Connections 101: Be World Class - ISSUE 45 - 9/26/12

As a business owner, connecting with other people is by far the single most important area for you to focus on if you want a successful business. The reason for this is because people are the driving force behind any business. People talk constantly and are always asking their friends or family for advice on how to solve the problems they face on a daily basis. If your business can be the one their friends and family recommend and talk very highly of, you will win the game. If you don't have the necessary skills to connect with other people, now is the time to begin to develop those skills.

Be World Class

First and foremost, ask yourself how you want to be remembered? Do you want to be known as the person who does things for other people and who makes other people feel good, or do you want to be known as the jerk no one wants to talk to because they think you don't care? The answer seems fairly obvious, but very few people are world class and most people don't understand the importance of focusing their energy outward. These people are perceived as self-centered, self-absorbed, self-inflicting, self-motivated, self-focused, self-righteous, and any other "self" word there is.

People will remember you for what you do for other people, not what you do for yourself. Committing small acts of kindness will not only increase your fulfillment as a person, they will also increase your network and your business substantially.

You don't have to do anything extravagant to make people feel good. Oftentimes, a small compliment such as, "I like your shirt" or "You look really nice today" will do the trick. Believe it or not, even a smile as you pass by will go a long way as you brighten someone else's day.

Commit Random Acts of Kindness

After you get the hang of making people feel good by committing subtleties, you can take the next step in your venture of being world class by really paying attention to what people tell you (verbally and non-verbally) and then committing small acts of kindness from there. In other words, people will tell you about themselves but it's up to you to shut up, listen, and act.

Let's say you are preparing for a presentation and you overhear one of your clients telling another client she was up all night because her child was sick with the flu. She's exhausted and can barely keep her eyes open. If you knew ahead of time her favorite coffee at Starbucks, you could make a quick run before the meeting to get her one. Not only will she be more alert for your presentation (allowing you to increase your chances of closing a big contract), you will look like a hero to her as well as anyone else observing what just occurred.

Obviously, you want to tread water lightly if you aren't prepared to buy coffee for everyone in the meeting. But, if you are, you will look like a hero to everyone.

The Secret

The secret is to be remembered. People are dealing with many people on a regular basis (most of them are very rude) and as mentioned previously, people will do business (and refer business) to those who they feel are worthy and who make them feel good. It doesn't take a lot of energy or effort to be world class but it will pay off tenfold.