Mike Acker's Blog, page 6

Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders

Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders

Great leaders know how to motivate others. Since the amount you can accomplish on your own is limited, it’s necessary to have the assistance of others. Someone that can motivate others to do their best has an incredibly valuable talent. When you can inspire others, you can accomplish much more.

Motivate others to do their best:

1. Be emotionally supportive. To help others shine, removing the fear of failing or looking foolish is critical. Most people are frozen by fear and prefer to remain comfortable. When fear is greater than motivation, nothing happens. Removing fear can be just as effective as instilling additional motivation.

2. Provide additional support. Ask what resources are required. Does your employee require additional help or funds to get a project off the ground? Perhaps your child needs a tutor or assistance with creating a resume. Determine what resources are required for success and provide them.

3. Follow up regularly. Show that you care by monitoring their progress. It’s enough to ask and then listen. Asking questions will also help to keep them on track.

4. Be publically supportive. It’s one thing to support an employee in the privacy of your office. It’s quite another to be supportive in front of her co-workers. Parents are guilty of this, too. Avoid only supporting your children around the dinner table. Support them in public also.

5. Acknowledge and reward. Acknowledge progress and effort regularly. Everyone needs a little boost now and then. Ideally, give acknowledgment publically. Conversely, your disgruntlement, and any discipline should be handled privately. It’s as simple as handling praise and reprimands most effectively.

6. Ask for ideas. You might hear a few ideas that are better than your own. It’s easier for others to get excited about their own ideas than to get excited about yours. Using ideas from your team will create a sense of purpose and involvement.

7. Be clear. Vagueness breeds confusion. Confusion saps enthusiasm. When the objective and the necessary steps are clear, motivation is easier to generate. Ensure that everyone is clear on their roles.

8. Set a good example. If it’s important to you, it will be important to your employees, spouse, or children. Don’t just tell them it’s important, but show them by your behavior. Make the objective a priority in your own life.

9. Create a vision. Paint a picture of the end result in the minds of those involved. The work is rarely enjoyable, but it’s the end result that matters. Keep reminding everyone of how great things will be when it’s over. The work is the path to reach that endpoint.

10. Deal swiftly with dissenters. It only takes one dissenting, charismatic employee to bring the whole thing crashing down. There’s often one complainer that tries to undermine the enthusiasm of everyone else. Don’t underestimate the damage this one person can do. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with them or move them out of the group.

· Motivation isn’t just about adding positive motivation. It’s also about removing the obstacles. Dissenters are obstacles.

· Encourage the sharing of opinions. However, once a decision has been made, expect cooperation.

Encourage others to do their best work or to follow their dreams. Motivating others is a skill that anyone can develop. You can only be as successful as your team. Avoid the belief that you can do it all alone. You can’t.

Great leaders are tasked with the responsibility of inspiring others to be overachievers. It’s a challenging task, but if you’re good at motivating others, you’ll always be one of the most important people around.

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8 Revealing Ways to Become More Self-Aware

8 Revealing Ways to Become More Self-Aware

One of the major obstacles to maximizing your success and happiness is a lack of self-awareness. You know your friends’ flaws better than they do. It’s human nature to not have an accurate view of yourself.

We’d rather stick our heads in the sand and remain oblivious to our shortcomings. We’d prefer to believe that we’re unlucky rather than taking the wrong approach.

This presents a huge challenge, because if you can’t see yourself and your behaviors accurately, how can you grow and evolve optimally?

If you’re brave enough to develop a keen sense of self-awareness, you’ll be more likely to have a successful and rewarding life.

Try these techniques to learn more about yourself:

List your values. Taking an hour to identify and prioritize your values will tell you a lot about yourself. You’re bound to find a few surprises if you take the time to do this exercise.

Write down your goals. Defining what you’d like to have, do, and experience in your lifetime is also very revealing. Most of us are too busy surviving from one day to the next to consider our goals. Make time to determine the type of life you want to experience, and you’ll become more self-aware.

Keep a journal. There are entire books written about journaling. Read one of them and develop your own journaling process. Writing is different from the incessant chatter happening between your ears all day long. Self-awareness is only a notebook and a pen away.

Have a heart-to-heart with a close friend. Your friends and family know more about you than you know about yourself. They can see your flaws and strengths quite clearly. Be brave and ask them to tell you about yourself.

