I've been teaching people for years that one of the fastest ways to build your likeability is to match the facial expressions of the person in front of you. Some of those faces indicate that the person is moving from one mind set to another. But, there is a different kind of face that people make. It displays that person's level of emotional health.
Within the course of a one-minute chat, you should be able to determine someone's personality type configuration (in order), his weaknesses or insecurities, the extent to which he focuses on building rapport, communication style, level of negativity - and that's only part of it.
Let's turn the table on you. After a typical one-minute chat with a stranger, how much information do you know? Is it enough? Or, would you like to be more effective at reading people? I can promise you, if you get better at it, you will raise your level of success!
-- Michael Lovas
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Praise for Axis of Influence!
Most authors never get a review this good. For us, it's even better because the reviewer is also a well-known author!
Well-researched. Highly readable. Very practical - Much has been written about credibility--but not more comprehensibly than Lovas and Holloway in this book.
They have built upon the work of researchers such as Kouzes and Posner in their link between leadership and credibility and added one KEY factor to the equation: likeability. The authors' central message: Many credible people never find a ready audience for their work, and many likeable people never become credible. But marry the two characteristics--credibility and likeability--and you have a winning combination.
Further, the authors take the ingredients of likeability and credibility and make them tangible--and marketable. In short, their book tells sales professionals, managers, and consultants how their language, appearance, personality, hallway reactions, and marketing materials all reflect these two characteristics. -- Dianna Booher, Author of Voice of Authority
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Why is Credibility Important?
On Friday morning (Jan 16), Pam and I delivered a three-hour teleconference presentation to the Society of Financial Services Professionals. It wasn't supposed to be a tele-event, but frozen fog closed down the Spokane airport and I literally could not get to Tucson, where the conference was being held.
The point I kept driving home during the program was WHY. Why should you take your credibility seriously? And, the reasons is represented by two words: Bernie Madoff.
Madoff represents all the other financial people who have disgraced themselves and deeply hurt their clients. Consumers see this connection immediately: one bad apple embarrasses the entire industry. Dozens of bad apples destroys the industry's credibility. So, in the mind of the consumer world, financial advisors, portfolio managers, insurance agents, bankers - anyone connected to the money industry is a potential crook. Period.
That's a huge hurdle to overcome if you're in the industry. In order to step forward and work through that mess, you absolutely MUST remain vigilant of the consumer attitude and let that be your guide. You must take a proactive position and work to prove your value. But, again, it's a hurdle. The values you need to be conscious of are not your own. They are those of your clients and target markets.
Right now, the world does not care about you or your values. They don't believe what you say and are skeptical about your intentions. And they're justified in their skepticism because of the long list of negative headlines about the many different financial people who have bilked their clients out of their life savings. Bernie Madoff is just the most recent.
So, in your efforts to rebuild your reputation from the ashes, you need to learn what your prospect's values are. Then ask which of those values are also your values. It is the values you share that will be your most powerful connection with that person. That connection will buy you a moment in time, and in that moment you can begin to activate the process of developing credibility.
-- Michael Lovas
The point I kept driving home during the program was WHY. Why should you take your credibility seriously? And, the reasons is represented by two words: Bernie Madoff.
Madoff represents all the other financial people who have disgraced themselves and deeply hurt their clients. Consumers see this connection immediately: one bad apple embarrasses the entire industry. Dozens of bad apples destroys the industry's credibility. So, in the mind of the consumer world, financial advisors, portfolio managers, insurance agents, bankers - anyone connected to the money industry is a potential crook. Period.
That's a huge hurdle to overcome if you're in the industry. In order to step forward and work through that mess, you absolutely MUST remain vigilant of the consumer attitude and let that be your guide. You must take a proactive position and work to prove your value. But, again, it's a hurdle. The values you need to be conscious of are not your own. They are those of your clients and target markets.
Right now, the world does not care about you or your values. They don't believe what you say and are skeptical about your intentions. And they're justified in their skepticism because of the long list of negative headlines about the many different financial people who have bilked their clients out of their life savings. Bernie Madoff is just the most recent.
So, in your efforts to rebuild your reputation from the ashes, you need to learn what your prospect's values are. Then ask which of those values are also your values. It is the values you share that will be your most powerful connection with that person. That connection will buy you a moment in time, and in that moment you can begin to activate the process of developing credibility.
-- Michael Lovas
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Credibility! What it is and how to get it
Credibility is elusive. Few people understand it. Very few people can even describe it.
You may know that we've been working with Credibility since 1991. We know it inside and out. Here is our working definition:
Credibility is a combination of qualities:
Competence + Character + Consistency. Together, they create a belief in the minds of your target market that you understand their situation, have their best interest at heart, and are an expert at solving their specific problems.
