We previously discussed the idea of implementing brand new techniques against the advice of others. Entrepreneurs must always be willing to look at new possibilities, take calculated risk and maintain a commitment to education. This is the only way you will advance your business.
Varied viewpoints
The second part of keeping an open mind is to allow varied viewpoints into your life. So many are fearful of moving beyond what they currently know that their world eventually moves backwards rather than forwards because they refuse to stay abreast. Whoever allows this to be the case will also have a difficult time communicating with people of different generations. You might ask, “Does this really matter?”
Should you be young, it’s important to know how to communicate well with those older than you, and the the opposite advice is true for older people. You do want to know what the other is doing in that it gives you increased talking points in common as well as potential opportunity.
Learn from others – always
Learning from others applies to groups you attend too. While you may be loyal to particular online groups or in-person networking groups, quarterly you should visit another to find their thinking on your area or related areas of expertise. Doing so will broaden your horizon and provide new ideas for products and services.
Recently, I did something quite different from anything I had done before. I attended an inspirational program hosted by the Brahma Kumari. It lived up to how it was promoted. One of the speakers was a several time gold medal Olympian, not someone you meet every day. I also met people from many walks of life including a woman who, with her husband, established the first recycling company in San Francisco. Each person I met had a very unique story to tell. Had I not ventured into this new realm, I would never have had the opportunity to meet and speak with them.
At a recent dinner party, the opposite proved to be true. I heard a guest describe in great detail how she trains horses. She even shared some of the inherent differences in behavior between the male and female horses. Another guest was annoyed that a new subject was brought to discussion. He prefers the same conversation each time with which he already has familiarity.
Some business people behave in a similar manner. They refuse to believe business may be conducted online and try to convince others the traditional ways are the best.
Harness the power of styles
I do not believe the question is which style may be the best, but rather it is important to be aware of how to utilize all styles so that you may communicate with all age levels and types of people. It’s similar to offering your products for all types of learning styles such as presenting them in formats for video, PDF documents, mp3, ebook and hard copy. Each person has a personal preference and this way you increase the potential to sell to more people.
The bottom line is, the more ways in which you communicate with others, openness to subject matter, and the multiple ways in which you present your information will serve to increase your brand awareness, audiences, and ultimately your sales.
Author:
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”. Elinor provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed keynotes for conferences.
