Taking your conversations from casual to powerful.
Taking that entrepreneurial leap can be terrifying. The most valuable tool you have whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been playing the game for years, is the relationships you build with others – Your Connections.
For the past few weeks I’ve been sharing with you relationship-building strategies that can put you on the path to success. By now you’ve created your Powerful Connections list and discovered some unique ways to reach out to them. Today we want to build on this foundation and take these relationships to the next level.
Take your conversations from casual to powerful. Casual, friendly conversations are nice. But powerful interactions with others will produce powerful results. Meaningful interactions happen when you connect with another person and make a lasting impact on him or her. That means forgetting about yourself and your agenda for the moment and honing in on what’s important to the other person. By simply showing interest in someone, and asking them questions about their life, you are making a huge impact.
Listen carefully and pay close attention to what the person has to say. Sure, you’ve heard that you need to be a good listener a million times, but that’s because it really is important! To make sure you are being a great listener, make a commitment to talk less than 50 percent of a conversation. In fact, the less you talk the more powerful it becomes for the person on the other end!
Practice this at the next networking event you attend. When you make others feel important, you become more memorable. All it takes is a willingness to take time to learn about others rather than talk about yourself.
Next Tuesday: Getting them talking – How to get others to open up and share about themselves.
Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA is the founder of Red Zone Marketing, LLC, which consults to Fortune 500 firms on strategic marketing planning and business growth. She is the author of 4 books, has frequently appeared on TV and radio, and has written articles on marketing strategies for hundreds of publications including Business Week and Entrepreneur. She regularly speaks to audiences on topics relating to business development, marketing, and sales strategies. Maribeth is author of The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009).
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