Do you know how to improve your people skills? Improving your people skills entails knowing to create a good connection with people. And there are certain things you have to remember if you want to connect well with the people around you.
1) Connecting with people does not mean you have to be a phony. It is the direct opposite of pretending to be someone you are not.
2) Connecting with people means you should be aware of who you are first and what you hold dear to yourself. This means being aware of what values you espouse and stand for.
3) You must then be able to form a relationship between your personal set of values with the values that other people hold dear to themselves. This then is the act of connecting with people.
How does one go about connecting with people?
1) You connect with other people by taking advantage of your potential for communicating with other people. This means using your body and your faculties during the communication process.
2) Make eye contact with the other person. This may be one of the most valuable non-verbal means of communication you can use. One glance from another person can speak volumes about that person 's feelings and attitude about you. How many times have fights broken out in bars and restaurants simply because one person looked at the other person "the wrong way"? Much of what we want to communicate can be delivered through the eyes.
3) Be conscious of the different channels for communication that you and other people use. Many misunderstandings crop up when someone uses a communication channel that the other person is unfamiliar with. For example, some people like to talk a lot so they don't understand people who aren't so vocal. Others are "touchers" who like to convey part of what they are feeling to the other person through touch - perhaps a pat on the shoulder, or a friendly swat on the behind are all it takes for this person to show approval.
4) Be conscious of gaps between cultures. In this age of multiculturalism, where different cultures can co-exist in the same community, it is inevitable that communication can breakdown occasionally (and sometimes more often than is comfortable.) It helps if you are tolerant towards other cultures because then you do not instantly become hostile at the mere presence of a person from another culture.
If you are aware of what you stand for and know you will not be immediately convinced to follow another cultural perspective, then there is no need to bristle when a new person from another culture makes his presence known. On the contrary, you will welcome cultural exchanges for their potential value to you.
5) Be aware of your potential for change. Sometimes, it is necessary to interact with other people because you have a need to change something about yourself. Fanatics have a hard time changing because they believe their beliefs are superior to other beliefs.
If you look inside yourself and find that there are aspects of your beliefs, thoughts, or personality that could be adjusted, then this can only help to improve your relationships with other people. If another person is able to point out that need to change, it is beneficial if you are open to changing. Otherwise, hostilities will result but you will remain the same person who needs to change.
People skills can be improved if you only know how to go about it. And improving your people skills will benefit you in a myriad of ways. So do take the appropriate steps to enhance your people skills and see the difference these make in your relationships with other people.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence.
Showing posts with label connecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label connecting. Show all posts
Wednesday
Get Rich Together: Connecting With Groups For Success In Life And Business
In his book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam laments a plight common to many people today: we're disconnected from others and lack a sense of community. As a creative person, you may feel this more acutely. While we need to have solitude to generate our next creative genius, we also need support of peers. If you're feeling isolated, take the initiative to generate groups.
Connecting in groups can enhance our lives immeasurably. Here are some reasons why you should consider being a groupie:
• share the journey: writers, artists, investors, entrepreneurs can learn and grow more with others
• glean tips and ideas you would not find on your own
• be inspired by others' boldness and successes
• get support from your peers
• have regular accountability.
The inroads I've made on all my goals are largely due to the conversations I have with my groups: my Rich Women group, my writing group, and my book group. Without regular gatherings, I would still be looking for a retirement account, and would still be eking out chapter one of my novel.
Ready to commune with others? You may consider starting a group. There are several steps to initiating groups, whether they be writing groups, art support groups, financial empowerment groups, investment clubs or whatever tribe you need to move forward in life.
First, figure out what you want. Write down the characteristics of your ideal group. Include:
• regularity of meeting
• size of group
• group's focus
• qualities you want to see in the group members
• where you meet and how long the sessions are.