Meditate. If you want to understand your mind, meditate. You’ll be shocked by what you find. Meditation is great for your physical health, emotional health, and self-awareness. Thirty minutes a day will reveal a lot about you.

Use your imagination. Imagine you’re a fly on the wall and visualize how you interact with others. Remember both stressful and happy experiences. How do you think your coworkers, friends, family, neighbors, and others view you? How do you come across? How do you think a stranger in the store views you?

Take personality tests. There are many personality and aptitude tests available online, many of them for free. Take these tests and see what they have to say about you. Before dismissing anything that seems way off base, really think about it. Then, ask a close friend if they think the assessment is accurate.

Identify the traits in others that bother you. What do you dislike about others? What does this say about you? Try to be objective and see if you have these same traits. We are often turned off by people that exhibit characteristics we don’t like in ourselves.

How self-aware are you? Do you know how others view you? Do you understand your flaws? What are your greatest strengths? In what type of environment do you thrive? What are your values? What are your goals? How did you contribute to the failure of your past relationships?

If you can’t answer these questions quickly and easily, developing greater self-awareness will benefit you. Until you understand yourself well, your life will appear to be determined by forces beyond your control.

Become more self-aware and regain mastery over your life!

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Be a Leader, Not a Boss

Be a Leader, Not a Boss

Do you consider yourself a leader or a boss? This question doesn’t just apply to the workplace, it can also refer to your home and personal relationships.

Do you lead people or just tell them what you want done without any consideration or explanation? Do you encourage and develop your team, or do you use criticism and protect your own interests?

The world is full of bosses. There are far too few leaders.

Since leaders are rather scarce, you can really make a name for yourself by becoming a good leader. You’ll enjoy more career opportunities and have far fewer challenges with your employees.

Being a leader is helpful at home, too. Your kids and spouse would rather deal with a leader than a boss.

Take advantage of these ideas and become a more effective leader:

Lead by example. A boss likes to sit on the sidelines and allow others to do the hard work. A leader is out in front of his people showing the way. A leader is involved. A boss just makes a request and walks away.
Leaders are driven by purpose. There is an overall goal or mission. The people following the leader must be inspired and empowered. The people must understand the mission. This is very different than providing a to-do list without any context.
Leaders delegate. Bosses micromanage. A leader trusts his people, but a boss struggles to relinquish any control. A leader has surrounded himself with people that complement his weaknesses. A boss hires people that don’t make him feel threatened.

A boss always has a weaker team. The team can’t accomplish as much because they’re not empowered. The team is also weaker because the boss doesn’t want strong employees that might shine brighter than he does.
Leaders value respect. A boss wants to be feared. On the surface, they might appear to be similar, but the differences are striking. A leader is willing to use his enthusiasm, skill, and expertise to encourage others to respect and follow him. A boss uses fear and threats to gain compliance.

Leaders have the best wishes of their followers. Those that follow a boss secretly want him to fail.
A leader develops new leaders. A true leader is constantly creating employees with the knowledge and experience to take his place. A boss is afraid of the competition. A boss is afraid he’ll be replaced and is too self-centered to be concerned about the career aspirations of his employees.
Leaders know how to motivate. They know that no two employees are the same. They know their employees well enough to know how to inspire them. A boss simply says, “It is what it is. This is what needs to be done. You can always look for another job if you don’t like it.”Leaders use positive techniques for motivation, while bosses tend to criticize.
Leaders take responsibility. When the team fails, the leader is still out in front taking the brunt of the criticism. A boss is trying to absolve himself of as much responsibility as possible. A boss is quick to blame his employees. A leader is quick to blame himself.

Think back over your work history. You’ve had plenty of bosses and hopefully at least a couple of leaders. It’s not enjoyable to work for someone that fits into the boss category. You feel like you’re operating in the dark with little support and few development opportunities.

It’s much more enjoyable to work for a leader. Develop your leadership skills. You’ll be helping yourself, your employees, and your family.

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Are You Wasting Your Life?

Are You Wasting Your Life?

What image do you have in your mind when you think of someone wasting their life? You probably think of someone very underemployed, living in their parent’s basement, and playing video games. However, even very successful people can be guilty of wasting their lives.

If you spend the majority of your day doing something you’d rather not do, you’re wasting your life. Ideally, your life should be interesting and meaningful to you. It should even be fun and exciting a good part of the time.

