Networking

4 Traits Of A Great Networker

Networking is a fundamental part of all success that can simply be defined as the exchanging of information and building of meaningful relationships between people or groups of people. You need people in order to succeed at whatever endeavor that you pursue. There are two main ways to network, either on-line or off-line. Both are effective and both require similar attributes.

Here are 4 traits of a great networker:

1. Be a giver- Don’t network with other people expecting something from them. You should look to offer them something of value that can truly help them. By doing this, you will attract more people to you and ultimately someone will return your graciousness and help you get the information or connection that you need.

2. Don’t be that guy (or girl)- Have you ever met someone either offline or on a social media platform like Twitter or Facebook and the first thing that they do is try to sell or pitch you their product, opportunity or service? I hate that! If you develop a relationship first, the sale will follow or the person will join your business, etc. If someone tries to sell or pitch their product or service right away before they even get to know me, that is a major turn off and they will not get my support. It is critical that you get to know what the person that you are trying to network with wants first before trying to pitch your opportunity or product. 

3. Make the effort- If you want to network with someone, you need to make the effort to do so. That means you need to reach out to them whether it is introducing yourself in person, or sending them a message/connecting online. When you introduce yourself, tell them why you would like to network with them. Perhaps they are very knowledgeable about something that you are working on and you want their help or opinion. Maybe they are in a particular line of work in which you are very skilled in, and you want to find out the challenges that they face in order to help them with your service/opportunity. 

4. Ask questions- When you have introduced yourself and begin dialogue, you should be asking more questions than talking. People like to talk about themselves so let them talk! Remember, you learn more by listening than you do talking. Asking questions such as, “What caused you to go into business for yourself?” or “What are some of the difficulties that you are having with _____?” These are great, engaging questions that will cause the person you are networking with to open up. When they tell you information about themselves, you can provide them value by offering your product, service or expertise based on the conversation. In turn, they can provide value to you as well; networking is a two-way street. 

Networking is done by everyone in any field of work, business, or schooling. Good networkers are able to work smarter and accomplish more because they can get useful information from others as well as work with them to accomplish mutually beneficial success. If you focus on these 4 traits, you too can become a great networker.

To your networking success!

Ken Cloutier

5 Characteristics of a Likeable Person

Do you deal with people on a regular basis? Does your career or business depend on you getting along with people and being liked?

The following 5 characteristics will help you to become a better “people person” and be liked by others more easily and sincerely.

1. Listen more than you talk- Don’t you hate it when you speak with someone who only seems to know the word “I” or “Me”? It seems as though they do not know anybody else exists other than themselves. Likeable people understand they then need to listen more and talk less. They ask questions and actually HEAR what the other person is saying. They use active listening which shows that they care. Active listening means that they are leaning forward, making eye contact, acknowledging and re-stating key points that they hear. Everyone wants to know that they are being heard and listening will make you more likeable.

2. Give without receiving- Likeable people truly give of themselves and provide knowledge and/or expertise without worrying about what they will get in return. Giving is really the only way to establish a relationship and connection with others. By giving freely without expecting anything back in return shows others that you really do put them first and care about them. Try it and watch how good you feel by giving of yourself; you will be liked.

3. Likeable people are humble- In a society where athletes and musicians alike, for example, are quick to say and act as though they are God’s gift to civilization and they are untouchable, never making mistakes. In fact, the opposite will get you much farther. Individuals who are liked by others tend to have a confidence about them but do not feel the need to broadcast it to everyone. Instead they are open to and enjoy learning from others. Which brings me to the next characteristic.

4. Take the spotlight off of themselves and shine it on others- These folks do not care nor want the credit. Instead, they are quick to give the credit to others and will even tell others that they have done a good job and are appreciated. This not only demonstrates what a nice person they are, but the people that they are praising will have respect and like them.

