Our Services


We offer a range of services to organizations, professionals, individuals, and groups.

Executive Coaching

While your education and innate talents provided an entry to your career, your leadership skills and executive presence will determine how far and how fast you advance. Executive coaching is a very effective way to hone your leadership skills—to become more strategic, communicate more clearly, and better build your professional relationships. Coaching has been proven to deliver a five-fold return on investment in terms of business and financial performance.

Executive Coaching will help you:
      • Learn how others perceive you
      • Grow your leadership skills
      • Navigate your career path
Here is how it works:

      • You meet with your First Impressions coach to discuss your current position, goals, challenges, and opportunities.
      • We identify a set of assessment tools that will help you gain personal insight, such as a confidential survey of your colleagues and personality inventories.
      • You craft a development plan with goals, specific actions to take, metrics of progress, and timeframes – and align your goals with your key stakeholders.
      • Over regular confidential sessions, your coach will support you through the development process, celebrate your successes, and challenge you to take on-going action.
      • Progress is measured with a “coaching progress” survey, and actions adapted accordingly.


"Ann Demarais helped me to get past my "stuckness" and reach the next level of influence and responsibility in my organization. She was honest, accurate and direct in helping me see my blind spots and committing to overcome them. She had just the right combination of encouragement and confrontation that I needed to go out of my comfort zone and take some of the "risks" that I needed to take. She has been an invaluable asset in my development."
–Pete Turner, Finance Executive

"My executive coaching was fabulous; I learned things I didn’t know about my leadership style, and importantly, learned what I could do differently, and it made a huge impact. Ann made it easy!”
–Courtney Anderson, Marketing Manager

Interpersonal Style Survey

Most of us have some awareness of how others see us—as well as some blind spots. The Interpersonal Style Survey helps you to learn how others see you based on feedback that is candid and comprehensive:

Here is how it works:
      • You survey people from your everyday life—friends, colleagues, family, neighbors, and others—using a simple web-based tool.
      • You get feedback on 48 measures of behavior—so you can understand specifically what you do or say that creates the impression you make.
      • You learn your interpersonal strengths, which boosts your confidence -- and your blind spots, which increases your self-awareness.
      • People surveyed can answer honestly because they know results will be anonymous and presented to you in a summary format.
      • Optional coaching sessions are available: A coach can help you identify your key strengths and areas for improvement, and craft a plan to improve your self-presentation.


"Getting real, honest feedback from people in my everyday life was eye-opening. Perceptions are reality. I felt good about all the positive ways I am seen, and while surprised by a few things – they were easy to change. I learned to ask more questions, and to speak less. It took a little experimenting out of my usual style, but I can honestly see a difference in how people respond to me know, for the better!”
–Julie Majors

"My First Impressions experience was life-changing. No one ever told me that I came across as aloof! I learned some specific things to do that changed how others see me, and now I'm a lot more socially confident—and successful."
–Jeff Dillard

Interview Skills

Making the right impression in an interview can get you the offer—and the salary—you desire. But under the pressure of an interview, even the most confident professional may not present him or herself in the best light, or may unknowingly send the wrong messages.

Interview-skills coaching will help you:
      • See yourself through the interviewer’s eyes
      • Gain self-awareness and confidence
      • Fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal presentation
      • Prepare yourself to respond optimally to a wide range of interviewing styles
      • Practice salary negotiation
Here is how it works:
      • Your First Impressions coach conducts a simulated job interview with you.
      • You have a follow-up discussion to analyze the impression you make, the positive messages you send, and things you could do better. Your coach will outline the specific things you said or did that contributed to your first impression—verbally, nonverbally, and emotionally.
      • A detailed behavioral guideline is provided for you for reference.
      • Your coach will help you to define new ways of presenting yourself—and practice handling challenging questions with you—until you are confident, articulate, and poised in your responses and self-presentation.
      • You may video or audio tape the session.
      • You may practice negotiating your salary—to ensure you get the salary you want and deserve.

