REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE — APPROPRIATELY!!

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Authentic

Touch is human, has been for multi-thousands of years. Sure bad people do things in a bad way. That’s not what we are talking about here in the use of good, effective touch.

Physical touch is a communication tool few people take advantage of. It can help you bond with people, not just communicate. Yes, you can touch strangers at a networking event if you do it with the right attitude and technique. Here are some tips on effective use of touch in a business context.

  • Reach out an touch the person you’re talking to. Maintain physical contact for a split second as you speak directly to the person.
  • Place your hand a remove it in an equally purposeful and definite manner on an acceptable part of the body: shoulder, elbow, forearm, hand.
  • Relax, smile, and look as if you expect the other person to accept the touch in the manner you gave it (supportive, encouraging, caring, respectful).
  • Do not use touch with any intimate overtones. Be sensitive to the person’s reactions.
  • Above all, be consistent. Use touch with men and women, young and old, the likeable and the not-so-likeable.

Even if you’re skeptical about this, try it to test the effect. You may be amazed. Five minutes effective communication accompanied by the appropriate touch can be worth five months of hard work.

___

Debra Benton is co-author of The Leadership Mind Switch (McGraw-Hill, 2017)

Picture of Debra Benton

Debra Benton

D.A. (Debra) Benton has been helping great individuals and organizations get even better for over 20 years. Just as exceptional athletes rely on excellent coaching to hone their skills, Debra's clients rely on her advice to advance their careers. She focuses on what is truly important to convert what you and your organization want to be from a vision into a reality. TopCEOCoaches.com ranks her in the World's Top 10 CEO Coaches noting she is the top female. And as conference keynote speaker she is routinely rated in the top 2%. Her client list reads like a “Who's Who” of executives in companies ranging from Microsoft, McDonald's, Kraft, American Express, Merrill Lynch, United Airlines, and PricewaterhouseCoopers to the Washington Beltway and U.S.Border Patrol. *She is the author of ten award-winning and best-selling business books including The Virtual Executive and CEO Material. She has written for the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Fast Company. She has been featured in USA Today, Fortune, The New York Times, and Time; she has appeared on Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and CBS with Diane Sawyer. To learn more Debra advising leaders, coaching, facilitating a workshop, or speaking: www.debrabenton.com

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