5. They don’t take themselves too seriously- Likeable people are liked largely in part because they are not afraid to admit their mistakes and shortcomings. They are quick to laugh at themselves and don’t take themselves too seriously. By doing this, they let others know that they are REAL and do not look down on others and point out their flaws only. This goes back to be humble and having humility. Nobody is perfect, so they don’t have to act as though they are.

By implementing these characteristics into your own personality, you will begin to attract and draw others to you. We are around others and work with them on a daily basis, why not enjoy them and help to make the world a better place.

To your continued Success!

Kenneth Cloutier 

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3 Characteristics of Ambitious People

Ambition can be defined as a strong desire for success of any goal through hard work and determination. The great achievers of our time have all had it. Individuals with this quality trait stand out as people who constantly drive towards their goals and dreams .

So what qualities make a person ambitious?

1. Ambitious individuals are always striving towards a goal: Show me a person who is always doing something to achieve their goals and dreams and I will show you an ambitious person. People with this quality are not the type of person to stagnate and sit still. They have an inner clock that is always ticking and signifying that they have to be doing something to move ahead. The goals of the ambitious are like most other people’s; Business goals, family goals, higher education goals, and career goals just to name a few.  The difference with ambitious people is that they will not sit around and wait or expect to achieve these goals. They get up and go after them!

2. They continue to work through setbacks: The ambitious individual will continue to fight towards their goals amid any adversity or setbacks (everyone goes through these). Their goals are that important to them. They persevere; nothing is going to stop them from achieving. The average person would quit and say that it just got too hard or contemplate that they are not worthy or good enough to attain their original goal(s) and therefore settle for something lower that does not take as much effort. Ambitious people don’t have the “settle-for” mentality in their make-up, they only win.

3. Ambitious people always set another goal: Whenever these people hit their goals, they set another one right away. Many ambitious people actually prefer the thrill of the journey of chasing and working towards their goal rather than actually achieving it! They always have to be working towards another level. It is as if they feel empty if they are not striving after another goal. Some people actually look at ambition as a negative! Like they are immoral for having a goal or a dream and call them “materialistic.” The challenge is that they don’t understand the underlying internal satisfaction that the ambitious person has to be in the fight of chasing their goal or dream.

Being ambitious is not just something that you are born with. You can become ambitious at anytime- you must have a goal or find a dream that causes you to take action and you will see the ambition rise within you!

If you are ambitious or have been looking for a way to pursue your goals and dreams, I would like to personally work with you. Just click here and watch a free video.

To your success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Look good and feel confident

How to Have the Self-Image of a Rockstar

Self-Image is the single most important aspect of our lives. The best analogy for this is that our Self-Image is like our central nervous system to our body. It controls everything about us. To know the importance of this is critical because your business, career, relationships, and anything else in your life will never outgrow your Self-Image!  I am going to outline 12 different points on how you can have the Self-Image of a Rockstar!

1. Appearance: When you look good, you feel good! Put on that sharp shirt with dress pants and look in the mirror and you feel like a million bucks don’t you? We have all done that before. When you feel good about how you look, your Self-Image will go up and you will walk and talk with greater confidence.

This can also translate over to your vehicle or home. Keeping a dirty car where you have old french fries from two months ago or a messy house is a very good indicator on how you perceive yourself. Don’t you get a great feeling when you get into your clean car regardless of  how old it is or walk into your clean fresh smelling house? Clean up and feel good!

2. Posture: You can increase your Self-Image simply by how you carry yourself. Walk with your chest out and your chin up; like you own the room. Sit upright and uncross your arms. These are all ways in which you can not only raise your Self-Image, but also show others and attract people to you because you have that air of confidence. Study the way successful people you know carry themselves. When was the last time you saw a successful person walking with their shoulders slumped and looking down at their shoes? They all have a posture about them; usually a brisk walk like they are going somewhere- which they are!

Another key aspect of posture is looking people in their eyes. I don’t mean the type of stare where you don’t blink, but looking at people in the eyes when you are talking to them or listening. It amazes me how many people that do not look me in the eyes when I speak with them. Instantly I know that they have a bit of a Self-Image issue.

