Three factors control your connection. The same principles apply in social organizations, personal and professional interactions. Sometimes you are the disconnect; sometimesthe audience members are detached from you or your message. Generally this communication misfire is a combination.
Yes, God gave us two ears and one mouth. Are you really listening to the other person? Are you listening to both their words and their tone of voice? Ever heard someone answer the question, “How are you?” with the most deadpan, monotone “fine.” Listen to only the word and you go on as if everything is wonderful. In this case the tone of voice screams so loudly that the word is insignificant. When you are truly listening to both the words and the tone, you feel the problem. Immediately call a halt to further conversation. Something is not ‘fine’ with this person.
Most people listen for a break in the conversation in order to interject their input. Listening for a word, any word, from the other person qualifies a change of speakers in the conversation. Genuine listening is a silent form of flattery. Listening only for a gap between words or a sound of some sort from the other person does NOT qualify as genuine listening.
The first key to connecting with the other person is genuine listening.
The mumbled ‘fine’ indicates a mental or emotional preoccupation. This person is obviously not fine and not connecting with you at this point. Your timing for a discussion with them may not be ideal. If you are ready, willing and able to listen to them with an open mind and an open heart, your timing may be perfect. If you choose to push your own agenda at this moment, you will fail. The timing is far less than ideal. Pushing your own agenda when the other person is not mentally available to receive is like throwing feathers into the wind; you have zero chance of success in having your message hit the target.
Schedule a time to discuss your agenda item later when both parties are receptive. Your courtesy will be appreciated and your odds of success will be vastly improved. Change the time and perhaps even change the setting. Some discussions are better face to face than email or telephone. If you must discuss delicate matters on the telephone, asking if this is a good time to talk before you launch into the meat of the discussion improves the chances of success. Timing for a face to face discussion or even a telephone discussion is critical. Email timing is not as significant since people have the flexibility of opening and answering the email on their own time preference. Being cognizant of the other person improves the flow of effective communication. Simply asking, “Is this is a good time to talk for a few minutes?” Or ask, “When would be a good time for us to discuss ______?”
The second key to connecting with the other person is timing.
Connecting also requires the proper delivery of the message. Voice inflection or tones also convey messages. The exact same words receive totally different significance depending on the manner in which they are delivered. As noted earlier “fine” implies one meaning as a word and a totally different impression depending on whether it is delivered with a cheerful smile or a blah monotone.
The delivery of the same words will receive totally opposite results with different tones and facial expressions. A frown and clenched teeth delivery of, “We need to talk” will strike trepidation in the mind of the receiver. Saying “We need to talk” with a glint of a smile in the eyes and a mischievous lilting tone conveys a totally different impression. Delivery of the message depends on not only the words but also the tone of voice and manner of speaking. The tone and manner of delivery can easily overshadow the actual words.
Listen to the words and tone of voice as someone responds to you. Be courteous of the timing of your message to be certain the recipient is ready to receive. Deliver your message in a manner in which it will be received as you intend for it to be received. Listening, timing and delivery all affect the quality and reception of your message.
For additional fine points on connecting with your audience, join me at www.Elaine4Success.com.
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Pay Attention to Your MVP
Sports fans will think of MVP as Most Valuable Player. Good thought, but not this time.
In terms of your home based business, the term MVP means Most Valuable and Profitable activity. One of the 5 things every leader focuses on every day is income producing activity. These are your profit producing activities. Lead generation, customer needs focused conversations and follow up are crucial ingredients to any sales funnel.
Lets break it down. Without leads entering your sales funnel to read your web pages, receive your autoresponders and have the opportunity to speak with you, your entire sales process is DOA, dead, stopped cold and totally worthless. You can have the most attractive web pages, brilliantly written autoresponders and a silver tongue to speak with people; however if you do not have any leads, it is about as useful as art behind a locked door which no one can see and appreciate. Or to keep the sports analogy, a football team without a football. The game will not progress.