That's at the high level, the conceptual level. Notice how there is nothing there that you can implement or start using today? In practical terms, the first step to improve your Credibility is to improve your Likeability, and the first step in that is to learn how to read people. Where can you go to learn that? Easy, look at our book Face Values. It is the most effective resource for business professionals wanting to improve likeability. I say that because the first way you make yourself likeable to anyone is to match that person'f face!
If you find this tid bit of wisdom interesting, you'll find our book astounding! You can find it on the Shop page at: http://www.aboutpeople.com/
-- Michael Lovas
You may know that we've been working with Credibility since 1991. We know it inside and out. Here is our working definition:
Credibility is a combination of qualities:
Competence + Character + Consistency. Together, they create a belief in the minds of your target market that you understand their situation, have their best interest at heart, and are an expert at solving their specific problems.
That's at the high level, the conceptual level. Notice how there is nothing there that you can implement or start using today? In practical terms, the first step to improve your Credibility is to improve your Likeability, and the first step in that is to learn how to read people. Where can you go to learn that? Easy, look at our book Face Values. It is the most effective resource for business professionals wanting to improve likeability. I say that because the first way you make yourself likeable to anyone is to match that person'f face!
If you find this tid bit of wisdom interesting, you'll find our book astounding! You can find it on the Shop page at: http://www.aboutpeople.com/
-- Michael Lovas
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Reading the psychology of people in the news
James E. Cayne, CEO of Bear Stearns - did you see him on TV as he announced that Bear Stearns had no liquidity problems?
Pam and I watched fascinated as he made up answers and improvised his way into history. What we were looking at was where his eyes went. Mainly, he looked straight ahead to answer questions. That's exactly what Idaho Senator Larry Craig did. Both were delivering memorized answers. Then, Cayne would look off to his right. He looked up-right and then level-right. What was he doing? He was creating his answers. They were off the script or away from the talking points.
In the study of Neuro-linguistic Programming, we learn that where a person looks tells you the type of information he or she is accessing. up-right is where people go to create a visual. level-right is where they go to create a sound.
The other thing Cayne did was the "stuck blink." That's when you seem unable to raise your eyelids, as though they're stuck. The person starts giving an answer and then blinks. If the blink gets stuck, you can tell that the person is unsure about what he's saying. The "stuck blink" is like President Bush's stammering. He's just not sure of the answer, or he's not sure how the reporters will accept it. Either way, he's not sure.
Pam and I have been studying facial cues for a long time. Normally, we just pay attention to the facial lines and movement that show us what that person's personality type and values are. But, lately, we're just having too much fun watching the CEOs stammer during CNBC interviews.
Want to learn how to do this? Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
Pam and I watched fascinated as he made up answers and improvised his way into history. What we were looking at was where his eyes went. Mainly, he looked straight ahead to answer questions. That's exactly what Idaho Senator Larry Craig did. Both were delivering memorized answers. Then, Cayne would look off to his right. He looked up-right and then level-right. What was he doing? He was creating his answers. They were off the script or away from the talking points.
In the study of Neuro-linguistic Programming, we learn that where a person looks tells you the type of information he or she is accessing. up-right is where people go to create a visual. level-right is where they go to create a sound.
The other thing Cayne did was the "stuck blink." That's when you seem unable to raise your eyelids, as though they're stuck. The person starts giving an answer and then blinks. If the blink gets stuck, you can tell that the person is unsure about what he's saying. The "stuck blink" is like President Bush's stammering. He's just not sure of the answer, or he's not sure how the reporters will accept it. Either way, he's not sure.
Pam and I have been studying facial cues for a long time. Normally, we just pay attention to the facial lines and movement that show us what that person's personality type and values are. But, lately, we're just having too much fun watching the CEOs stammer during CNBC interviews.
Want to learn how to do this? Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Credibility Process - why bother?
The Credibility Process - why bother?
Pam and I have the unfortunate experience of getting called by people who do not care about building client relationships. Why they would call us is a puzzle, considering that everything we teach leads to enhancing or improving credibility, which directly affects client relationships.
After discussing it at length, we recognized that you could actually develop credibility without ever being liked by the other person – or developing relationships with them. Politicians and law enforcement officers have that kind of association with people – their constituents. Attorneys and CPAs often do, too. Some professionals can get away with it. Those people are acknowledged experts. You call them in to perform a highly specialized job because they are experts in that niche. You want them to perform brilliantly and then go away. Typically, you don’t want a relationship with them.
However, if having a relationship with someone is important to you, you will have to prove yourself at each stop along the way, proving yourself as both likeable and credible simultaneously. Who would this relate to? Coaches, consultants, leaders, motivators and sales people who also serve as consultants, such as financial advisors.
