The top business people all say the same thing ? first impressions count. Sounds easy, and it is easy for those few who can start a conversation with just about anyone but how many people do you know who are like that?

On the other hand when you're shy it's easy to avoid other people, shyness automatically comes with a PhD in how to creatively avoid people, especially strangers!

However this tendency can prove detrimental to your business especially when you consider that your ultimate success can depend on approaching people and making a great first impression.

There is a better way; it is possible to use your mind in a simple yet powerful way that will make it easy for you to make a fantastic first impression. It involves applying peak performance principles in a special way.

Here's what I do when I?m at a conference and I spot someone I know that I ought to say Hello to although my initial tendency is to just avoid them and hope that they don't see me.

First of all, feel yourself standing tall, just pretend that you feel dynamic, powerful and enthusiastic and take on that posture. Breathe deeply, chest out, and smile so wide that you can feel the stretch in your cheeks. Even if you make believe you will still tend to come across far better with whoever you approach.

Then, as you approach him or her, hear yourself saying HI or HELLO inside your head. The key is to make the sound very, very loud inside your head, really exaggerate it to impress your mind with your intention.

Finally, visualize that person smiling as they recognize you and make sure to go overboard with the imagined picture in your mind as well. Make the picture twice as big as life size, make it 3D, in rich color and very bright and up close in your mind's eye.

All this takes just a few seconds when you get good at it, at first you may find it tricky, practice it with people you see about town and you'll soon find yourself greeting more people.

I also use this technique when I'm waiting in line at the bank, in a store etc. That way you get an opportunity to be friendlier with whoever is serving you and with the other people waiting in line.

In a short time you will find it easier and easier to start conversations with people you would not have dared to approach in the past. Do this day after day and the cumulative effect on your business will be staggering.

Keys to success:

1 Practice this skill daily until it becomes second nature.

2 Teach your staff how to approach people as well, by teaching this skill you will become even better yourself.

3 Remind yourself of the negative implications of not making a great first impression and the long-term effect on your business.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. This report reveals the secret strategies all high achievers use to communicate with charm and impact. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com/report.htm