Speak with confidence. Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you are trying to converse with somebody who has no confidence and they are speaking with little more than a slight mumble? You have to keep asking them to re-state what they just said until you get so sick of it you start nodding your head as if you actually are hearing them. Speak loud and bold so that others can hear you. You may ask “What if I say something wrong?” Who cares!! At least you said it with confidence!

3. Be on time: Nothing shows more disrespect for somebody’s time than showing up late. It also has a negative impact on your Self-Image. It may not seem like a big deal, but you know the feeling that I am talking about; you arrive at a meeting late and open the door and all of the heads turn to you and you reply- “I’m sorry that I am late.” Your Self-Image just took a hit. Be accountable. Leave for your appointment a few minutes early and arrive 5-10 minutes before- even family events. By your actions you are saying “I feel good about myself and care about our appointment.”

4. Manage your money well: This can be tied back into #3 about being accountable. Make sure you are aware of your money and paying your bills, etc. on time. When all of your bills are paid for and you are accountable, you will feel better about yourself. I can remember getting call after call from bill collectors about money that I owed. Needless to say when I got off the phone I didn’t exactly feel good. I felt lower than a pregnant ant! If you have made a commitment to pay for something or give money to someone for an event or tickets, etc- pay them. Guilt will lower your Self-Image.

5. Do what you are supposed to do consistently: We all have responsibilities in our lives and are being pulled in a thousand different directions from our family to careers to friends. Many times we do not want to do what we know we should or have to do. Resisting the temptation to put these things off and doing them even when we don’t feel like it will enhance your Self-Image. Have you started a work out regimen or gone on a diet recently? The first couple of weeks when you work out you feel tired and sore; not really the combination that screams to go to the gym! After a couple of weeks of consistently going to the gym, you actually change your perspective on working out. You feel as though you can’t go a day without working out! The same is true with dieting or cutting out sugar. The first few days/weeks are miserable but then you get to the point where you don’t even crave or want sugar. If you don’t do the things you should do or are not overcoming obstacles, your Self-Image will go backward. Remember, Success = Right Habits!

6. Progressive Goals: Another way to increase your Self-Image is to have progressive goals. These are goals that you increase every month. For example, if you are in sales your progressive goals may be to increase your monthly sales by X%. It may be that you are able to run for 2 miles before you get tired and your goal for next month would be to run 4 miles. These continual goals helps you to move forward and develop the habit of winning which will raise your Self-Image!

7. Pay the full price not the minimum price: Paying a price and overcoming obstacles will raise your Self-Image. Going through struggles will help you to see what you are made of. Too many people look to take the short cut or the paved road of simplicity only to find out that the reward was little to nothing. See how productive you can be- test yourself and you will be surprised how far you can go. Keep in mind that your reward is directly proportioned to the price you pay. The bigger the price, the bigger the reward. Increase your price and you will increase your Self-Image!

8. Don’t speak negative about yourself: Do you cringe like me whenever you hear someone say I can’t do this or I’m not good at that? I hate it! Never speak negative about yourself. Our brains are the greatest computer ever created. It can formulate ideas and solve problems in fractions of a second. However, it is easily programmed to listen to and accept any negative things we say about ourself. Our brain can not decipher whether or not you mean what you say but it takes everything we say to it literally. When you say things like “I am not good with people” or “I can’t remember names” you are programming yourself to do just that. It is just as easy to say that you are good with people or you are good at remembering names. Take the lid off of your capabilities and believe in yourself; this will raise your Self-Image. Speak positive about yourself and your brain will have nothing else to do but have you feeling good about you.

9. Spend time with people that have better Self-Images than you: Get around other individuals who have a high Self-Image. It may be a little bit intimidating at first, but the results will be well worth it. By getting around confident people, you can study how they dress, walk, speak, carry themselves, hear what they talk about, and most importantly, see what they don’t talk about. If you model people with a higher Self-Image than you, your Self-Image will go up as you start adopting their habits and attitudes.

