Though we receive little training in this area, building and maintaining our personal and business relationships can be crucial to our success. Studies have shown that those of us who are considered likable are more likely to be hired for jobs or awarded new business. Spending some time learning to improve your communications and relationship skills is time well spent.
Because there have so many critical ethics violations by large corporations, there has been a new call for businesses to be "transparent"-that is radically honest. Studies have shown that customers are more loyal to companies that make mistakes, quickly admit them and fix the problem than they are to companies who never made a mistake. Be as transparent as possible with your customers, vendors and employees to improve your reputation.
Looking someone in the eye is a way to be seen as confident and interested. No one wants to interact with someone who appears to not be paying attention because their eyes are glancing to other things or people in the room. Giving someone your focus lets them know that what they are saying is important to you.
It is important in building relationships to get to know the people you are involved with. You do this by asking them questions about their lives and their interests. It is surprising how few people do this and it is an easy way to gain loyalty, from both customers and employees. Get to really know the people around you and your business will prosper.
Everyone sends out non-verbal cues about how they are feeling. This is body language and learning to read it can help you understand the motivations and needs of others. Lack of eye contact, crossed arms, a tilted head all hold meaning. Learning to reading body language can help you in sales and managing your every day business relationships.
Be liberal with praise. Dale Carnegie, in his classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, recommended finding one thing with every person that you meet that you can genuinely praise or compliment. This is true with customers but also with employees. Recruiting staff is much more expensive than retaining them. Make it a goal to praise people once per week or more for their work, how they handled a situation or just their overall demeanor.
Allow others to offer their input and criticism of your performance and delivery. When you do this, you create an environment of reciprocation and openness, making it easier to have an honest exchange and create a strong relationship. Learn to improve your communications and likability will increase your chances of business success.
Because there have so many critical ethics violations by large corporations, there has been a new call for businesses to be "transparent"-that is radically honest. Studies have shown that customers are more loyal to companies that make mistakes, quickly admit them and fix the problem than they are to companies who never made a mistake. Be as transparent as possible with your customers, vendors and employees to improve your reputation.
Looking someone in the eye is a way to be seen as confident and interested. No one wants to interact with someone who appears to not be paying attention because their eyes are glancing to other things or people in the room. Giving someone your focus lets them know that what they are saying is important to you.
It is important in building relationships to get to know the people you are involved with. You do this by asking them questions about their lives and their interests. It is surprising how few people do this and it is an easy way to gain loyalty, from both customers and employees. Get to really know the people around you and your business will prosper.
Everyone sends out non-verbal cues about how they are feeling. This is body language and learning to read it can help you understand the motivations and needs of others. Lack of eye contact, crossed arms, a tilted head all hold meaning. Learning to reading body language can help you in sales and managing your every day business relationships.
Be liberal with praise. Dale Carnegie, in his classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, recommended finding one thing with every person that you meet that you can genuinely praise or compliment. This is true with customers but also with employees. Recruiting staff is much more expensive than retaining them. Make it a goal to praise people once per week or more for their work, how they handled a situation or just their overall demeanor.
Allow others to offer their input and criticism of your performance and delivery. When you do this, you create an environment of reciprocation and openness, making it easier to have an honest exchange and create a strong relationship. Learn to improve your communications and likability will increase your chances of business success.
About the Author:
With 30 years of consulting experience, Steven Schlagel offers training and coaching for startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check his site for more articles to increase your success!
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