Avoid wasting your life by understanding the most common symptoms:

1. You procrastinate too much. If you just can’t seem to stop yourself from surfing the internet, playing video games, texting your friends, or watching TV, your life might be on the wrong track. If you’re regularly avoiding those things you should be doing, you might be wasting your life. When you’re miserable, you’re going to do everything you can to amuse yourself in an attempt to make yourself feel better. People that are unenthused with life, in general, are master procrastinators. Anything to avoid the pain of boredom or despair sounds good to people in this situation.

2. You spend money foolishly. Excessive spending can be another sign that you’re wasting your life. Spending too much is another distraction technique. Unfortunately, purchases never do much to enhance your mood after a very short-term boost. You’re left needing to spend more money to feel good again.

3. You dread getting out of bed during the week. This isn’t to say you should be jumping for joy when the alarm goes off. However, if you can’t stand the thought of spending another day following your current path, it might be time for a change.

4. Your negative self-talk is unrelenting. When you’re wasting your life, your self-talk can be brutal and never seems to let up. You might consider a significant life change if you can’t speak nicely to yourself.

5. You lack long-term goals that excite you. A person without long-term goals is simply blowing in the wind. You can’t make significant progress in anything without clear intention. A good goal should be exciting to accomplish.

6. You’re depressed. There are a variety of reasons for depression, but one cause is living the wrong life for you. See your doctor but consider the possibility that you might just be unhappy with the direction of your life. If you dislike your life and don’t like your options, it’s natural to feel depressed.

7. You avoid others. When you’re not pleased with your life path, you might feel a little embarrassed by what’s going on. We all want to be that person with a career we love and a passionate attitude about life. Successful people can be an additional reminder that you’re struggling.

You stay in your comfort zone 24/7. It’s hard to cope when you feel like you’re wasting your life. Any additional stress can feel overwhelming. A common coping strategy is to stay where you know it’s safe. Watching reruns of your favorite shows, playing video games, avoiding new foods, and hiding at home are common signs that your life path might need an upgrade.

It’s not easy to admit to yourself that you might be wasting your life, but what’s the point in wasting another day? Make today the day you begin moving toward a life that is interesting and meaningful to you.

There is no one coming to save you, so the responsibility rests upon your shoulders. Take a small step today toward a life that fulfills you.

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Ace Your Next Speech With These 6 Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Ace Your Next Speech With These 6 Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Regardless of your experience or level of self-esteem, it’s only natural to feel at least a little nervous when you stand in front of an audience and deliver a public speech. Left unchecked, the butterflies in your stomach can derail your entire presentation.

Thankfully, there are ways to master your nervousness so you can confidently deliver your speech and make a great impression.

Try these methods to banish stage fright and give an excellent performance:

1. Be prepared. The old saying, “practice makes perfect,” is especially true when it comes to public speaking. Take the time to rehearse your speech several times before the big event.

· In addition to practicing your speech out loud to yourself, ask co-workers, friends, and loved ones if you can practice delivering your speech while standing in front of them. Practicing before a live audience makes the actual speech less stressful.

· Consider recording your practice sessions. You’ll gain insight on areas of your speech and delivery that you can make more effective.

2. Focus on your posture, both on and off the stage. Maintaining good posture when you walk, stand, and sit helps to increase your oxygen levels and blood flow.

· Having the proper posture can boost your mood and makes it easier to project your voice across the room during your speech.

3. Reduce anxiety before your speech with regular exercise. Moderately strenuous exercise that elevates your heart rate can help you to relax and unwind in the days leading up to your speech.

· Many times, a case of nerves or stage fright is simply pent up energy, which can easily be released through regular exercise such as brisk walking or even dancing!

4. Make a connection with your audience. You can calm your nerves and make your audience more receptive to the content in your speech by building rapport.

· Walk into the room with your head held high and make eye contact with members of your audience.

· Put yourself and others at ease by telling a lighthearted joke or funny anecdote before you dive into the heart of your speech.

· Vary the rhythm and pitch of your voice as you deliver your speech to hold your audience’s interest.

5. Before you deliver your speech, visualize its success. Our subconscious minds are powerful tools.

· Trick your brain into helping you achieve the result you desire. Whatever your mind focuses on, your subconscious mind will try to achieve. If you visualize your speech going off without a hitch, your subconscious mind will work to make it a success!

