If you are a small business owner and you want to have a profitable, sustainable, growing business, then influential communication is a critical skill to nurture and develop. There are many ways to generate influence, and personal charisma is one of the most powerful.
We all know people in business who display tremendous personal charisma. They generate an energy that those around them find highly attractive, even intensely magnetic. This personal force allows them to lead people more easily, persuade potential customers to commit to a purchase and it enables them to generate greater financial success.
A consultant, coach or service provider couldn’t survive without a little of the X-factor. These service providers often rely on word of mouth recommendations and referrals to attract new business and it’s vital that they are likeable. A strong charisma can compel others to listen and engage, and indeed can become a competitive advantage.
Even someone who sells a product online that is considered a commodity and they are competing on price, and they never meet a customer, knows that at the very least they need to be able to influence people in managing the backend of their business. They rely on influencing decision makers in their supply chain to provide access to products, prices and opportunities that aren’t necessarily available to their competitors. They also need to attract and retain good staff. Charisma goes a long way to encouraging people to take action in your favour.
Many people assume that charisma is something you’re either born with it or you’re not. However, almost any business owner or entrepreneur can cultivate greater charisma, and doing so could have a hugely positive effect on your business success.
There are three ways you can develop personal charisma and increase your professional influence.
1. Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is contagious and generates an energising effect for anyone close by. When someone speaks with passion about an idea, or a business or product, then those around them are drawn toward that way of thinking. The truth is that many people are not really inspired by what they do, even by their own ideas for their business. So when they speak, it often has no power to persuade. The same idea expressed with verve and gusto however, immediately becomes more interesting and is likely to be taken more seriously.
2. Expertise
There are very few of us who can demonstrate a depth of knowledge in one field of expertise that would have us truly stand out against all comers. For most of us, our continuing professional education after high school or uni is often ad hoc and without a real strategy or long term vision. However occasionally we come across an entrepreneur or business owner who has been quietly and intensively gathering knowledge in a narrow field of expertise, and who, when they speak, is truly mesmerising to listen to. This is a highly attractive and influential attribute. It is also something that is within reach for all of us should we commit to it.
3. Confidence
The type of confidence that lends itself to charisma is not about showmanship, but a solid sense of self, and certainty in your commitment to your purpose in life and business. This confidence can be developed from a deep and current knowledge of your subject matter, as well as an authentic understanding and acceptance of your own strengths and weaknesses. It often comes from years of trial and error in your chosen field and the education that comes with ‘having a go.’
Confidence is an attitude that with practice can become second nature.
Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs and Bill Clinton are high profile examples of highly charismatic people with tons of influence and success over their lifetime. There are many more people who are equally revered in their niche circles of expertise that we may never hear about because we have no interest in those fields. It is entirely possible that any one of us could develop our own version of this success with focus and practicing these three key factors.
