Why Being Present Drives Profits

Way back in the day, I went to Student Council Camp.

Art-Carved Class Rings sponsored the event. We did a skit to EMF’s Unbelievable. My hair was in a banana clip.

 But it was there that I heard something that has stayed with me forever.

 “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Call it trite, but this applies to pretty much everything, right?

An interview. A coffee meeting. A difficult patient conversation. A potential client. A parenting crisis. A fundraising sponsor plea. A spousal conflict. A negotiation.

 The next time you sit down to have coffee with someone, do the following:

• Take a moment to go from getting there to being there.

• Look them in the eye. Ask how their day is going.

• Get curious. Ask them something about life. Ask again. Get a name, an age, an event, a plan. If you’re not feeling authentic, fake it until you make it.

• Share something meaningful, but minimal from your own life.

• Now you can get down to business.

The fact is, the more you find out about the cooking blog, pin-ball-machine collection, cycling obsession or 10-year old twins, the faster they’re going to trust you, like you, connect you or hire you.

 You know this does not apply to every situation.

But I also know you understand.

So don’t be looking around the room like I’m not talking to you.

Get your brave on and ASK PEOPLE about themselves. FIRST.

 That is all.

#youarebrave #brandmessaging #sales