Building Relationships With New People.
Do you need to build relationships with new people?
As a general rule, people build strong relationships with those they feel comfortable with. Here are five things you can do to make it easier for people to feel comfortable with you quicker.
1. Learn…
Learn about their priorities, goals, and objectives. Make the conversation about them not about you. Find out what they want to talk about and then ask them lots of when, what, and how questions. Just remember – it’s a conversation not an interrogation!
2. Be…
Be a passenger not the driver. If someone is steering a conversation a certain way, let it go that way. Even if it is not the right direction, hop on and see where it takes you. Do not try and pull it back; you will only disrupt the tempo and stop yourself from understanding where the person is heading. Allowing them to drive allows them to feel in control.
3. Allow…
Allow them to continue talking. Don't interrupt. When they have stopped talking take a pause before you do. When they stop, slowly count to ten before you start. While it may be frustrating, it does two things. First, it allows you to collect your thoughts before you start and second, it allows the other person space to continue talking should they wish.
4. Understand…
Understand their thoughts and opinions. Make a real effort to do this. You can start by asking things like: "How did that make you feel?" and "Why did that happen?" These questions not only encourage the other person to talk, but they increase your understanding of the other person’s emotions.
5. Leave…
Leave the other person feeling complete. Let the person finish their story and resist the desire to share your own. A person always feels better when they “get it all off their chest.” The number one goal should be to leave the other person feeling better for having spoken with you.
As you can see, the primary way to quickly build a relationship with someone is to start with a focus on them and allowing them to talk. If people feel that you listen to them, they will be much willing to interact with you more.
In addition to making the person feel better, listening intently results in you better remembering the details of what is said and understanding the storyteller’s position. You are able to extract more information that can be used in future conversations to make your message more relevant.
Once you have built the initial relationship, you can turn to achieving the tasks and goals that brought you together in the first place.
— Anthony
Are you a consultant? Do you want to be a “trusted advisor” to your clients? Maybe you need to trust THEM more! Strong client relationships are key as they create opportunities for providing more services. The pinnacle of this is: Being considered a “Trusted Advisor.” I was a consultant and a client of consultants. My realisation: many consultants think that are giving advice, and maybe they are, but its only technical and business at best. A “Trusted Advisor” is someone who adds the personal advice. In addition to outlining the issue and providing the options available they, the individual, goes that one step further and tells you what they would do if they were in your position. Why is this important? People like to know that they are making the right decision. In a professional service firm, it is easy to debate issues around a table and get different views. In a corporate environment, it is a lot lonelier at the top. Knowing that a similarly qualified person would do the same thing in your position is comforting and helpful. It can be that little bit of reassurance you need – the sanity check in your decision making process. Now to some people, and in some professions, this may seem like a risky thing to do. After all, what if it turns out that the decision is the wrong one. Can a client now blame you for giving bad advice? This is where the word “trust” comes in. Not all professional services providers are the same and likewise not all clients are the same. If you cannot trust that your client understands the difference between professional advice and personal opinion are you really going to be their Trusted Advisor. So my advice: pick clients who are sophisticated enough to understand what a trusted advisor is and then start being more personal in the advice you give. Firms aren’t trusted advisors – people are.
Electronic calendars are a fantastic tool. They allow you to know where you need to be and when you need to be there where ever you are in the world. If you want a meeting with someone, you can just send them an invitation and it shows up in their calendar and now that virtual meetings have taken off and have even become a preference they can even be arranged at short notice. There is a downside to this - do you now spend your life in meetings? Do you open your calendar in the morning and see no white space? How can you get more control over this? I suggest you ask three simple questions when anyone asks for a meeting: 1. Is it URGENT ? 2. WHAT is it about? 3. How LONG do you need? Asking these three questions really focuses the mind of the people wanting to meet you. You'll know: 1. How important it is; 2. Whether its something you want to meet about; and 3. A realistic time fame If you ask these questions you will be amazing at how many 15 minute meetings appear in your diary. And after 15 minutes you can throw them out. One final point - if you have a personal assistant, get them to ask the questions and remove the administrative burden altogether. If you would like to know more feel free to contact me below.
As the owner of a business, it's easy to become consumed by work and neglect other important aspects of your life. The constant demands, long hours, and need to be “constantly on” can lead to stress and leaving you feeling drained, unmotivated, and even resentful towards your business and employees. If nothing is done, it can ultimately lead to complete burnout. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is crucial for both your personal well-being and the long-term success of your business. Here are some practical strategies to help you strike the right balance between your professional and personal life. 1. Prioritize You: the Person Running a business can be mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing. It's essential to put aside some of your time to maintain your energy levels. Make time for activities that rejuvenate you, whether it's exercise, meditation, reading, or simply spending time with family and friends at a purely social level. When you prioritize your well-being, you'll be better equipped to handle the demands of your business. 2. Set Boundaries and Learn to Unplug In the digital age, it's tempting to be "on" all the time. While this is true for everyone, when you run a business the need to know everything that is happening every minute of the day never stops. Anything that you leave on all the time eventually stops working . Set clear boundaries between work and personal time, and learn to unplug from your business when you're not working. This might mean disabling email notifications, avoiding work-related tasks during designated personal time, or even just turning the phone off for a couple of hours. 3. Delegate and Outsource As the owner and the person ultimately responsible, it's natural to want to be involved in every aspect of your business. However, trying to do everything yourself is the one thing that will always lead to you continuing to do it yourself . Learn to delegate tasks to trusted employees or outsource non-essential tasks to freelancers or the increasingly popular virtual assistant. This will free up your time and energy to focus on the most important aspects of your business. 4. Cultivate a Support System You don't have to know all the answers . Building a strong support system is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Surround yourself with individuals who understand the demands of entrepreneurship and can offer emotional support, guidance, and accountability. This could include a mentor, a coach, or even fellow business owners who can share their experiences and insights. 5. Schedule Downtime and Vacations As a business owner, it's easy to neglect taking time off , but regular downtime and vacations are essential for recharging and preventing burnout. Schedule regular breaks, whether it's a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, and make a conscious effort to fully disconnect from work during these periods. This will allow you to return to your business feeling refreshed and energized. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is an ongoing process that requires mindfulness, discipline, and a willingness to prioritize your well-being. By implementing these strategies, you'll be better equipped to overcome burnout, maintain your passion for your business, and enjoy a fulfilling life outside of work. If you find the whole concept of work-life balance out of your reach or impossible to even contemplate, then you need to look at it differently: https://www.karritree.com/make-a-healthy-work-life-balance-your-new-normal