Selling Your Expertise

CHAPTER 10Communicate Care, Competence, Collaboration

Chapter 10: Communicate Care, Competence, Collaboration

When two people sit down to talk, they each know what they want to get out of the interaction. For example, Abdul might be looking to grow his network and learn more about a new industry, and Olga might want to uncover a need she and her firm can help solve. Each of them will likely try to take the conversation in the direction they want it to go. Abdul might start by asking how Olga got into her current role, while Olga tries to learn more about the key focus for Abdul's firm. Throughout the conversation, they keep going back and forth, each nudging the topics toward their desired direction. Like most people, Abdul and Olga are not thinking about whether the other person actually wants to go where they are trying to take them.

Although it is good to know what you're looking to accomplish, it is equally important, if not more so, to be tuned into what the other person wants from the interaction. It's important to think about their goals for meeting with you, and remain present during the meeting, to ensure you create a positive experience for them. By helping them accomplish what they want out of the conversation, you'll find that they'll be more open to helping you achieve your goals in return. True communication takes place when you care about what the other person has to say, display your competence in your ability to help them, and collaborate throughout the interaction ...