Your ideal vision of your group might look like this:
"My Rich Women group meets once a month. In the summer, we meet outdoors at a park, and in winter months, we meet at a café. Once a year we go out for happy hour to celebrate our successes. There are no more than five women in the group. These women are pro-active, have a lot to contribute and are willing to share information. They are also kind and supportive and listen to each other. Our focus is personal and professional finance. We talk about: saving, investing, retirement accounts, managing our finances, how we bill for our time, best business practices, wills, insurance and anything that relates to financial empowerment.
"We meet for 1-2 hours and stay focused on the money. Each person has 15-30 minutes to share her wins and challenges. Each woman has homework that she assigns to herself. This helps the members to make progress - knowing that the group is holding her accountable."
Once you have your vision of your group, start seeking members. Make a list of people you know who may want to join. When you contact them, you'll be able to describe exactly what you want to create. They'll be able to tell if this is something they want to join or not.
Set your first meeting and use some of the meeting time to come to agreement on how you want to operate. Setting up your group will take a little time, but it is worth it.
Not into initiating? No problem. Check out Meetup - an international organization that connects like-minded people in your area. Look for writers' groups, business groups, philosophy groups, whatever you're into, there's likely a group for you. Most Meetup groups connect online and meet in person.
Whether you start or join a group, I think you'll find the benefits can be huge. Your life will be richer for it.
Cynthia Morris of Original Impulse has led hundreds of groups and helps writers and visionaries bring their dreams into reality. She is the author of Create Your Writer’s Life: A Guide to Writing with Joy and Ease, and Go For It! Leading Tours for Fun.
Connecting in groups can enhance our lives immeasurably. Here are some reasons why you should consider being a groupie:
• share the journey: writers, artists, investors, entrepreneurs can learn and grow more with others
• glean tips and ideas you would not find on your own
• be inspired by others' boldness and successes
• get support from your peers
• have regular accountability.
The inroads I've made on all my goals are largely due to the conversations I have with my groups: my Rich Women group, my writing group, and my book group. Without regular gatherings, I would still be looking for a retirement account, and would still be eking out chapter one of my novel.
Ready to commune with others? You may consider starting a group. There are several steps to initiating groups, whether they be writing groups, art support groups, financial empowerment groups, investment clubs or whatever tribe you need to move forward in life.
First, figure out what you want. Write down the characteristics of your ideal group. Include:
• regularity of meeting
• size of group
• group's focus
• qualities you want to see in the group members
• where you meet and how long the sessions are.
Your ideal vision of your group might look like this:
"My Rich Women group meets once a month. In the summer, we meet outdoors at a park, and in winter months, we meet at a café. Once a year we go out for happy hour to celebrate our successes. There are no more than five women in the group. These women are pro-active, have a lot to contribute and are willing to share information. They are also kind and supportive and listen to each other. Our focus is personal and professional finance. We talk about: saving, investing, retirement accounts, managing our finances, how we bill for our time, best business practices, wills, insurance and anything that relates to financial empowerment.
"We meet for 1-2 hours and stay focused on the money. Each person has 15-30 minutes to share her wins and challenges. Each woman has homework that she assigns to herself. This helps the members to make progress - knowing that the group is holding her accountable."
Once you have your vision of your group, start seeking members. Make a list of people you know who may want to join. When you contact them, you'll be able to describe exactly what you want to create. They'll be able to tell if this is something they want to join or not.
Set your first meeting and use some of the meeting time to come to agreement on how you want to operate. Setting up your group will take a little time, but it is worth it.
Not into initiating? No problem. Check out Meetup - an international organization that connects like-minded people in your area. Look for writers' groups, business groups, philosophy groups, whatever you're into, there's likely a group for you. Most Meetup groups connect online and meet in person.
Whether you start or join a group, I think you'll find the benefits can be huge. Your life will be richer for it.
Cynthia Morris of Original Impulse has led hundreds of groups and helps writers and visionaries bring their dreams into reality. She is the author of Create Your Writer’s Life: A Guide to Writing with Joy and Ease, and Go For It! Leading Tours for Fun.