10. Realize that action is the only thing that cures fear: Do what you fear a lot and you will get good at it. You may say that “I can’t talk in front of people.” Well for starters, refer back to topic #8, but how do you know you can’t unless you try it and work at it. Many people were raised to think that if it hurts or feels uncomfortable, stop doing it. My mentor has always said that pain is weakness leaving the body. If you start taking action on what you fear, your Self-Image will rise.Change is taking deliberate, proactive action outside of your comfort zone. Make the changes today and watch your Self-Image soar!

11.  Self-education: Self improvement education goes a long way to increasing and maintaining your Self-Image. I recommend reading positive books and listening to positive audios. Books change you from the inside out. It is like having a personal conversation with the author on how great you are and how you can improve yourself. Audios on the other hand, can help to program your thoughts and attitudes. Be careful what you allow into your mind. Lyrics to songs can be a hindrance to your Self-Image. The beat may be good, but if the song is speaking of negative things or when you sing along with the song, you are putting yourself down, your Self-Image will go down as well. Remember, your brain can not tell the difference- it only acts on the words that you tell it.

12. Build other people’s Self-Image: Build the Self-Image of others around your daily. Notice the little things about someone such as a nice shirt that they are wearing, or maybe they spoke up and made a good point in a meeting that you admired. Your Self-Image will go up when you look for positive qualities in others because you will work to look for the positive in yourself; it becomes a habit! When you serve others, your Self-Image goes up. So take your eyes off of yourself and put it on others.

It is with sincere hope that this article has helped you in some way. Whether you had a very low Self-Image before you read this post, or you were just trying to see how you can improve the good Self-Image you currently have, you must continue to work on yourself on a daily basis.

You may be overwhelmed and thinking how can I possibly do all 12 of these things to improve my Self-Image. My recommendation to you is to start with 1 or 2 topics at a time and work on them for several days until you feel that you have made progress. Then move on to another set. Your Self-Image did not form over night and therefore, will not change over night either. Take it a day at a time and bit by bit you will feel better about yourself.

I do not claim to be the Self-Image guru and, like everyone else, I battle and have to continually work on my Self-Image. When you understand and implement the tools and strategies that I have spelled out above, it is a battle you can be confident of winning!

Please share with me strategies and/or stories of how you have raised your Self-Image! I would love your feedback.

To your Success!

Kenneth Cloutier

The Fundamental Art of Praise!

You deal with people on a regular basis whether it is at work or in the market place. Why is it that some folks seem to get along with everyone while others seem to always find something negative with others?

Learning people skills and how to effectively deal with others is a skill not mastered in a few days, weeks, or even months. It takes effort and discipline to begin to master some of the skills necessary to become a person that will attract others to you.

I am going to share a simple act that can revolutionize how you interact with people. This simple act that I am referring to is praise!

Praise is like jumping into cool water on a 100 degree summer day. It is refreshing to the soul. Praise is a very simple action to take but the reaction has the potential to make an impact for days, weeks, or even years.  In a society starved for positive attention, you can start to win friends by being that person who is quick to praise and slow to condemn.

Think of the last time that somebody told you that you did a great job or complimented you on something that you worked hard on. Didn’t that make you feel like a million bucks? It gave you a renewed energy and made you want to repeat your efforts.  If you understand this concept, you will be the person that people want to be around. People will leave you feeling better about themselves and not worse.

By offering praise and finding the good in people, you will begin to attract those that are similar to you. Have you noticed that when people complain a lot, they typically hang out and associate with other complainers. A winner can’t stand a loser! Put yourself at an advantage by becoming the person that you want to attract; one that is positive and uplifts people. This comes through praise.

I am not proposing that you praise others just for the sake of praising. It must be something that you notice that they have done well or something that they have worked on and made progress such as being more social, etc. Praising just for the heck of it will prove phony and others will see right through it. You must be sincire when giving praise.

So as you interact with individuals throughout your day, look for chances to praise others and watch as your influence and circle of friends grows.

To your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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