Credibility is the set of steps that you take to solidify your relationship, systematically proving your value and reinforcing it. If you do not know the specific steps, you’re kind of at a loss. Doing business without knowing the Credibility Process is like being a fan of the Texas Two-step and then entering yourself in a samba dancing contest. You’re in over your head and you’re likely to be doomed to repeat your mistakes over and over and over. As you should be, because you can’t fix anything when you don’t know what’s broken.
Want to learn how to build your Credibility? Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
-- Michael Lovas
Pam and I have the unfortunate experience of getting called by people who do not care about building client relationships. Why they would call us is a puzzle, considering that everything we teach leads to enhancing or improving credibility, which directly affects client relationships.
After discussing it at length, we recognized that you could actually develop credibility without ever being liked by the other person – or developing relationships with them. Politicians and law enforcement officers have that kind of association with people – their constituents. Attorneys and CPAs often do, too. Some professionals can get away with it. Those people are acknowledged experts. You call them in to perform a highly specialized job because they are experts in that niche. You want them to perform brilliantly and then go away. Typically, you don’t want a relationship with them.
However, if having a relationship with someone is important to you, you will have to prove yourself at each stop along the way, proving yourself as both likeable and credible simultaneously. Who would this relate to? Coaches, consultants, leaders, motivators and sales people who also serve as consultants, such as financial advisors.
Credibility is the set of steps that you take to solidify your relationship, systematically proving your value and reinforcing it. If you do not know the specific steps, you’re kind of at a loss. Doing business without knowing the Credibility Process is like being a fan of the Texas Two-step and then entering yourself in a samba dancing contest. You’re in over your head and you’re likely to be doomed to repeat your mistakes over and over and over. As you should be, because you can’t fix anything when you don’t know what’s broken.
Want to learn how to build your Credibility? Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
-- Michael Lovas
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Most people see a credibility gap as the difference between the credibility you possess right now and the credibility you need right now. That perspective is impractical. It’s like working to decide what you should have done months or years before. Perhaps a better approach is to look at your own credibility gap as it affected by time. In other words, when do you need your credibility, in relation to when you start working on it. If you need credibility today, do you have it? If not, how long ago should you have started working on it?
As a practical example, let’s take the current economic situation: a downward slide. When your clients freak out over it, who are they going to call? Who are they going to blame? Who are they going to replace? You?
Let's look at this question a different way. Which of the following do you think will help you most to weather that scrutiny? Your product selection? Your firm’s advertising campaign? Marketing materials? The back office support? Your technical skills?
Unfortunately, none of the things you use to build the operations side of your business will work to improve your credibility. While those things may be important to you, they are likely to be of zero importance to your clients and prospects.
The Payoff - once you have attained credibility with someone, you open the possibility of being embraced by that person, thus launching a client relationship, one that will bring you referrals.
However - in order to do that, you have to learn the steps of the process, then strategically put each one into play. With each step, you increase your credibility a little more. The more you know about the process, the better prepared you will be to create opportunities and improve your credibility.
We’ve identified the four major steps in the process, and the variations of each step. In this space, I will illuminate and explore what the different steps are and how you can put them to work for you.
You can't improve your Credibility if you don't know how. So, want to improve your Credibility? Let us help! Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
-- Michael Lovas
As a practical example, let’s take the current economic situation: a downward slide. When your clients freak out over it, who are they going to call? Who are they going to blame? Who are they going to replace? You?
Let's look at this question a different way. Which of the following do you think will help you most to weather that scrutiny? Your product selection? Your firm’s advertising campaign? Marketing materials? The back office support? Your technical skills?
Unfortunately, none of the things you use to build the operations side of your business will work to improve your credibility. While those things may be important to you, they are likely to be of zero importance to your clients and prospects.
- Bottom line: our credibility is entirely in the hands of other people who don’t know or care about the technicalities or details of your business.
Your clients can take comfort that you are there – but only IF you have already built your credibility with them. If you have not already taken the specific steps to build your credibility in their eyes, you’re already losing the race. - Building your credibility takes time. You can’t do it overnight.
- Credibility is not the result of an event. It is the result of a scientific process.
- You can’t do it by getting a designation or by delivering a seminar.
- There is no silver bullet.
The Payoff - once you have attained credibility with someone, you open the possibility of being embraced by that person, thus launching a client relationship, one that will bring you referrals.
However - in order to do that, you have to learn the steps of the process, then strategically put each one into play. With each step, you increase your credibility a little more. The more you know about the process, the better prepared you will be to create opportunities and improve your credibility.
We’ve identified the four major steps in the process, and the variations of each step. In this space, I will illuminate and explore what the different steps are and how you can put them to work for you.
You can't improve your Credibility if you don't know how. So, want to improve your Credibility? Let us help! Just contact us via our website: www.aboutpeople.com
-- Michael Lovas
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