Persona Based Marketing: Powerful B2B Marketing Tools For Connecting With Prospects & Customers
Meet Bill, he’s the owner and CEO of a growing, mid-sized manufacturing company. Bill is in his early 40s, wears glasses and tries his best to squeeze in an early-morning workout whenever he can. He prefers to wear golf shirts and khakis, donning a suit only when he has to. Bill drives a late model SUV with a booster seat in the back seat for his four-year-old daughter. He’s harried, and worries about managing his company’s growth. He wants to leverage technology to increase operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, and to offset the rising costs of doing business, but doesn’t know where to start.
Helen is his director of sales. She’s 32, single, a competitive runner, and is partial to 80s rock. She drives a new BMW convertible. She struggles with managing a dozen salespeople, many who are 10 to 15 years older then her. Helen wants the company to invest in a new CRM system to replace the contact management they long ago outgrew, but wonders how she’ll convince Bill and the company’s CFO to spend the money.
Bill and Helen are not real people, but they're examples of one of the most powerful tools you can use to better connect with prospects and customers: persona-based marketing.
Persona-based marketing is part Hollywood characterization and part business analytics. It involves constructing a fictional customer—based on real-life data and intelligence—and then using that character as the touchstone for promotional and selling decisions.
Persona-based marketing goes beyond simple demographic data
Persona-based marketing describes who a prospect or customer is, by also answering questions about their behavior such as: what keeps this person awake at night? How does he spend his time? How does she like to be sold to?
This concept can help you, as a business-to-business marketer by creating a vivid, tangible picture of your best prospects or customers, and then sculpting a marketing message that’s pertinent to their concerns, and move them to inquire and buy.
Let’s get back to the example of Bill and Helen. Say you’re a systems integrator who is targeting mid-sized companies like Bill’s. Using what you know about Bill as a representative of the typical business owner, you can make some tactical marketing decisions.
Because Bill is pressed for time, he probably won’t attend an all-day seminar, or an evening dinner meeting—he’s got family responsibilities after work. But he would be interested in a 45-minute, executive-level Web seminar he could attend from his desk. He might also say yes to an executive breakfast briefing with his peers from other local mid-sized firms.
This fictional CEO can even help guide decisions about minute matters such as brochure or Web site design. Because you know that Bill is over 40 and wears glasses, you’ll make sure that the font is big enough for him to read easily. And because you know he’s time-pressed, you’ll break down key messages into bullet points he can scan quickly.
Helen, your customer’s sales director surrogate, meanwhile, will respond to an offer that speaks to her needs. She might raise her hand to a half-day seminar on “convincing your CEO and CFO to invest in CRM.” She might also request a white paper on “How to get salespeople to use your new CRM system.” Because she’s younger and has upscale tastes, she’d probably attend a lunch seminar at the hot new bistro in town. She’s also more likely to notice an ad or seminar invitation or other promotional materials that are designed in a modern and colorful manner.
Granted, Bill and Helen are composite characters, not real people. But referring to them as you formulate and execute your messages can make your marketing more effective. And it can prevent your promotions from becoming too generic to be noticed. Performed correctly, your persona-based decisions will stop being about “I think” and start being about “what would our customer or prospect think?”
How do you get started?
1. Convene a group of employees who interact with your customers and prospects. Bring in lunch and a white board and ask them to help you build a persona for each of your target customers.
2. Start by describing the customer’s role in their company: CEO, CIO, CFO, COO, sales manager, purchasing agent, user, and any other important influencers.
3. Next describe the kind of company they work for. What industry is it in? How big is it? How up-to-date is it? Does it have a lot of competition?
4. Then describe the person and their behavior: Give each persona a name, a title, an age, and describe how he or she looks. How does he dress? What kind of car does she drive? What does he do in his free time? What kind of educational background does she have?