6. Be yourself and have fun. Most of us can spot a phony a mile away, and audiences are no exception!

· When you deliver a speech, seek a way to present some part of you that is authentic. Being open, honest, and professional will help your audience to connect with you and trust your message.

· If you feel anxiety start to build as you deliver your speech, take a moment to take a deep breath and slowly exhale before you resume speaking to regain your control.

· Accept that you are human. Worrying about making a mistake when you’re giving a speech will only increase the likelihood of it happening. If you do make a mistake, simply correct it and move on.

Public speaking can cause even the bravest hearts to quiver, but these tricks can help you banish your stage fright and deliver a winning performance.

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Networking at Social Events

Networking at Social Events

When you meet a potential contact at a business event, you know what to do. You deliver your elevator pitch and set up a time to talk more. However, when you run into someone interesting at a social gathering, things can become more complicated.

While funerals and 12-step meetings are awkward places to do business, there are plenty of occasions that fall somewhere in between. How can you take advantage of opportunities at parties or your child’s baseball game without coming across as being too pushy?

Use these tips to make connections that will help you to advance your career.

Help Others:

Share information. Maybe you’ll find a natural opening for discussing trends in your industry or demonstrating your expertise. Maybe you’ll accomplish more by explaining how to grow tomatoes in the shade or recommending a great movie you found on Netflix.
Offer referrals. Spread the word about businesses and services you like. Personal testimonials are more reliable than online reviews.
PItch in. Passing around food trays or joining the planning committee is a great way to make mingling easier at parties or parent meetings. Your contributions will be remembered.
Pay attention. Simple gestures count too. You can make a positive impression just by listening closely to what other guests have to say. Ask relevant questions and focus on their message instead of preparing your own response.
Show enthusiasm. Others will find you more attractive if you’re having fun. Check that your body language is warm and friendly. Use smiles and eye contact to let others know that you welcome conversation.

Following Up:

Ask your friends. If you and someone you just met have contacts in common, you may be able to rely on them to help you stay in touch. That could even include children and pets if they go to the same schools and dog parks.
Explore mutual interests. Your initial conversation may also reveal areas of common ground. Building relationships is often most successful when you have regular interactions like attending the same gym or volunteering at the same community center.
Go online. Researching someone online can be constructive as long as you respect their privacy. Learn more about them from public sources like their company website or news articles.
Exchange contact information. Before you hand out any business cards, assess the situation to see if you’re going too far too fast. If your new contact seems receptive, you might offer your phone number or email and suggest a casual coffee date.

Other Tips for Networking at Social Events:

Practice regularly. Networking skills can be developed. Chatting with other parents at the park is a low-risk way to train for more challenging professional communications.
Focus on quality. Networking is usually more rewarding when you concentrate on who you’re talking with now instead of trying to work the whole room. A small number of mutually supportive relationships is more valuable than having a lot of superficial contacts.
Circulate more. It will be easier to allow relationships to develop gradually and naturally if you feel like you have an abundance of opportunities. Experiment with accepting more invitations and hosting your own gatherings. See what a difference it can make in widening your circle.
Respect boundaries. Be sensitive to the purpose of any event and the comfort level of others. Honoring their needs will help you to make a positive impression.

Strengthen your network by learning how to use social events to build relationships. You’ll be helping yourself and others as long as you take a genuine and generous approach.

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7 Daily Habits of Outstanding Leaders

7 Daily Habits of Outstanding Leaders

Would you like to become an outstanding leader? Use this checklist as a reminder of the important leadership-building skills you can develop on your personal development journey.

For best results, focus on developing one habit at a time. Once that habit is ingrained, then start developing another one.

Your journey to great leadership has begun!

1. Make your bed

○ Establish a morning routine that gets you ready for your day

○ Establish a nightly routine to sleep soundly and prepare you for the next day

2. Act according to your values

○ Clarify your values

○ Make decisions based on your values

3. Be creative

○ Write – daily journal or Morning Pages

○ Make something new

○ Be flexible – let go of expectations and keep an open mind

4. Practice mindfulness

○ Practice mindfulness meditation – focus on your breath

○ Make time for mindfulness activities, like coloring or nature walks

○ Integrate mindfulness into your daily routines

5. Trust others

○ Delegate

○ Empower your team

○ Encourage innovation

○ Give direction

6. Be authentic

○ Live according to your values

○ Practice compassion – for yourself and others

○ Communicate clearly: listen, pay attention to your body language, understand what you need to communicate

7. Exercise

○ Mental health: do exercises that lift your mood

○ Physical health: do exercises that build your strength, fitness, and discipline

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Top 10 Self-Confidence Building Tips

Top 10 Self-Confidence Building Tips

A lack of confidence can affect every area of your life, from your job performance to your personal relationships. In reality, how you perceive yourself has a powerful impact on how others treat you.

