I am so excited… today, I am at ETTM‘s 2nd Annual Family Wellness and Beauty Day. I wrote about this amazing event yesterday so I am hoping to see lots of you there today.
Another great perk of this kind of event is the ability to “connect”. Notice, I didn’t say book, sell or recruit; I said CONNECT. I mean isn’t it all about building relationships with people?
I always think of myself as a “connector”, not great but good. I mean what kind of Social Worker would I have been if I couldn’t connect people with appropriate services. Now, I connect people with AWESOME solution sets to their organizational challenges while in some cases helping them find some extra cash by becoming a consultant.
Ilam Mochari wrote an article entitled “6 Habits of Great Connectors” – how many of these do you do?
1. Smile. “Smiles are contagious and the simple act makes people feel better”. I mean it doesn’t cost anything to smile, right? I have to admit that I didn’t smile as much when I had a problem with my front tooth. A root canal many years ago caused one of my front teeth to turn yellow. It wasn’t until last year, after overcoming my fear of the dentist, that I got it fixed. YEAH! Now, I smile all of the time.
2. Make friends. “How would I treat this person if they were my close friend or someone I’d want to be a close friend?” When you meet someone, talk to them, get to know them and don’t think “what can this person do for me”. Reverse that and see what you can do for them.
3. Pay attention. “People want to tell their story. Be the person excited to hear it”. I LOVE hearing people’s story. It is a great way to connect with them. Then the next time you talk to them, you can relate to something that you heard in their story.
4. See friends, not strangers. “When you walk into a room, see the new faces not as strangers but as friends you have yet to meet”. This used to my biggest struggle. I have overcome so much in the last year that I see friends everywhere. This is a great way to overcome your FEAR of not knowing anyone in a room full of people.
5. Contribute. “Meeting people is about making their lives better….Give like crazy, embrace generosity and make others more successful”. Hubby says that I am always giving away the store. Okay, so this is something that I need to be careful about in business.
6. Be open to conversation. “Embrace conversation with those around you. Everyone has something to offer–your server or the guy next to you on a park bench or plane flight,” If you’re the shy type, the only way to get better is to make an effort–even if it’s a fruitless effort.
Are YOU a connector? Which of these traits do you have to work on? Share with us and if you are in the Freehold, NJ area – stop by our event at the Radisson Hotel from 10AM – 8PM to connect.
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 