It feels like we are facing a technology disaster everywhere.
Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for the ease and flow of communicating that cell phones and the internet have given us. I am just wondering if it is numbing you and I to the beauty of life and what’s really going on in the world because we are addicted to getting and receiving messages. Everywhere I go, people are looking down at their cell phones, not interacting with each other, even when walking down the street.
It can’t be good for business. People do business with people that they like and trust, and that means getting to know one other, face-to-face interaction. We need human contact; it helps us to feel connected and part of life; it helps us to feel belonging and give us a sense of purpose.
So, here’s my challenge. Let me know your experience.
Give your friends, colleagues and staff your undivided attention when you are with them. Listen to what they have to say. Put your cell phone away. Focus on them, learning, absorbing and enjoying the conversation.
People like people who listen to them. People like people who understand them, who get them and what they’re about. Listening is good for business, good for your personal and social life.
When your clients or customers feel seen, understood and heard, they are more likely to stick around for the long haul. When the people you love and care about know that they can count on you to listen and work things out together or just be fully present in the moment, having fun, that adds a new dimension to your life and theirs, and that’s priceless.
I attended a networking educational event recently, which is not my favorite activity.
Why? Most people are so intent on getting business that they feel rushed and anxious, hoping to make the right connection, land the new, fantastic client, experience a major shift in their financial status.
It reminds me of watching old movies or television shows.
On Netflix, I recently watched a few episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, considered one of those television classics, a weekly show that ran from 1961 – 1966.
I felt drawn to watch a few episodes and every scene felt endless, so different from the pace of today’s world. I felt myself just wanting to know how everything turned out instead of enjoying the lightness, comedy and drama of it all.
I found myself wondering, back to networking, how we can enjoy more moments of our business that involves connecting with clients and potential clients, finding those experiences more enjoyable, as a process, instead of hoping to get to the punch line (more business) as soon as possible.
Anxiety is fear and pushes away what we want to accomplish. People can feel our hurriedness and the pressure we are putting on ourselves, and that’s not good for business.
I decided to change my mindset; choose a new attitude; just be genuinely curious, and, it worked. More enjoyment of networking events. More relaxed and in the moment. More of a positive magnet to create what I am aligning to in life.
It’s simple. See if this works for you. Simply focus on engaging with one person, whereever you are, and having a meaningful conversation. What are her interests? Hobbies? Recent adventures? Obstacles in her life?
Listen. Ask a few questions. Give them your undivided attention. Be genuinely curious. Get their contact information, if that feels appropriate; you can send her something later.
This is such a gift we can give to people, the gift of being heard, the gift of someone not checking their cell phone for messages or texting, the gift of having someone just listening to us.
And it takes the stress away because we stop worrying about results. Results happen over time, when we follow up, see them again (or not . . . that’s life!)
Like the Dick Van Dyke Show, the laughter and connections build over time. One step, one breath, one moment at a time, so we can enjoy those ‘boring’ meetings and get togethers and be more of the genuine superstar marketer, authentic, real and caring, who we already are inside!
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