Secrets to Success
Secrets to Success
DAVID SWANN / DSWANN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Cookie cutter management trainings do not fit all. Managers who try to motivate all their staff in the same manner may be doing a huge disservice to the company and the employees. Color your communication:
Managing by styleThe first of four parts
There is more than one way to lead a team effectively. Most importantly, when you want to maximize your influence with an individual person and/or motivate him at an optimal level, you must know what type of person you are talking to in order to discover the best way to communicate. Different strategies work for different people. It is your responsibility as the leader or sales professional to discover what works best for each individual person you work with or sell to.
If you don't care how business gets done, then you can continue to operate according to the "status quo." You can communicate the same way with everyone you know in the way that is most comfortable for you. But if you are the kind of achiever who is interested in maximizing results for you and your organization, then you will want to take the time to discover how different types of motivational styles work for different types of people.
In this four-part series, I will share brief case studies so you will know how to best communicate/motivate/ sell to and interact with four specific people who have different communication styles. The first case study highlights the "high achiever" behavioral style that approximately 18 percent of the population shares.
Case Study No. 1
David is ambitious and results-oriented. He is known for being direct, forceful, independent and goal-oriented. He got to where he is in business by being 100 percent focused on the tasks at hand. People will tell you that, "You always know where you stand with David."When communicating with someone who has a similar style to David, you will want to follow a different strategy than you would with the majority of the population. Here are a few pointers to get you started.
1. Be clear, specific, brief and to the point.
2. Think about what matters to him when talking about strategies. (What may be important to you may not be the main focus for him.)
3. Stick to business.
4. Be prepared with support material in a concise, well-organized "package."
When you adhere to these basic tips, you will not only be able to get your message across, but you'll also pave the way for future business relations with David. He will respect you as a professional who cares about results.
Never get caught doing the following:
Don't talk about things that are not relevant to the issue at hand.
Don't mess around with unimportant or irrelevant issues.
Don't leave loopholes in your conversation, argument or presentation.
Don't talk about cloudy issues. Figure out the point to any subject at hand, and determine what action must be taken next in order to move forward.
Never appear disorganized or you will lose him immediately; not to mention his respect for you in future business dealings.
WARNING: If you are a sales person and you try a traditional approach with someone like David (perhaps the same approach that works for 80 percent of your customers), you'll quickly find yourself wondering why he left your store and never returned.
Try following these tips this week, choosing one person that's just like David. You will be amazed at just how easy it is to build powerful, win-win relationships. When you keep these principles in mind as you interact with others, you will be on your way toward getting results with people in a positive manner for everyone involved.
To discover your unique behavioral style and learn how you can easily develop more powerful relationships with other styles, contact me and I'll direct you to insightful resources where you'll be able to discover your own style, so you can see what your tendencies are, and how you can avoid a cookie cutter approach when motivating, selling or influencing someone who may be different from you.
Deborah Cole Micek, chief executive officer
of RPM Success Group, is a business success coach
and life strategist. Reach her at DCM@RPMsuccess.com
or (888) 334-8151.
