1. Take Advantage of Every Opportunity.
I started my career as a
hairstylist. At conferences I am often asked how I became a speaker, author,
and executive speech coach? By noticing and using every chance that turned up. Opportunity doesn't knock just once. It knocks all the
time, though you may not recognize the sound. One technique is to learn from
successful people by finding out how they achieved their success.
2. Start
By Asking Questions.
Successful people will
share their knowledge and experiences with you if you ask good questions that
stimulate their thinking and responses. The quality of the information you
receive depends on the quality of your questions. The key to connecting with
others is conversation, and the secret of conversation is to ask the right
questions. A conversation can lead to a relationship, and a nurtured
relationship can produce amazing results.
3.
Dedicate Yourself.
Two questions you should
ask yourself on a fairly regular basis are, "What can I do to contribute
to my profession--to my employer and my professional association?" &
"How can I be professionally accountable?" When you can do this,
you'll get so much more than you give.
4. Use
Stories.
Be inventive in selling
yourself and your profession. Learn to network, one on one, by using memorable
stories. Sometimes, it's appropriate to fade into the background. Most of us
are shy in some situations. But, to be professionally accountable, you must be
able to stand out and speak up. When you are in any situation where you're
meeting the public, how do you introduce yourself? When people ask what you do,
can you tell them in a way that will stick in their minds? I challenge you to
come up with a one-sentence way of presenting yourself and your profession so
that people will never forget. Create a vivid, visual picture of your job, its challenges
and triumphs. People will remember the picture you create in their minds,
rather than your words.
5.
Develop Your Persuasive Powers.
Being professionally
accountable means knowing how to influence people. President Dwight Eisenhower,
said, "Leadership is the ability to decide what has to be done and then
getting people to want to do it." How do you influence people? One of my
clients is Horst Schulze, president of the Ritz Carlton hotels. He advises
prospective employees, "We are all ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and
gentlemen. Our guests pay our prices to have an experience, and it is your job
to be part of that experience. You will never say, 'That is not in my job
description,' and you will never bring your own problems to work." Obviously,
this works at the Ritz Carlton. Do you have a similar motivator for yourself,
your colleagues, and your fellow professionals? Are you persuasive in
representing my company, department or association in public?
