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Top Ten Tips on How to Communicate for the Best Business Outcome

Guest post by: Kerri Salls

Article Overview: To be in business means to be in relationships with lots of people. It’s no surprise that when things are not going the way you would like them to, your preconceived conclusion may hit a detour. When you have a clear idea of what the outcome of a conversation, presentation or decision should be and the other people see things differently, you can be facing a challenge or an opportunity. It all depends on the choices you make and how you lead. Here are a few tips to keep everything in perspective and capitalize on the alternatives.

Top Ten Tips on How to Communicate for the Best Business Outcome

To be in business means to be in relationships with lots of people. It’s no surprise that when things are not going the way you would like them to, your preconceived conclusion may hit a detour. When you have a clear idea of what the outcome of a conversation, presentation or decision should be and the other people see things differently, you can be facing a challenge or an opportunity. It all depends on the choices you make and how you lead. Here are a few tips to keep everything in perspective and capitalize on the alternatives.

1. Be solution oriented

When presented with any obstacle or difficulty, if you stay focused on solutions not blame, you create more possibilities for everyone to succeed.

2. Be pro-active to minimize foreseeable delays, damage, and missed deadlines.

Leaders take responsibilities for all the details and ownership of every hurdle. The more you can eliminate or prevent the obstacles, the smoother your project or schedule will run. By making life easier for all team members, you create the environment for better communications and more effective results.

3. Call your coach, be they your boss, friend, spouse, mentor, peer.

Just because you feel backed into a corner or ready to pop your cork, doesn’t mean you have to give in. Rather, it is an opportunity to get perspective, regroup and try a different approach. You have a support network for a reason. Use it. Take full advantage of their expertise and how well they know you to develop alternatives that build on your strengths.

4. Ask others for the words to turn things around.

Sometimes, your intuition will ring bells but the words won’t come. Invite someone else to start the discussion again stating the facts and concerns. This allows you a moment to regroup and often gives you a few key words to build off of towards a creative solution. Writers do this all the time with peer reviews. You can do it over a cup of coffee or as you walk from your office to a meeting with the right person.

5. What you say to yourself can determine how fast you reach your dream.

Communication with yourself is even more critical than communications with others. Watch your self-talk, it affects what you say and how you say it to others in spite of your stated intentions. Eliminate the negative self-talk.

6. Voicing a negative thought is true self-sabotage.

For every negative thought you voice, it takes three positive thoughts to cancel it. So going in to a sales call, why would you ever want to catch yourself thinking: “He’s not going to buy from me” or “I won’t get this sale, today”. Stop it and say, “I have the best solution to his needs and I can help solve his problems today. We will have a great time doing business together.” It is a game our mind plays with us. We just have to be better at the game.

7. Have strong affirmations to fall back on.

I can, I will, I must. What you think about, you bring about. Great things have no fear of time. I can do it.

8. Act enthusiastic.

No one needs to know the bathroom sink is clogged at home, or that you had to recreate your presentation at the last minute. Focus on what you want to deliver – communicate passionately, enthusiastically about the solution you are there to offer. Nothing else should be on the table.

9. Be flexible.

Enjoy the journey. Suppose your wires got crossed so you came prepared to demonstrate one product and they want to sample a separate product line. You must adapt. Indeed, your professionalism, attitude and responsiveness will make or break the sale.

10. Always remember the Golden Rule.

Respect never goes out of style. Treat everyone else the way you would want to be treated if your positions were reversed. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

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Article Tags: business outcome, communicate



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The 80/20 Rule - If the rule says I should get 80% of my business from 20% of my customers, shouldn't I work harder on the 20%? Communicate at least 4 times a year? Special offers/vip sales? Unexpected free gifts? And if the other rule says I'm going to lose 20% of my customers every year (hopefully through no fault of my own), won't some of them my from my treasured 20% list? Maybe I should work to move some of the 80% to the 20% so I can afford the loss?
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