Do you work with people who seem to come from another planet? Sometimes it can feel like we are speaking in a whole different language. To communicate well with others, we have to ‘connect with them’. Rik Rushton explains.
100% of your success will come from your ability to communicate. Deeper connections with those close to you — family, friends, work colleagues, pets, pet rocks if that’s the extent of your social group — are all formed through your quality communications.
All personal and professional success is based on your ability to form deeper connections.
Average people leave their communication with others to chance! They ‘hope’ they find the right words to say; in the right way and at the right time to form a positive connection! But hope is not a strategy.
A better approach is to ‘tune in’ to the other person before you broadcast to them. Just like different radio and TV stations accommodate the varied likes, tastes and preferences of the masses, no one way of communicating will connect you with all of the different personalities you engage with on a daily basis. So we need to identify verbal and non-verbal strategies to allow us to interact with multiple people across all levels.
Life is not a solo performance; we need to communicate well with others to change our life for the better.
In essence we need to realise that there are no successful hermits. To be truly effective, we need to ‘tune in’ by using a combination of the ‘Talk Radio’ AM and ‘Soul’ FM pre-sets of the other party. If you can learn what the other person truly values and display how you can help them achieve more results in line with their personal ideals, you become more valuable to them.
“What’s most important to you?” “How do you think I could help you achieve that?” “Why is this significant for you?” This is important dialogue to use in the workplace and arguably more importantly, in your place! Clearly there are measurable benefits in both the professional and personal arenas.
This is important to master because consumers in your industry are buying now, they don’t want to be sold to. If you can identify what it is they are trying to achieve and display how you can help them achieve it, you’ll develop a compelling proposition for the client to do ‘business’ with you.
The quality of your life is connected to the quality of your relationships. Success, in every realm of your life, is not a solo performance; it comes from engaging with other people, and it’s no surprise that those with superior communication skills achieve higher levels of success both professionally and personally.
These strategies are covered in greater detail in my book: The Power of Connection: How to become a master communicator in your workplace, in your headspace and at your place.