Communication Personality: Does it matter in business?

                                             “I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.” 

                                          ― Mahatma Gandhi

YES! It definitely DOES matter. 

Think about the last time you did business with someone. Were they a good match for you? Did you think to yourself..."there's something I don't care for" or "I really felt comfortable with them?"

If you did, or you ever have, then you think personality matters in business. 

Why does it matter?

Mostly because of that old adage that we like to do business with those we like, know and trust. It matters also because if we are aware of what our OWN communication personality is, then we can more easily adjust to fit ANOTHER's communication personality. This will do several things for us in business:

• allow us to connect with more of our clients
• allos us to connect on a deeper level with our clients
• make more connections, period
• negotiate more effectively
• manage more effectively
• sell more effectively

The list goes on and on and on and on. 

We should not be afraid to show our personality in our business interactions but we should also know when to adjust our personality when we are not a good match for someone or a certain situation.

Do you know your communication personality? 

Do you even know HOW to find out your communication personality?

I'd be happy to help you with both! Check this out. 

As always, thank you for reading and until next time.....Keep Saying it with Style. 

Jen

Exit Strategies to use with Incessant Talkers

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We've all been there. We have a friend, client or someone we just met who is an incessant talker. Once we realize this we avoid, make excuses and go to great lengths to avoid being caught in their web of NON.STOP.TALKING.

Now, my family is probably laughing right now because I like to talk. I'm rarely at a loss for words and I'll pretty much talk to anyone about most anything. I genuinely enjoy talking WITH people. The difference with me, and others who are considered "talkers", is that I listen and have the natural give and take that makes a conversation. Incessant talkers do not. 

There are many psychological reasons for incessant talking...I won't be sharing those because the goal here for this post is how to EXIT from an incessant talker. Whether it's a client or friend, the steps are the same and you must set those boundaries early and often to not a only save your sanity but also your valuable time. 

To exit a conversation with an incessant talker you should:

• Say "can I interrupt you for a moment?" and then...
• Say "This what I'm hearing you say" {repeat what you have understood them to say}This, hopefully gives them the clue that you get it. No further explanation is necessary. You can also..
• Add something to your paraphrase that connects your experience to theirs so they really know you received the message.
• If they talk over you say "Wait. I want to finish my thought." 
• Don't ask questions. This will encourage them to continue.
• STOP the conversation when it has gone on too long. Do not be afraid to say "I've listened longer than I have time right now, can we finish at another time?"

The important thing to remember is that you are not being rude if you assertively set boundaries that signal your time is valuable. 

So tell me, do you have any "exit strategies" that you use when you encounter an incessant talker? I'd love for you to share them in a comment.

As always, thank you for reading. 

Until next time, keep Saying it with Style. 

Jen