Social Networking: Turning Your Communications Into Connections
“Social networking” is a term my wife says I use too much. But for me it’s what business and life is all about: communicating with each other. And when you stop and think about it, how effective are your customer service, teamwork or networking skills if you communicate like an “android,” (think Star Wars robotic dialogue), by leaving out the social element of “talking.”
Too many people hear “social networking” and immediately think of Twitter, Instant Messaging, email, and online sites such as Facebook, Plaxo, LinkedIn, myspace and probably dozens more I haven’t heard of. Except that’s not what I’m referring to when I “talk” about social networking.
What I’m referring to is the social networking that happens face to face or even by phone when personally interacting with clients, co-workers and students. The person sitting next to you at work, standing in line for your business, interested in your sales pitch, or waiting for your educated words of wisdom expects – and deserves – more than a text message or greeting written on his Facebook wall.
Deliver your message verbally – actually put the words together and say them – and your communications can turn into connections. And we all know connections lead to better teamwork, improved networking, increased sales, and effective customer service. It’s an age-old theory and nothing I’ve made up. But sometimes we all need a reminder about how a personal touch can make a difference.
In my Public Speaking course, I “talk” about how to deliver your message in a way it’s not only heard, but listened to and remembered. And if you’ve been following my communication tips in these articles, I listed three guaranteed ways to do this. Here’s a reminder:
The problem many of us have as communicators can be compared to the same reason why television commercials usually last twenty seconds or less. Audiences have a short attention span. Go ahead – blame it on technology. I do. People today are used to getting information fast.
Now, I could suggest going back to my August newsletter, but to save time and not tax both our attention spans, I’ll repeat three solid tips. If you want to keep someone’s attention for longer than twenty seconds…
- Keep them interested
- Entertain them
- Humor them
Sorry for the repeated information, but at least we’re on the same page. And speaking of pages, here’s one from my Presentation Skills Workbook on how to achieve the first goal, keeping your listener interested, through verbal “social networking” communication:
Commit To The Message:
Here’s a secret shared by both professional speakers and professional actors. If a listener thinks you’re not being honest with him, you’ll lose his respect and attention. The first step in communicating your message is to believe in what you are talking about. Truly be committed to what you are saying. In other words, cut the fat from your true message, (the information you really want to convey), and deliver it with conviction.
Yes, yes, I know… this advice alone could make a conversation really boring. But remember – I’m also a humor coach and will “talk” in future articles about communication enhancements using humor and creativity. Combine those tips with “committing to your message” and you’ll be a lethal communicator with a “license to talk,” (sorry, too many James Bond movies). But for right now we’re still competing with technology and your clients, co-workers and students don’t want to sift through a lot of adjectives to hear what you have to say.
Make The Message Interesting:
Know your message is important, which is why you are delivering it. If you are or appear to be sharing information that will benefit your listener, he will listen. Your message will be remembered if your client, co-worker or students perceive it as:
- New
- Different
- Personally Beneficial
Now, since I also practice what I preach, I’ll stop here. The workbook for my training seminar is forty six pages long and I’m sure both of us don’t have the attention span to review all the highlights in this one article. Besides, it took longer than twenty seconds for you to read this. Without any humorous or creative enhancements, I ran the risk of sounding like a Twitter, Instant Messaging, email, and online social networking android – and that’s no way to build a connection.
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Dave Schwensen is a consultant, instructor, coach and author in communications and presentation skills. Topics include customer service, team-building and networking. For more information and to schedule, visit www.TalkingForSuccess.com
Copyright 2010 – North Shore Publishing
