I’ve Got to Trust You to Like YouPeople want to do business with people whom they like and trust. If anything in a business presentation raises concerns or doubt about your trustworthiness, everything...
In his book, Networking is a Contact Sport, Joe Sweeney advises that when you attend networking events, act as if it is your party and you are the host or hostess. By doing this, you will help others...
I have a few friends who are confined to wheelchairs for access and mobility. I don't want to always be looking down at them while they are looking up at me. To enjoy a meaningful conversation, I’m qu...
Heed Your Speed. Are you a fast or a slow talker? Be mindful towards the person with whom you are speaking to ensure that your message is being comprehended, understood, and absorbed. If they are list...
Every time a new client hires me for a keynote, workshop, or coaching session, the first questions I ask them are, What are the 3 top challenges your organization is dealing with? What are your goals?...
Become aware of the physical distance and spatial orientation that you experience while in the company of others. Being empathetic and sensitive to a person’s physical comfort zone can have a huge eff...
As you seek new opportunities to make favorable first impressions, be ever aware of the subtle effect that physical positioning and distance/closeness can have on your interactions with others and use...
Approachability. Being warm and inviting demonstrates comfort, care, and emotional safety all of which encourages engagement. Your openness says, I’m happy to meet you and am glad you’re here.
17 Ways to Just Be NiceNo act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop1. Be sincere.2. Be altruistic.3. Practice patience.4. Inquire and engage.5. Keep your promises.6. Offer help to ot...
Customers are human and humans can view situations in unexpected ways.
While you will certainly attract more bees with honey, there are times when being nice can backfire. Take it from a naturally kind person, being a bitch has its time and place. There will be times whe...
What gives you your sense of importance and makes you feel special? Who and what bring out the best in you? What does it take to make you feel like a million bucks and ready to take on the world? When...
Professional Networking The first week I lived in Madison, WI, I sought a local chapter meeting for ATD (Association for Training Development). Having belonged to the same organization in Florida, I k...
Move beyond yourself to serve a greater purpose and vision. Learn to mix, mingle, and glow, thus helping others feel more comfortable, at ease, important, and connected.
I was raised in an era when part of respecting your elders was to call them by Mr. or Mrs. When my children were growing up, an occasional child would call me Susan. It was jarring, felt disrespectful...
Finding commonality with another person can help you create an instant bond by transcending social differences and going straight to creating rapport. Finding common ground allows you to connect the d...
Extend InvitationsHow many times have you sat at home alone feeling jealous or sad that you were not invited to a party or out to dinner? You may have seen people having fun on Facebook and wondered w...
Asking permission to call someone by their first name is a gesture of gentility and consideration. And once permission is granted, the gate is open for mutual respect and mutual purpose. Simply demons...
As Americans, we typically move full steam ahead without much regard to mindfulness or thoughtful reflection, often to one’s own detriment. Yet it is that same propensity for bold action which makes f...
When people are like you, conversations flow naturally and feel more relaxed, don’t they? You know what to say, how to talk, what to expect, and how to understand them on an intuitive level.