The power of 30 seconds

Thirty seconds. Not much time, but powerful nonetheless. Within this time frame, worlds can change. A small amount of time is all it takes for advertisers to meet a need and sell a product. Thirty seconds to make an impact. How to spend the next set is the challenge of daily living.

A good first impression is the mantra of the business world. New business and contacts are made within the first fleeting moments. Making a highly crafted spiel, to get the attention of someone in under 30 seconds, is known as an elevator speech. A typical elevator ride takes less than half a minute. Say what you mean and mean what you say in a short amount of time. Get to the point quickly or the moment will be lost.

In the personal realm, it does not take long to destroy a life. The wrong word, a sarcastic remark, and the damage is done. A moment of ill thought out words resulting in shipwreck. The damage is often irreversible. It takes more work to clean up the mess then it is worth.

Utilize the moment for the good of all concerned. Just as a negative comment can ruin a perfectly good day, a positive note will have the opposite effect. One good word is all it takes to brighten an otherwise gloomy situation. The benefits of simply being a nice person pays dividends far into the future.

The power of thirty seconds can not be understated. Within this limited amount of time, lives are changed, either positively or negatively. There is only chance to make an impression, make it a memorable one. In the next few moments people can choose to make them better than the previous ones. Whether in business or life the next 30 seconds can have an impact on the future.

Thirty seconds, how to spend them? Once spent, they can not be returned. Seconds are valuable commodities in the economy of life. What is done with each one determines future outcomes. The power of thirty seconds to destroy or build, should not be used nonchalantly. 
“I was an open, smiley and gregarious child. I could make friends in 30 seconds wherever I went.”
America Ferrera