Positive Way to Direct the Response You Want

My 2nd grader is so excited that her classroom is doing a program for the Dad's this year. They have sent home notices asking the Dad's to save the date. Like any little kid she is so excited that she can hardly wait.

So last night we are out to dinner. You could see that she wanted to remind her Dad about the event to ensure he would be there. Now, think about it, what is the number one thing a person says when they want to remind you of something?

It is usually a variation of , "Now remember you are..." or "don't forget.." Both of these can become exasperating after a while as the recipient can feel like you don't trust their memory or they can feel burdened by the event before it even happens.

No Michaela didn't use any of those. She looked her Dad square in the eye and with a big smile said, "Aren't you just excited about tomorrow and what you get to do?"

She made the assumption her Dad would remember but also nudged his memory by asking a proactive question.

Then this morning she did it again. She came down all dressed in black and told her Dad he could wear black if he wanted to match her today as she would be a black sheep in the play. Again a gentle nudge of a reminder in a fun loving way that got her Dad excited about the event.

So why do I tell you these? How do they relate to business?

In business the more you are able to nudge, remind, encourage and engage others in a way that makes them feel good and reaches your outcome is exactly what you want to do. You want to stay on the positive side so people are excited, enthusiastic and ready to go.

Take Action:
Look at your office meetings. Do you send out "reminders" of them or do you send encouraging and enticing lines that get people to sit up and take notice?
Look at your client mailings, meetings, and information. Do you have friendly ways for them to take advantage of all you have to offer? When you do this you stop selling and you start helping.

Either way, what you can see is that you can learn lessons and insights from others no matter what age they are!

Anne Warfield
Presentation Skills