Goal one is obviously to get leads. Your goal is to have a minimum of 100 leads per week. Top producers will generate over 200 leads a day. Don’t push the panic button; it will take time to work up to that volume. There are many sources to generate leads and I absolutely recommend you self-generate your leads. When I started in this industry I was told to buy leads. In many cases buying leads is an expensive way to get frustrated. Some leads have been sold several times and may be 30 or more days old. Other leads may have been incentivized – they were told to enter their information in order to win a toaster or a camp stove. The only thing being heated up and burned in that situation is the person buying the lead. Stop being the kindling for someone else’s fire. Generate your own leads which you know are fresh, original and interested in your offer.
All of the sources for lead generation are far too extensive to detail in this article. Contact me at Elaine@ResultsForLife.net to gain access to all lead generation resources.
The next step in the income producing activity process is meaningful conversations with prospects. Focus on them. No focus on yourself. Ask about their interests, their current occupation, their desire for a job or a home based business, and their reasons for wanting their own home based business. This process is all about serving them and their needs, desires and goals. If their desires fit your opportunity, great. If not, be honest enough and caring enough about them to allow them to make whatever decision is best for them. This conversation is all about serving them and fulfilling their highest and best purpose. Never put your personal financial interests ahead of caring for the prospect.
If it appears to be a fit, give them access to more information and schedule a time for them to review the information. Set a follow up appointment right now for a future time and date. Some leaders prefer to call the prospect at the scheduled time and others prefer to have the prospect call them. I request the prospect call me. It helps me gauge how serious they are about making a decision. If they are serious, they will either call you at the appointed time or notify you that they prefer to reschedule. Communication is key.
Never neglect your Most Valuable and Profitable activities. MVP is a daily activity.
In terms of your home based business, the term MVP means Most Valuable and Profitable activity. One of the 5 things every leader focuses on every day is income producing activity. These are your profit producing activities. Lead generation, customer needs focused conversations and follow up are crucial ingredients to any sales funnel.
Lets break it down. Without leads entering your sales funnel to read your web pages, receive your autoresponders and have the opportunity to speak with you, your entire sales process is DOA, dead, stopped cold and totally worthless. You can have the most attractive web pages, brilliantly written autoresponders and a silver tongue to speak with people; however if you do not have any leads, it is about as useful as art behind a locked door which no one can see and appreciate. Or to keep the sports analogy, a football team without a football. The game will not progress.
Goal one is obviously to get leads. Your goal is to have a minimum of 100 leads per week. Top producers will generate over 200 leads a day. Don’t push the panic button; it will take time to work up to that volume. There are many sources to generate leads and I absolutely recommend you self-generate your leads. When I started in this industry I was told to buy leads. In many cases buying leads is an expensive way to get frustrated. Some leads have been sold several times and may be 30 or more days old. Other leads may have been incentivized – they were told to enter their information in order to win a toaster or a camp stove. The only thing being heated up and burned in that situation is the person buying the lead. Stop being the kindling for someone else’s fire. Generate your own leads which you know are fresh, original and interested in your offer.
All of the sources for lead generation are far too extensive to detail in this article. Contact me at Elaine@ResultsForLife.net to gain access to all lead generation resources.
The next step in the income producing activity process is meaningful conversations with prospects. Focus on them. No focus on yourself. Ask about their interests, their current occupation, their desire for a job or a home based business, and their reasons for wanting their own home based business. This process is all about serving them and their needs, desires and goals. If their desires fit your opportunity, great. If not, be honest enough and caring enough about them to allow them to make whatever decision is best for them. This conversation is all about serving them and fulfilling their highest and best purpose. Never put your personal financial interests ahead of caring for the prospect.
If it appears to be a fit, give them access to more information and schedule a time for them to review the information. Set a follow up appointment right now for a future time and date. Some leaders prefer to call the prospect at the scheduled time and others prefer to have the prospect call them. I request the prospect call me. It helps me gauge how serious they are about making a decision. If they are serious, they will either call you at the appointed time or notify you that they prefer to reschedule. Communication is key.
