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What Do They Think?

Guest post by: Paul Donehue

Article Overview: What do others think about you and your organization, and how might you impact the way they think and feel? Does it really matter? See the "Top 10" answers.

What Do They Think?

What would you like your customers and colleagues to think and feel about you and your organization?

We have asked hundreds and hundreds of people this very question over the past ten years and, believe it or not, the answers are remarkably similar. But before we divulge what most people say, how would you answer the question? If you'd like to give this some thought and, possibly, be surprised, then take a few minutes to jot down ten things you'd like others to think and feel about you and your organization. (More on this later...)

Driving Word-of-Mouth

Maybe of greater significance, how important is it? Many business owners and managers tell us it's very important and if you agree, how will you impact or influence what others think and feel about you and your company? This is, after all, the key driver of word-of-mouth advertising!

If you have made a list, we'll ask you now to review the list and answer one more question of the words on your list, how many canyou actually say, with any degree of comfort, in a typical business conversation? Now for what might be the surprise most people reply, "Not many..." *

While there may be many ways to affect what people think about us, the facts are that, when it comes to word-of-mouth, we can't buy it and we can't overtly talk about it or force it upon others; instead, it is a function of how we behave and communicate over time. So, consistent with the theme of our first article (above), having a strategic plan for impacting what others think might be a good idea after all...

*Now for the top ten answers to the question: "What would you like others to think and feel about you and your organization?

Answers: I'd like them to think that I/we...

• Am/are honest/trustworthy
• Care about them
• Am/are professional
• Am/are capable
• Want to help them

Answers: I'd like them to feel...

• Important
• Confident in me/us
• Comfortable
• Safe/Taken care of
• Satisfied

How do these answers compare with those on your list?

Now imagine you are involved in a business conversation with a customer, prospect or colleague how many of these words or phrases can you comfortably say?

Most people agree, not many... however, people also agree they still want others to think and feel all of the things listed! This means that we must convey these thoughts and feelings via "implied" messages messages sent by the way we act; messages sent not only by "what" we say but rather by "how" we say it and "how we look" when we say it.

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Article Tags: communication, selling skills, word of mouth



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