Your Best Foot Forward is an insightful guide to help you enhance your mental, emotional, and physical attributes by understanding the true impact of how you look, what you say, and how you act. Filled with perceptive insights and shrewd advice and based on extensive research and experience, it is a primer on what Dimitrius and Mazzarella call impression management. In Put Your Best Foot Forward, you'll learn how to project what the authors call the four Compass Qualities that are the foundation of every great impression: Trustworthiness Caring Humility Capability You will also learn how to paint a positive picture of yourself with the Seven Colors, or key areas, of impression formation: Appearance Body language Voice Communication techniques Content of communication Action Environment Drawing from their own experiences as well as data collected from thousands of participants in their own and others' research and surveys, Dimitrius and Mazzarella describe how each quality and color affects what people think of you and howyou can affect others' impressions of you by modifying these traits. They have pinpointed magic pills, which can always be used to create great impressions, and toxic traits, which irreparably damage your good name. Drawing examples from the bedroom, personal relationships, even cyberspace, Dimitrius and Mazzarella explain that you can improve the impressions you make -- anytime, anyplace.