5. Flesh out as many attributes as you need to give a full, rounded picture of who this person is. Then, turn to your persona’s problems and goals.
6. Think about what does this person’s daily calendar look like? What are his or her most pressing concerns? What product or service attributes would be most helpful in solving this person’s problems? Is he or she looking to roll up 20 databases into one, getting ready for an IPO, dealing with a new competitor who has just entered the market?
7. Then, when formulating your marketing messages, think about what path this prospect or customer might pursue to solve this problem. Will he or she turn to white papers or articles in trade publications or Web sites? Would this customer or prospect seek input from a speaker at a networking group of their peers? Let the personas steer the route, which you can pave with information that can help your prospect and customers move forward in their consideration and buying process.
If you’ve never used person-based marketing before, give it a try. It can be a powerful way to focus your business-to-business marketing messages and offers, driving more leads and sales.
M. H. "Mac" McIntosh is a business-to-business marketing consultant and an expert on the subject of sales leads. He is president of Mac McIntosh Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helping companies generate qualified sales leads and turn them into sales. For more information, or to request a free subscription to his newsletter, Sales Lead Report®, please visit http://www.sales-lead-experts.com
Helen is his director of sales. She’s 32, single, a competitive runner, and is partial to 80s rock. She drives a new BMW convertible. She struggles with managing a dozen salespeople, many who are 10 to 15 years older then her. Helen wants the company to invest in a new CRM system to replace the contact management they long ago outgrew, but wonders how she’ll convince Bill and the company’s CFO to spend the money.
Bill and Helen are not real people, but they're examples of one of the most powerful tools you can use to better connect with prospects and customers: persona-based marketing.
Persona-based marketing is part Hollywood characterization and part business analytics. It involves constructing a fictional customer—based on real-life data and intelligence—and then using that character as the touchstone for promotional and selling decisions.
Persona-based marketing goes beyond simple demographic data
Persona-based marketing describes who a prospect or customer is, by also answering questions about their behavior such as: what keeps this person awake at night? How does he spend his time? How does she like to be sold to?
This concept can help you, as a business-to-business marketer by creating a vivid, tangible picture of your best prospects or customers, and then sculpting a marketing message that’s pertinent to their concerns, and move them to inquire and buy.
Let’s get back to the example of Bill and Helen. Say you’re a systems integrator who is targeting mid-sized companies like Bill’s. Using what you know about Bill as a representative of the typical business owner, you can make some tactical marketing decisions.
Because Bill is pressed for time, he probably won’t attend an all-day seminar, or an evening dinner meeting—he’s got family responsibilities after work. But he would be interested in a 45-minute, executive-level Web seminar he could attend from his desk. He might also say yes to an executive breakfast briefing with his peers from other local mid-sized firms.
This fictional CEO can even help guide decisions about minute matters such as brochure or Web site design. Because you know that Bill is over 40 and wears glasses, you’ll make sure that the font is big enough for him to read easily. And because you know he’s time-pressed, you’ll break down key messages into bullet points he can scan quickly.
Helen, your customer’s sales director surrogate, meanwhile, will respond to an offer that speaks to her needs. She might raise her hand to a half-day seminar on “convincing your CEO and CFO to invest in CRM.” She might also request a white paper on “How to get salespeople to use your new CRM system.” Because she’s younger and has upscale tastes, she’d probably attend a lunch seminar at the hot new bistro in town. She’s also more likely to notice an ad or seminar invitation or other promotional materials that are designed in a modern and colorful manner.
Granted, Bill and Helen are composite characters, not real people. But referring to them as you formulate and execute your messages can make your marketing more effective. And it can prevent your promotions from becoming too generic to be noticed. Performed correctly, your persona-based decisions will stop being about “I think” and start being about “what would our customer or prospect think?”
How do you get started?
1. Convene a group of employees who interact with your customers and prospects. Bring in lunch and a white board and ask them to help you build a persona for each of your target customers.