Never neglect your Most Valuable and Profitable activities. MVP is a daily activity.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Communication is Essential
Communication is a 2 way process. Communication is not just about speaking and presenting your point of view. Communication is also about listening. Too often we find people listening for a break in the conversation so that they can speak. Or people listen for just enough information to present their point of view. Very rarely do people listen for the intent and purpose of truly hearing the other person.
Listening is a silent form of flattery. Being a focused and interested listener is a way of demonstrating the value we place on the other person. One of the sweetest gifts you can ever give is showing you are truly interested in the other person.
Valuing people and treating them as valuable is one of the major keys to leadership. When you hold people at a distance, they can not hurt you, but they will not help you when you are detached from them. Every one of us wants to feel valued. When you listen intently to another and allow them to express their thoughts and feelings, they are more likely to choose to listen to you. The old golden rule still applies to treat others as you would like to be treated. Start that process right now by truly listening to others.
Communication has many aspects. It is speaking, listening, writing, and even video. Body language is significant in all of that expect writing. When you listen to someone, lean forward slightly. Sitting back or crossing your arms across your chest indicates withdrawal or resistance. Crossed arms are also a sign of closing off from someone or something. If you are on the telephone, use these same body movements to assist in focusing on the speaker. It is most distracting and even disrespectful to hear someone typing while someone else is speaking. If you must take notes, either mute your phone or take the notes by hand. Focus your eyes on them rather than letting your gaze wander around the room. An occasional head nod showing agreement also affirms that you are paying close attention. Body language is very important.
When I had the property management company in Steamboat, I would put a mirror in front of my reservation agents. Even the facial expression of a smile or a frown transmits through the phone. Amazing that such a subtle change in the facial expression of the speaker could be received by the listener, but it absolutely transmits. If you believe you can fake enthusiasm or even a positive attitude, forget it. Know it or not, the other person really does pick up on you state of mind. You would need to be a very convincing actor or actress to avoid detection.
One of the greatest communication services you can render is to be genuinely interested in the other person. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Make it a great day. Happy communicating.
Listening is a silent form of flattery. Being a focused and interested listener is a way of demonstrating the value we place on the other person. One of the sweetest gifts you can ever give is showing you are truly interested in the other person.
Valuing people and treating them as valuable is one of the major keys to leadership. When you hold people at a distance, they can not hurt you, but they will not help you when you are detached from them. Every one of us wants to feel valued. When you listen intently to another and allow them to express their thoughts and feelings, they are more likely to choose to listen to you. The old golden rule still applies to treat others as you would like to be treated. Start that process right now by truly listening to others.
Communication has many aspects. It is speaking, listening, writing, and even video. Body language is significant in all of that expect writing. When you listen to someone, lean forward slightly. Sitting back or crossing your arms across your chest indicates withdrawal or resistance. Crossed arms are also a sign of closing off from someone or something. If you are on the telephone, use these same body movements to assist in focusing on the speaker. It is most distracting and even disrespectful to hear someone typing while someone else is speaking. If you must take notes, either mute your phone or take the notes by hand. Focus your eyes on them rather than letting your gaze wander around the room. An occasional head nod showing agreement also affirms that you are paying close attention. Body language is very important.
When I had the property management company in Steamboat, I would put a mirror in front of my reservation agents. Even the facial expression of a smile or a frown transmits through the phone. Amazing that such a subtle change in the facial expression of the speaker could be received by the listener, but it absolutely transmits. If you believe you can fake enthusiasm or even a positive attitude, forget it. Know it or not, the other person really does pick up on you state of mind. You would need to be a very convincing actor or actress to avoid detection.
One of the greatest communication services you can render is to be genuinely interested in the other person. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Make it a great day. Happy communicating.
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