Power of Connection

This is my third year of writing about the Power of First Impressions, which is integral to my business. In the previous posts, I wrote about visual and online first impressions. Now we will look into the power of the “halo” effect. First impressions are very important, but substance is what truly counts.

Let me explain. The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about his or her character. If you have a good first impression of someone who is attractive, you may have the natural tendency of rating that person’s character and personality more favorably than you would of someone who is less attractive. Here’s a great example. If you did not know who this person below was, what would your immediate first impression be?

I’m assuming most of you know who this person is, but if you per chance don’t, what would you initially think of him?  I must believe that your first impression of Albert Einstein would be negative. Now his face is associated with genius, […]

This is my third time to write about the power of relationships, absolutely my favorite subject to expound upon. When I begin a new blog on a topic I have written about before, I read my previous blogs. I don’t like to brag, but I must say that the first one I wrote for is one of my favorite blogs. You can take a look by clicking on September 2013 Power of Relationships. My feeling about the two people featured still holds true.

We all think of different aspects of relationships. Are we talking about business relationships, friend relationships, life partner relationships, or family relationships? Is doesn’t really matter. The same principles apply to all forms of relationships. Developing and maintaining healthy relationships takes work, and the payback will ultimately prove to be worth the effort.

I wanted to be profound in my message, but find myself depending on other notable people to say so succinctly what I believe in my heart. Enjoy 10 carefully selected quotes that resonate with me and hopefully, you.

1. “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” […]
   

“You are what you share.”                                                           ~~ Charles W. Leadbeater, We Think: The Power of Mass Creativity

I now begin my third year of Power blogs and Linda’s Connection Corner. It is hard to believe that I am now scribing my 25^th blog!  My first Power was on Social Media and this becomes my third blog on the subject.

Have I become the SM guru?  Most assuredly, I have not!  In fact, if anything, I’ve become less versed in the art.  Earlier I didn’t know what I didn’t know.  Now I know what I don’t know.  So, how do I adjust for my lack of knowledge in a world that I’m playing in?  I surround myself with very competent – and younger – people, and I leave it up to them to handle our social media.  One skill I have mastered is delegation.  No longer do I feel the need to do tasks myself to assure they are done correctly.  It’s a whole new dichotomy […]

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
~~ Thomas Edison

This month ends two years of writing my blog. I’m rather proud that I’ve been able to keep up the pace and maintain a healthy readership. Thanks to all of you who continue to follow me. I’m both humbled and grateful!

Most of my topics up until now prepare you to be powerful at following up with people. Being skilled at this task likely means you are meeting or exceeding your goals. Wouldn’t it be nice to meet someone and immediately turn that meeting into business? Unfortunately, it very rarely works that way. But, fortunate for us, today we have so many tools available whereby we can be creative and effective in the way we follow up with people.

Like it or not, we are pretty much open books due to the Internet.  You’d have to be a mole burrowed in the ground to escape this violation into your life!  So, what should you do?  Jump on the band wagon (which we’ll talk about next month)!  Let Google be your best […]

God gave us two ears and one mouth. There may be something to that. Perhaps we should listen twice as much as we should talk! Think about it…

If you’ve been reading my communiques and blogs, you’ve seen that I give the same advice time and time again: “BE INTERESTED – NOT INTERESTING!” It takes much less effort on your part to listen to what others have to say, rather than trying to get others to listen to you.

Friend, Larry Gottsman, wrote an article for the San Antonio Express-News relating a wonderful story about a man named Curly, a car salesman. He knew how to listen to his customers and seemed to have a natural sixth sense in knowing exactly what they wanted and needed, probably more so than even the customers knew. Curly was a master at getting people to open up. He made them comfortable enough to be at ease with him. Curly was their caring friend by making the experience of buying a car a very pleasant one. Take a minute and read Larry’s article.

“That’s interesting. Tell me more.”

Such simple words and yet so powerful! […]

Saying NO is one of the most important aspects of living a life filled with balance, integrity, and authenticity! Being able to say NO with confidence and sincerity is one of the most important aspects of creating peace and power in our lives. By doing so, we create healthy boundaries while honoring ourselves and just being real.

But it’s not easy saying NO! It so often denotes negativity which is a chronic attitude that can sap the energy out of others. Think of it this way – Where negativity is an ongoing attitude, NO is a moment of clear choice. It signifies, “This is who I am; this is what I value; this is what I will and will not do; this is how I will choose to act.”

No is either self-directed or directed towards others. If self-directed, it can save you from your own self-destructive impulses, allowing you to better govern your life and your body. That kind of NO is what we might call self-discipline. We’ve all been forced to say NO to destructive temptations at […]

There is someone very near and dear to me that exemplifies that “attitude is everything.” Though I can’t share her story now, one day I hope to do so. This morning I read her Caring Bridge message which inspired me to dedicate this blog to her.

How often do we hear the words impossible, never, no way, unimaginable, can’t be done? I think it’s best to live by the adage, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” Or another, “Consider your cup half full, not half empty.” It’s all about having a positive attitude. Believe me, it makes getting out of bed every morning so much easier!

Often I think about a woman I was assigned to as a Stephen Minister.  For over 10 years she had lived in pain and despair.  Her support benefits were about to end and she was at a loss as to what she would do next.  I could see so much hope for her if she would just change her attitude, but all was doom and gloom in her mind.  Sadly, I had to give her up as a care receiver.  All she wanted is to have […]

March is all about the power of integrity, so I share this story with you.  It brought tears to my eyes and I think you will find it just as touching.  It’s about Chris Kyle.  I didn’t know much about him until I saw the movie, American Sniper.  It was very clear to me that this man overflowed with integrity.  The power of that quality followed him to his grave.  Although the celebration of his life took place in February, 2013, it is worth reading about today.

Chris Kyle was Derek’s teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it.  2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field.  They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about, other than the fact that in so doing, he saved a lot of American lives….

Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He […]

Every month when I look forward to see what my next power-of-the-month will be (since I am repeating the powers of last year), I know right away if I’m going to enjoy writing or if I will find it a challenge. Integrity is a virtue that I love to expound upon as it is the most important one for me. Yes, this day of Sunday, 2-22-15, dreary with a cold front expected, is one of peace and happiness for me!

In reading the newspaper this morning, I was struck by all the negativity. Story after story was about people who are corrupt, malicious, dishonest, self-serving, and the list continues. Why? Because bad news sells papers. It’s such a pity that we must go to the obituaries to read positive tributes about people! Such a conundrum – wouldn’t you say?

In a Forbes article entitled “Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity is Forever” by Amy Rees Anderson, she states that, “Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching… Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes […]

This is a fun topic as it causes your creative juices to flow. Positioning you and your company is critical to your success. All too often, we choke when we hear from a professional marketing specialist what it will cost to brand or rebrand a company. I can assure you that it is probably the most important investment you will ever make – or the worst investment you’ve ever made.

I recently read a description about creating a value proposition. If your value proposition sounds like everyone else’s, how can your prospects distinguish you from your competitors? What generally happens is they become indecisive, forcing you to be different by adjusting your price. We see it all the time, and I think we will all agree that we don’t want to compete purely on price. So, you need to create a differentiated message to get beyond the obvious identifiable needs. You must set yourself apart by developing an unexpected urgency that will cause your prospects to be drawn to you.

Let’s look at some of the well-known company taglines that should exemplify the heart of their brands, and see how they differentiate […]