2. Start by describing the customer’s role in their company: CEO, CIO, CFO, COO, sales manager, purchasing agent, user, and any other important influencers.
3. Next describe the kind of company they work for. What industry is it in? How big is it? How up-to-date is it? Does it have a lot of competition?
4. Then describe the person and their behavior: Give each persona a name, a title, an age, and describe how he or she looks. How does he dress? What kind of car does she drive? What does he do in his free time? What kind of educational background does she have?
5. Flesh out as many attributes as you need to give a full, rounded picture of who this person is. Then, turn to your persona’s problems and goals.
6. Think about what does this person’s daily calendar look like? What are his or her most pressing concerns? What product or service attributes would be most helpful in solving this person’s problems? Is he or she looking to roll up 20 databases into one, getting ready for an IPO, dealing with a new competitor who has just entered the market?
7. Then, when formulating your marketing messages, think about what path this prospect or customer might pursue to solve this problem. Will he or she turn to white papers or articles in trade publications or Web sites? Would this customer or prospect seek input from a speaker at a networking group of their peers? Let the personas steer the route, which you can pave with information that can help your prospect and customers move forward in their consideration and buying process.
If you’ve never used person-based marketing before, give it a try. It can be a powerful way to focus your business-to-business marketing messages and offers, driving more leads and sales.
M. H. "Mac" McIntosh is a business-to-business marketing consultant and an expert on the subject of sales leads. He is president of Mac McIntosh Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helping companies generate qualified sales leads and turn them into sales. For more information, or to request a free subscription to his newsletter, Sales Lead Report®, please visit http://www.sales-lead-experts.com
Business Networking For Women Entrepreneurs: Connecting Is The Key To Magical Networking
Something strange happens to many women when they approach networking opportunities. They suddenly forget how to connect, simply going through the motions of shaking hands and exchanging business cards. Networking becomes a chore -- part of a business plan that is carried out with apprehension and some degree of loathing. It doesn’t have to be this way. Networking magic happens through your connections - and your connections can create the fulfilling life you’re looking for.
Your First Step: Start With Your Heart
Real connections come from true, heart-felt, and honest interactions. Shed your business persona and be yourself. If you have a line drawn between your personal and business connections, then erase that line. Start connecting with others as if each person might end up as your best friend. It’s a simple formula for connecting from your heart with other entrepreneurs: Be yourself, and you’ll naturally attract like-minded, quality people. People you meet are more likely to introduce you to their friends and associates if they like you.
Honesty, curiosity, and vulnerability are keys to success. Intimate connections are the foundation upon which we build satisfied lives and the best connections are heart-centered connections. Don’t think for a minute that success in business requires a stoic business persona. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Maintain an attitude of service
Great connections are the ultimate life and business builders and all great connections are based on a positive attitude of serving. Yes, it’s true that we can’t stay in business for long if we give everything away. But, there’s a fascinating paradox that I’ve discovered in my many years of networking and creating connections. The more I give, the more I get.
Approach each interaction with an eye toward providing service. Find out what your prospect needs, and if you can’t provide the answers, then steer her towards someone you know. You’re not giving your business away, but you are always thinking of ways you can be of service to others. A service-oriented attitude is perhaps the most magical networking tool available. You’ll be amazed at how swiftly and abundantly it comes back your way. Simply put - the more you give, the more you get.
It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
Those with the largest database of business cards don’t necessarily win. Unless you’ve honestly connected with the most influential people in your database, having their names will do you little good. Put your energy toward creating close connections with those who can have the most positive influence in your life, and don’t limit your search to business connections.
Think in terms of how you can help these people by connecting them with others you know, by providing a unique service, or simply by being a friend. Make yourself available and they’ll respond in kind when you’re in need. Ask yourself: Who are the most influential people in my industry? Who are the people with whom I’d most like to associate with? Then, start developing strategies to meet these people. It’s most important to connect with those who are most like how you want to be. And don’t for a moment believe that some people are out of your reach. Aim high and you’ll reach high.
