How to Increase Your Interpersonal Influence
Many people believe that the most important thing in business is "who you know". This might to some extend be right, but there is definitely something more important and it is "who knows you". When it comes to meeting new people, successful entrepreneurs rely entirely on networking, but the truly successful people know that getting connected is not the only thing that matters. They believe that the people with true interpersonal influence know how to make good impression and how to stay memorable in every occasion.
Your interpersonal influence can be the key indicator to the success of your startup. There are many things you can do in order to become more memorable in any meeting and event (even online!) and here you can find some useful tips on how to achieve that.
Be interested in the person in front of you
Often we go to events where every person in the room believes that they are there just to talk. You can hear constant blabber all over the halls of the venue, filled with ambitious entrepreneurs, who believe they are the next big thing. Ambition is great, but when we talk about establishing strong connections, too self-centred people can be really annoying.
Many entrepreneurs are so eager to present their companies, to talk about their venture, idea or whatever they think is the most important topic in every event. Wrong! In order to stay memorable and people to remember who you are, you should be interested in your interlocutors. Ask questions, figure out what are the main needs of the people you are talking to, find out what they want and try to help them find solutions to their problems. People will remember the attention and will always try to find time for you one day when you need them.
Ask questions and stay focused
When you connect with a lot of people, you should be ready not only to ask questions, but to give answers as well. Good connections are founded not on small talk, but on real conversations. Don’t waste your time and the time of the others with pointless chatter - we all know that the venue is great, the food is delicious and that the crowd is awesome! I am not saying to be boring and uninterested in everything that is going on, just try to keep the conversation alive by focusing on the important questions that need answers.
You are to meet with many great people on every event that you attend. In order to stay focused and remember the names, startups and topics that you’ve discussed, you better rely on taking notes. Taking notes is a life-saver for all interpersonal influencers. There are many great apps and tools, which can help you to take notes very fast and very easy, and you can take advantage of this great opportunity.
Follow up
Great interpersonal influencers always follow up and get in touch again with their new connections. Find the time to send an email, to make a phone call or to even connect on social media with the people you’ve met. Be ready to get connected, but also expect people to connect with you as well. Find the time to answer to everyone, who gets in touch with you, and respond to their messages.
Being an interpersonal influencer is very time-consuming and demanding calling, but it is very valuable skill for people who are serious in making business and want to become great leaders.