STRATEGIZE THE HELL OUT OF RELATIONSHIPS

As a relationship expert who studied interactions between more than 3000 people, Michael Roderick of Small Pond Enterprises, LLC shared strategies on building and maximizing relationships.  Naturally gifted in this area, he studied what he was doing and why it worked, and then broke it down for the rest of us.

How to Have a Successful Conversation with Anyone

Roderick suggests the following conversation strategy breakdown to maximize engagement:

20% Professional: What is your business?

15% Personal: What are your interests?

30% Inspirational: Why are you doing what you are doing?

15% Problematic: What are some hurdles you are overcoming?

20% Aspirational: What are your goals?

“Many people want to just talk business or only complain about problems, but it’s essential to have well rounded conversations to keep things interesting.”

Ask for What You Need

D.I.M.E is the acronym Roderick created to identify the four types of “asks:”   

Direct Ask: Bluntly ask for what you want, but be careful, as this can often evoke fight or flight mode.

Indirect Ask: Create a value proposition and ask who would be a good fit, a typically much more effective strategy than a direct ask.

Mutually Beneficial Ask: The most powerful type of ask, but also the most work, where both parties benefit.

Extraordinary Ask: Any time that you think “I couldn’t ask for that” falls into this category. Everyone else is not asking for this, as they’re also thinking, “I couldn’t ask for that,” so they’re doing you a favor by carving the path for those who have the guts to do it.

No matter how you ask, Roderick reminds us to treat people like humans, and “show that you’re more interested in who they are and what they do.  Don’t make people feel like an ATM [dispensing money or knowledge].”