Three Tips for Success

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

In business, what you know about what you do makes you an expert. However, if people can't or don't want to work with you, then how great you are at your core competencies just won't matter. Here are three tips that will help to ensure your professional -- and personal -- success!

1. Get the Name Right

Don't you just hate it when people mangle your name? Me too -- along with just about everyone else on the planet. Why? Because nothing sounds as sweet to our ears as the sound of our own name. Even in a crowded room, we'll hear our name and turn to see who called it.

Say a person's name correctly and often, and you'll have his attention. Contort or truncate it beyond recognition and you'll loose him, maybe for life.

It's one of the simplest ways to establish a good business relationship, yet so many people mess it up.  Don't be one of them.  Instead, take the time to listen and observe.  It's a moment very well spent.

Here are some suggestions on how to do this:

• Take careful note of how the other person introduces herself.  If she says her name is "Elizabeth," call her "Elizabeth," not "Liz."  If she says her name is "Liz," don't call her "Lizzy."
• Repeat any unusual pronunciations you hear to make it stick in your mind. If the other person hands you a business card, make a note on the back of the odd articulation so that you can say it correctly the next time you talk to that person.
• Don't assume familiarity. Call the other person by his or her formal title until they invite you to call them by their first name, or they identify themselves to you by their first and last name. If you have difficulty doing that, for example, if "Mrs. Skrybailo" just isn't rolling off your tongue, no matter how hard you try, ask permission to use the first name. Never assume it.

2. Don't Forget the Golden Rule

"Treat others like you want to be treated."

It's a simple rule, but one that is seldom followed in business. For some reason, we tend to show deference only to those who are closer friends, prospective business, or higher up on the organizational chart than we are. Big mistake. Big, huge mistake. Why? Because while leaders give the commands, followers execute the orders. Step on a few subordinate or lateral toes on a regular basis, and you'll find it difficult to get your job done.

You probably remember people who have treated you poorly over the years and hold a special grudge for them. Well, others will do the same for you. Yesterday's secretary might be your boss tomorrow. 

Don't leave a trail of verbal victims in your wake, even if you're in a particularly bad mood. It will come back to haunt you.

3. You Attract More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

Whether you're managing a company, a department, or your household, remember that you set the tone for those in your charge. How effective you are with your staff is a direct result of your people skills. How you treat those who serve you says a lot about you to others, as well. The better you "play" with others, the more influential you become to your peer group. Be nice to others. It will pay huge dividends.

“It is always nice to read a short book that cuts to the chase (has zero fluff) with great ideas for reaching your goals.” ~Andrea Waltz, author, Go for No! Read the entire review here. Buy this book here. 

Honorée Enterprises, LLC. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.