Some factors in bolstering self-confidence may be beyond your control, but there are some very tangible things that you can do as well. Using these tips will help you reach your full potential as a successful and confident person.

1. Dress confidently. Dress like the person you want to be and you’ll feel yourself become that person. When you look good, you’ll feel good. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to go out and spend a fortune on clothes. It’s better to buy a few really nice pieces than a bunch of cheap ones.

2. Walk faster. People who walk confidently keep a brisk pace because they have things to do and places to be. Simply quickening your step will help you feel more confident.

3. Keep good posture. People can tell a lot about you by the way you carry yourself. If you have slumped shoulders and cannot look people in the eye, you’ll leave a negative impression on them. Keep your head up, make eye contact with others, and stand up straight and tall. You have nothing to hide.

4. Be grateful. Gratitude creates a state of peace in the body. A peaceful mind radiates confidence. Make a list of the things you appreciate about yourself and be grateful for your past successes. Tell those you love how much you appreciate them being in your life.

5. Compliment others. In addition to showing appreciation for what you have, it’s also important to show others your appreciation. If you think negatively about yourself, then you’ll have a tendency to criticize others. Break this habit by praising others on a daily basis. Seeing the best in others will bring out the best in you.

6. Give back. Contributing to the success of others will not only help you feel better about yourself, but karma will reward you in the end. What goes around comes around, right? Volunteer your time to help those in need or make a monetary contribution to your favorite local charity.

7. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Many people keep quiet for fear of saying something silly. Taking an active role in discussions will distinguish you as a leader amongst your peers. They will quickly recognize that you have confidence and plenty to offer.

8. Exercise regularly. If you work hard to create a better physical image, you’ll not only be healthier, but you’ll also have more energy. Both of these things will contribute to your self-confidence, as will the compliments you’ll receive.

9. Sit in the front row. Most of us have a tendency to try to blend into the back of the room somewhere. We don’t like being noticed. Confident people sit up front where they can take part in discussions without fear.

10. Take a chance and try something new. Learning a new hobby or activity will broaden your horizons and help you feel “alive.” Anytime you spend stretching your mind improves your overall self-confidence.

Life’s Lessons

The more self-confidence you build in yourself, the more likely you’ll be to succeed. No matter what task you choose to conquer, you’ll do so with enthusiasm. Any setbacks you encounter won’t bother you because you’ll have the confidence necessary to continue.

Those who are insecure often find life to be a struggle, but with self-confidence, you can find it to be a joy. Why suffer when you can soar!

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Empower Your Team and Become a Powerful Leader

Empower Your Team and Become a Powerful Leader

Whether as a parent, manager, employee, or instructor, most of us are going to experience leadership at some point in our lives.

However, leadership doesn’t come naturally to many of us. We don’t know how to get people to “do as they’re told,” we don’t feel worthy of being put in charge, and we’re not sure how to deal with a crisis when things go wrong. The thought of taking charge of a group of people is terrifying.

Luckily, there’s a powerful way of thinking that can help you to be more effective in getting the very best out of your team members. Let’s look closer…

How Not to Approach Leadership

The mistake many leaders make is to believe that they need to “command” or “shape” their team members. Whether consciously or otherwise, they think of their team as some kind of dough that needs to be molded, which can cause a lot of resistance.

This mindset tends to lead to other mistakes as well.

We might approach leadership by thinking of ways to motivate our team – either with a carrot or stick (reward or punishment).

This instantly creates tension. What is your natural reaction when told to do something? Very often, we feel a compelling urge to do the opposite thing!

But rewards can’t be all that bad, right?

Wrong!

Consider these disadvantages of when we work only for a reward:

It essentially removes the focus from the work itself. Work is now a means to an end – and the end is the reward, which means we’ll be focused on finishing that work as quickly as possible and not necessarily to the best of our abilities.
Research has shown that a reward can actually stifle creativity.
Constantly giving instructions (trying to mold your team members) also prevents your team from being able to work independently of you.

