Recently I attended a conference where we scheduled 10 minutes to talk with companies we wanted to do business with. Imagine: a cross between running-of-the-bulls and speed-dating! When it was ‘your time’, you and about 100 of your closest friends were ’released’ into the room with the all-knowing companies. Because you only have 10 minutes, and the conference personnel are fanatics about that, everyone bursts out of the side room, rushes to where their appointment company is sitting, and proceeds to talk non-stop for 10 minutes, hoping to either sell their products or services, or spark an interest.
Out of the corner of my eye I witnessed this, firsthand, and watched the targeted company members roll their eyes and feign interest. I thought “don’t those that are talking see the disinterest? Doesn’t anything click in their minds that they are talking too much?”
How often do you simply barrel ahead with your own agenda .. not asking questions to pinpoint commonalities? Do you assume that they know what you are talking about … or that they even have a need for your products or services? Do you know if you interrupted something important and they would rather reschedule your conversation?
Awareness of the other person, and taking action suitable to that circumstance, is an integral part of emotional intelligence. Not doing so demonstrates insincerity and selfishness.
How aware are you of your surroundings?
