COMMUNICATIONJujitsu Your Insults
If an angry customer abuses you, pause for a second, look at them and ask, “Are you OK?” According to Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, such a response can throw the insulter off guard, disrupt their negative energy, and often lead to a more constructive conversation. “It also demonstrates emotional intelligence by addressing the underlying issues that may have prompted the insult, rather than escalating hostility,” he says.
TECHNOLOGYCut the Tracking Gobbledegook
When sharing a link with staff or customers, delete everything in the URL after the “?” It’s just tracking gobbledegook and isn’t needed. The recipient will thank you.
MANAGEMENTTake Your Problems Outside
Having one-on-one meetings with employees in the same place you all work can give them the feeling of just one more work-related procedure to get through. An option: taking your one-on-one on the road, or at least the sidewalk. Get out of the office for a power walk and talk. Stick to good practice — be candid, do less than half the talking, note the issues that will require follow-up … and look right before you cross the road.
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SELLINGPractice Your Scripts Out Loud
According to sales trainer Brian Tracy, something many sales pros don’t do enough is practice their scripts out loud, saying it’s the best way to gain confidence, improve communication skills and increase conversion rates. “There is something between the connection of your thoughts and articulating that in a stressful situation which you need to practice, ideally with someone else who can give you feedback,” says the author of the bestseller Sales Success.
SELF-IMPROVEMENTBetter to Try Than Be Perfect
A side of perfectionism you may not have considered: Pressuring yourself to be the best in the world at your job pretty much guarantees you’ll never stretch yourself professionally. “Instead of thinking small and safe, take on challenging projects and big new roles,” writes Sarah Goff-Dupont on the Atlassian productivity blog. “If you start hearing the (self-doubting) mean girl in your head, it’s nothing more than a sign that you’re pushing yourself.”
EFFICIENCYOvercommit … Just a Smidge
When it comes to taking on projects, taking on a little more than you can comfortably handle can pay dividends, argues OpenAI chief Sam Altman on his personal blog. “I think it’s good to overcommit a little bit. I find that I generally get done what I take on, and if I have a little bit too much to do, it makes me more efficient at everything, which is a way to train to avoid distractions (a great habit to build!).” Altman does end with a caution not to overdo it: “Overcommitting a lot is disastrous.”
MANAGEMENTGet Anti-Fragile
To state the obvious, the world has become a more uncertain place. That doesn’t mean you can’t take some preparatory action, notes Nicholas Nassim Taleb, the Lebanese-American statistician and author of The Black Swan. “Not seeing a tsunami or an economic event coming is excusable; building something fragile to them is not.” If you have yet to do some scenario planning (expected case, best case, worst case), get busy!
SALESUnlock More Custom Orders
Those few seconds of quiet as you wait for a customer’s credit card to go through can be awkward — or, if you’re like Eve Alfille of Eve J. Alfille Gallery & Studio in Evanston, IL, an opportunity to unlock your next sale. Alfille recommends you simply turn to the customer and ask: “And what is your next project?” They will smile and hesitate, taken aback, Alfille says. But push on with a version of this script: “If you still have bits and pieces of jewelry in a drawer, or single lost earrings, or things you don’t wear, bring them in, and we can sit down, look at them, and maybe create something you will enjoy wearing! We can make an appointment whenever you like!”
MOTIVATIONReframe Awkwardness
Feel bad about how you spoke to that last customer or vendor? Reframe the way you view awkwardness, says business author Dan Pink. “Awkwardness is not an excuse. It’s an opportunity. It’s a signal from your brain that you’re about to learn, grow, and experience something novel. So, talk to new people. Try an unusual sport. Awkwardness is a paper tiger easily slayed.”
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