A Powerful Alternative

The alternative, then, is to make the work itself into the incentive. The aim is to ensure that everyone on your team is enjoying working toward the same goals and that they want the same outcome as you.

Now there is no need to motivate – they are self-motivated.

Now there is no need to constantly remind them what they should be doing.

You’ve empowered your team! This means that you aim to reduce your influence and your role (which also happens to be good for your heart rate).

There are a few ways you can go about doing this:

Give your team ownership. Give your team ownership over their own projects. Let them take control and provide creative input. Give them credit where it is due. Make them proud to be completing work that has their name on it.
Explain WHAT and WHY, not HOW. Instead of telling your team that they need to do X, instead, tell them that you need to accomplish Y. Then they can decide how best to meet that goal and they can adapt and be flexible as it suits them.

Allowing your team to work the way that suits them best is a great way to ensure that they stay happy and motivated. That might mean offering flexi-time, or it might mean letting them decide what order to tackle products in.

When you empower your team, your job then becomes to nurture the passions and skills of your team – not to try and control their every move. And when you realize that, you’ll realize that there is no reason to be stressed!

With an empowered team, you can also expect superior results. This means that you’ve now become the powerful leader that you never thought you could be! Congratulations on a job

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How to Become Instantly Likable – 8 Tips for Quickly Creating Rapport

How to Become Instantly Likable – 8 Tips for Quickly Creating Rapport

Rapport can be defined as a harmonious relationship. It’s that feeling people get when they like and respect someone they’re speaking with and the feeling is mutual. Establishing rapport is important in all of the relationships in our lives whether it’s family members, friends, coworkers, or a potential mate.

Try these techniques to create rapport and become instantly likable to just about anyone:

1. When it comes to small talk, choose your topics carefully. The last thing you want to do when you’re trying to create report is to get into a silly argument.

· Talk about topics that are safe, like a restaurant you enjoyed or a recent trip you took.

· Avoid topics such as politics and religion. These are topics that others can have very strong feelings about, and can lead to very heated discussions.

2. Talk about their favorite subject…them. If you’re having a difficult time coming up with a topic for conversation, simply ask them questions about them.

· For example, find out what they enjoy doing or if they’ve seen any good movies lately.

3. Show empathy and genuine interest. If you’re asking someone questions, try not to zone out or have a disinterested look on your face as they are answering. That would be a rapport killer.

· Instead, lean forward a little bit, nod your head occasionally to let them know you’re listening and interested.

4. Everybody loves a sense of humor. You don’t have to be “on” the whole time you’re talking with someone. However, if you can make an occasional joke or share a funny anecdote, this will help create rapport. Making someone laugh will make you more likable.

· To be safe, make a joke about yourself or the situation you’re in. Avoid making critical comments of others in an attempt at humor. This could backfire and have the opposite effect.

5. Listen to the way others share information. When someone is talking, do they say “I see your point,” “I hear what you’re saying,” or “I feel the same way?”

· By listening to the way people speak, you can tell if someone is visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. You can use similar language to establish rapport.

6. Avoid seeming too needy. Some individuals, when trying to make new friends, come on too strongly. If you try too hard and overdo it, you can actually push others away rather than establishing rapport.

7. Give genuine compliments. When it’s obvious that you’re trying to butter someone up or you’re going overboard showering them with praise, it can work against you.

· Although compliments are flattering, most of us only like to be praised if it’s genuine.

8. Mirror the person you’re talking to. Mimic the person you’re trying to establish rapport with. However, you want to do it in a way that isn’t too obvious. Don’t simply copy everything they do.

· For example, if someone crosses their legs, wait for a couple of seconds and then cross your legs in the opposite direction. If they rub their ear or scratch their nose, wait for a second or two and then do something similar.

· There was a study conducted by psychologists at Duke University showing how effective this technique can be. They had 37 students try a new sports drink. After trying the drink the students would be asked a series of questions about it. During the questioning, the researchers mirrored half of the participants.

· The researchers found that the participants who were mirrored said that they were much more likely to consume and purchase the new energy drink they were being interviewed about.

· Be subtle when practicing this technique and you’ll be surprised at how effective it can be. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Whether you’re trying to make a new friend, get a date, or secure a new job, establishing rapport quickly can be very beneficial.

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