Relaxed communication encourages friendly business
photo credit: madmolecule
On a scale of 1-10 how relaxed is your communication?
Yesterday I received a note of apology regarding a missed appointment. Today when we finally connected, I heard more apologies. I stopped “Jeannine” to say, “I’ve had my share of mishaps so I’m very relaxed about rescheduling.”
As you might guess, we had a relaxed conversation from that point forward. By the end of our time together on the phone, we found a couple of new possible venues in which we might collaborate. Leisurely conversations are a running theme through my book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.
Another conversation was a bit more tense. I was asked for help and many questions were posed. My answers directly answered the questions yet “Jack” argued with me. I then had to walk Jack through his original questions and take him through to the more recent to paint the picture of how the answers progressed. Only then did he realize I was actually helping him.
The point today is whether you are on a job interview or building a business, both sides of the conversation must be relaxed and attention must be paid to the other person as they speak without interrupting. Only after they finish speaking ask questions and be appreciative of the answers.
Likewise, on a job interview should your answer be misinterpreted by the Hiring Manager, as soon as you recognize the mistake, apologize and clarify your meaning. By doing so, you will save the prospect of getting the job and hearing HIRED!
Communicating in this manner will encourage repeat business, referrals and testimonials. You will definitely be headed for a Smooth Sale!