Career Transitioning

More than ever, today’s economy demands a proactive approach to managing your career and preparing for the future. Whether you are concerned about the security of your current job or you are seeking a new position, a carefully considered career plan is vital.

For many professionals, career transitioning is a perplexing, emotionally charged experience. Some people become paralyzed, while others engage in a flurry of activity that may not deliver the results they desire. We help you to develop yourself both emotionally and strategically, to put yourself ahead of the curve.

We guide you through a one-on-one personalized transitions workshop, helping you to systematically think through your opportunities and identify your best career path. We work with you to develop an individualized, action-oriented strategic plan, and provide coaching on networking and job-search tactics.

Career Transitions Coaching will help you:
      • Explore the range of opportunities appropriate for you
      • Identify, confront, and conquer your fears and concerns
      • Create a strategic plan to actualize your goals, with a timeline of specific actions
      • Develop habits that maintain your energy and focus
      • Monitor and measure your progress

"My First Impressions consultant helped me realize my potential to explore new career opportunities, and now I’m in a great place. The coaching helped me make a creative change in my career path.”
–Alexandra Isaacs, Nonprofit Executive

"I loved the interview coaching! It was so helpful to get a professional point of view on how I came across. My coach showed me what I was doing well, and some negative messages I was sending. It was personalized, honest, and powerful. I can honestly say I wouldn't have gotten this job without the coaching."
–Dan O'Neil, Senior Chemical Engineer

Social Skills

Do you know what people think about you when they meet you for the first time? Have you ever met someone with whom you felt you shared chemistry—but found out later that he or she didn’t feel the same? If you understand the specific messages you are unconsciously sending, you have the power to enhance the impression you make, and to connect with people more readily when it counts the most.

Social Skills Coaching will help you:
      • See yourself through others' eyes
      • Gain self awareness and confidence
      • Make a positive first impression in social and professional settings
Here is how it works:
      • You meet your First Impressions coach for a social meeting or date.
      • In a follow-up discussion, your coach will give you feedback on the impression you made, including specifics about what you said or did that communicated that impression.
      • You will learn where your unique charms and strengths lie, as well as the things you do that may send unintended messages.
      • Your coach provides suggestions on ways to better communicate your appeal, including specific actions you can take. You will receive a take-home report that outlines your first impression strengths, as well as behaviors you may want to consider tweaking.
      • We also offer ongoing consultation plans that enable your coach to support and challenge you as you experiment with your first impression and interpersonal style—and make lasting changes.

"My First Impressions experience was fascinating. I learned that in an effort to be accepted, I was coming across as a braggart, which is not how I want to come across! I learned to focus on the other person, and less on myself, and it really changed my life around!”
–Alex Brizoli

"I loved this experience! I never had objective feedback on the impression I make. And I learned things about myself that were easy to change, and it’s made conversations so much easier and fun. I recommend it to everyone!”
–Megan Berstein

Seminars

We offer seminars on first impressions, communication, and interpersonal skills. We bring the subject matter to life in a fun, interactive environment seminars are tailored to each client’s needs, interests, and timeframe.

We’ll share the secrets of a positive self-presentation, including:
      • The psychology of impression formation
      • Social generosity
      • The elements of charisma
      • First impressions fundamentals
      • Ways to tweak your self-presentation
We can also customize your seminar to incorporate topics such as:
      • Client-relationship management
      • Customer service
      • Presentation skills
      • Networking
      • Interview skills
      • Executive presence
      • Effective people management
We utilize interactive and multimedia formats including:
      • Role-play
      • Group activities
      • Self-assessment
      • Peer feedback
      • Video illustrations

"Our First Impressions seminar was terrific—the participants gained poise, confidence, and self-awareness, and it’s made a lasting impact on their leadership. It’s the first time some of the technical “geeks” really saw the human side of the business. The group loved the activities and Ann’s facilitation.”
–Ron Pannone, Manager, Talent Development and Assessment Division, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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