Running your own business requires a certain degree of talent and drive to make a success of your venture, but whether you are trying to make your way as a professional photographer, interior designer, or any other service-oriented venture, it will be hard to succeed without another key ingredient, being good with people.
Being a people person is about making an instant connection and putting someone at ease, which is especially relevant if you are a professional photographer, for instance, and you want to get the best results from your studio time spent together.
Covering all the angles
If you are running a small business it stands to reason that your personality and how you interact with your customers is an integral part of why people choose to use you rather than someone else.
You might have to work hard at being a people person and it is unlikely that you are going to make an instant connection with every person you encounter in your professional life, but in order for your business to succeed and enjoy longevity, you have to work at covering all the angles that combine to put you on the map and reflect your commitment to excellence.
That professionalism extends to things like making sure that you safeguard yourself and your business by arranging the sort of professional insurance cover that is relevant to the work you are doing and the potential risks involved.
For example:
The sort of scenario you would hope to avoid as a professional photographer is if your light stand falls and injures the client or they trip while on set and decide to sue you for compensation. If you had taken out a policy at Next-Insurance.com, your cover would provide a level of protection against this and the insurer would settle the claim.
Having the right insurance cover is just an aspect that confirms your level of professionalism by ensuring that you have all potential angles covered.
Finding a way to get on with people
In reality, not all of us are born with a cheery disposition and a joy for life that becomes infectious to anyone who comes into contact with that person, but for the sake of your business, you have to try to find a way to be more approachable and likable to others.
If you are struggling to be that people person that your business needs, it is actually not that hard to employ a few simple tricks to get the other person on your wavelength and feel like they are making a good connection, even if you are having to fake it to a certain extent.
For example, if you are meeting with someone who seems keen to avoid eye contact with you or is wearing what could be classed as a fixed frown, it can seem like an impossible challenge to get them to warm to you.
The simple act of smiling and trying to radiate a warmth with your facial expressions can help endear someone toward you, even when they might not be looking directly at you. That old trick of smiling while talking on the phone holds true, as it transmits a positive aura that even a difficult person might eventually find hard to resist.
Be a good listener
Another great way of becoming a people person is to make a conscious effort to listen more and talk less.
Becoming a good listener is generally considered to be one of the easiest ways to convince others that you are a genuine people person. Many people love to talk about themselves and if they find someone who seems to like listening to what they have to say, they will likely view you as someone with a good amount of empathy.
Hone your people skills
You may not find all of these tips that easy to follow if your personality doesn’t naturally allow you to follow those sort of ground rules, but there is no doubt that if you can learn to convince others that you are a genuine people person, it can only be good news for building your business.
It might not be that left-field to consider the idea of some acting classes if you are struggling to get on with a number of people you meet. If you can learn how to fake it from a professional acting coach, it could help to ensure your talents don’t get wasted.
An ability to influence others
If you have the ability to influence others, that is a highly-prized skill when it comes to developing your professional life and growing your business and being a people person has a strong connection with influence.
A study published in the Harvard Business Journal concluded that exhibiting empathy and being able to become attuned to other people’s moods has a direct influence on the brain chemistry between you and the other person.
Further proof through scientific studies that confirm what you should already know, that being a people person is good for business and will further enhance your professional veneer.
