Answers: I'd like them to think that I/we...

• Am/are honest/trustworthy
• Care about them
• Am/are professional
• Am/are capable
• Want to help them

Answers: I'd like them to feel...

• Important
• Confident in me/us
• Comfortable
• Safe/Taken care of
• Satisfied

How do these answers compare with those on your list?

Now imagine you are involved in a business conversation with a customer, prospect or colleague how many of these words or phrases can you comfortably say?

Most people agree, not many... however, people also agree they still want others to think and feel all of the things listed! This means that we must convey these thoughts and feelings via "implied" messages messages sent by the way we act; messages sent not only by "what" we say but rather by "how" we say it and "how we look" when we say it.

Given the importance of these implied messages, people tend to agree it is best to plan our actions in advance, along with what we'll say, how we'll say it and how we'll look when we say it.