Connecting isn’t a solo trip
Great networking isn’t about out-maneuvering your competition. The best networkers think in terms of collaboration, not competition, even with their fiercest competitors. How might two or three of you band together to provide products or services to more high-end, high-paying customers? How can you enlist the help of people around the globe in your R&D efforts?
Connecting by its very nature is collaborative. Instead of collecting business cards and sending out brochures, seek out people with whom you might collaborate and build strong connections. You might meet someone with a brilliant idea who’s looking for a partner with your expertise. Or, you might form a mastermind group to brainstorm innovative ways to improve your business while holding each other accountable for implementing these new ideas. Best of all, you’ll create new friendships that enrich your life.
Jill Lublin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and best selling author of the books, Guerrilla Publicity and Networking Magic. She is the CEO of the strategic consulting firm, Promising Promotion, http://www.promisingpromotion.com/ and founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. Contact her at 415-883-5455 or via email: info@promisingpromotion.com
Your First Step: Start With Your Heart
Real connections come from true, heart-felt, and honest interactions. Shed your business persona and be yourself. If you have a line drawn between your personal and business connections, then erase that line. Start connecting with others as if each person might end up as your best friend. It’s a simple formula for connecting from your heart with other entrepreneurs: Be yourself, and you’ll naturally attract like-minded, quality people. People you meet are more likely to introduce you to their friends and associates if they like you.
Honesty, curiosity, and vulnerability are keys to success. Intimate connections are the foundation upon which we build satisfied lives and the best connections are heart-centered connections. Don’t think for a minute that success in business requires a stoic business persona. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Maintain an attitude of service
Great connections are the ultimate life and business builders and all great connections are based on a positive attitude of serving. Yes, it’s true that we can’t stay in business for long if we give everything away. But, there’s a fascinating paradox that I’ve discovered in my many years of networking and creating connections. The more I give, the more I get.
Approach each interaction with an eye toward providing service. Find out what your prospect needs, and if you can’t provide the answers, then steer her towards someone you know. You’re not giving your business away, but you are always thinking of ways you can be of service to others. A service-oriented attitude is perhaps the most magical networking tool available. You’ll be amazed at how swiftly and abundantly it comes back your way. Simply put - the more you give, the more you get.
It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
Those with the largest database of business cards don’t necessarily win. Unless you’ve honestly connected with the most influential people in your database, having their names will do you little good. Put your energy toward creating close connections with those who can have the most positive influence in your life, and don’t limit your search to business connections.
Think in terms of how you can help these people by connecting them with others you know, by providing a unique service, or simply by being a friend. Make yourself available and they’ll respond in kind when you’re in need. Ask yourself: Who are the most influential people in my industry? Who are the people with whom I’d most like to associate with? Then, start developing strategies to meet these people. It’s most important to connect with those who are most like how you want to be. And don’t for a moment believe that some people are out of your reach. Aim high and you’ll reach high.
Connecting isn’t a solo trip
Great networking isn’t about out-maneuvering your competition. The best networkers think in terms of collaboration, not competition, even with their fiercest competitors. How might two or three of you band together to provide products or services to more high-end, high-paying customers? How can you enlist the help of people around the globe in your R&D efforts?
Connecting by its very nature is collaborative. Instead of collecting business cards and sending out brochures, seek out people with whom you might collaborate and build strong connections. You might meet someone with a brilliant idea who’s looking for a partner with your expertise. Or, you might form a mastermind group to brainstorm innovative ways to improve your business while holding each other accountable for implementing these new ideas. Best of all, you’ll create new friendships that enrich your life.
Jill Lublin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and best selling author of the books, Guerrilla Publicity and Networking Magic. She is the CEO of the strategic consulting firm, Promising Promotion, http://www.promisingpromotion.com/ and founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. Contact her at 415-883-5455 or via email: info@promisingpromotion.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)