The Overlooked Characteristic You Should Develop to Increase Business Engagement By Vanessa Abron

Charisma is an important, yet often overlooked characteristic when it comes to developing professional skill sets. When I worked part-time selling cosmetics, I remember engaging with a customer who ended up buying a significant amount of products from me. Before she walked away, however, she looked me in the eye and said, “I’m not really buying the product, I’m investing in you.”


Those words stuck with me because at that moment I realized no matter if you are selling make-up, coaching sessions, consultations, burgers or investment products, you have to sell people on YOU before they can even care about the product or service you are offering.


Why is charisma important?
How do you feel when you are around someone who is dry, mean and/or disengaged? Are these the characteristics of an individual you are waiting to spend time with? Probably not. Someone with the characteristics more than likely may make you feel uncomfortable, and you probably wouldn’t want to do business with them.  In fact, you may make your best attempt to get away from them as quickly as possible.


Author Dale Carnegie recognized the importance of possessing magnetism in 1936, which is why he wrote, How to Win Friends and Influence People. The masses have found such great value in this book that Time magazine recognized it on their list of the 100 most influential books in 2011. While I highly encourage you to add this publication to your overall reading material, I also recommend the following tips:


1. Don’t take yourself so seriously
In our attempt to present our messages and ourselves with the utmost importance, we lose the human factor to try to appear as perfect robots. But people want to see people just like them. They want to be able to visualize you at their kitchen table drinking coffee with them or sharing a joke with them at a bar. Yes, we are important and what we have to say is important, but find a way to say it, while being relatable.


2. Smile and laugh/Have fun
This easy tactic is simple yet powerful. A smile is inviting and encourages most to let their guard down, even if it is just a smidge. And it is the first step to not taking yourself so seriously.


3. Be authentically friendly and develop a genuine interest in others
Many of us learned this step as we were growing up. Be kind to one another. Offer help and support where possible. Avoid hostility and general meanness. “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” is not just a saying, it is fact. We are more inclined to help those who help us. We are kind to those who are kind to us back. We give respect to those who respect us. 


You don’t have to be the most popular person, but a hint of charisma goes a long way when you want to attract fans, customers, clients and/or media attention. It may be just the edge you need over your competitors in closing a deal, getting a promotion, establishing a new partnership arrangement or winning an election.

Learn more about Vanessa at www.AgencyAbron.com Follow on Twitter @AgencyAbron Instagram @AgencyAbron Facebook @AgencyAbron

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