Complexity Repels, Simplicity Attracts, Part II

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank)." - Luke 14:11 AMP

I mentioned in Part I that people do business with those they know, like and trust. I also said that when you invite people to join your business, they wonder if they can really do what you are showing them. You may remember how I spoke of my experience years ago when I was introduced to Toastmasters International, how I felt when I attended my first meeting as a guest wondering if I'd be able to do what I saw all these people doing, standing up at the podium and giving a calm, effective talk with relaxed poise. I'll never forget how the other members put my mind at ease. They showed me that if I kept things as simple as possible I could excel at public speaking while learning to lead and communicate with confidence.

You may also remember this video I shared from Part I:

"Do what I do...and say what I say...and make me proud," said Bill Murray as he encouraged his fellow soldiers during practice as they prepared for promotion exercises which signaled graduation from basic training. 

I see a common theme in the scene with Bill Murray, my years with Toastmasters, and with people who are invited to presentations for the purpose of getting involved with a business: each time someone is wondering to themselves:  Is this something I can really do?

This is the question that a prospect or invited guest really wants to answer. Even if they are interested, they will say NO if they believe there's no way they can learn to do what you are sharing with them. So the responsibility for answering the unspoken question that rolls around in their minds does not fall to them, but to YOU. But it isn't just what you tell them that answers their question, it's how you tell them that makes the difference. 

When introduced to something new, a person's natural tendency is to worry that they won't be able to do what they see; it's too hard to do, too hard to learn, impossible to master. Even if this isn't really true, it's their perception and that's all that matters in their minds. Overcome their objections and show them that what they see is not as impossible to achieve as they might believe it is. As I learned in Toastmasters, the best way to address this situation is to show your "newbie" how to take simple steps at the beginning that help them build momentum, along with their confidence. You don't give a thirsty child a drink of water from a fire hose at full blast, and you don't give your prospect or new member more than they can handle at the very beginning. Keep things simple:

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering and insincerity)..." - James 3:17 AMP 

Let your people know that you are there to help them, not the other way around. Don't over complicate things, and don't reinvent the wheel. You will drive people away if they feel overwhelmed or threatened. Simplicity is king, not complexity...and if you really want to reach people where they live, remember these words:

PRIDE: a feeling that you are more important or better than other people; inordinate self-esteem: CONCEIT (too much pride in your own worth or goodness)

HUMILITY: the quality or state that you are not better than other people: the quality or state of being humble (reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission)

Let them know you are there to help them, that your interest is in them, not in you. People are drawn to humility and sincerity long before they are impressed by knowledge. Knowledge puffs up with pride and inflates your ego if you're not careful. Build people up with a servant's heart, a spirit of humility. Serve them, give them confidence in themselves and their abilities, let them know their dreams are not only possible but reachable. And as you do so, you will be astounded by what you will be able to accomplish in their lives...and in yours.

That's all for now, gotta run.  Until we meet again, remember:

Keep it simple...See ya!

Complexity Repels, Simplicity Attracts

"Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you." - Proverbs 25: 6,7 AMP

It is said that people do business with those they know, like and trust. It is also said that the best way to connect with people is to find a way to establish common ground with them. And the best way to do that, I believe, is to reassure them that you know what it's like to walk in their shoes, because you've been where they are and know how they feel, you know how to get from where they are now to where they'd rather be, and you're willing to help them get there.

I learned this lesson firsthand during my years in Toastmasters International, an organization dedicated to communication and leadership training. My first visit to a local club meeting answered some important questions that rattled my brain:

Can these people help me to become a good communicator and better leader? 
Can they show me how to have more self-confidence?
Do they really know how I feel right now?
Can they help me overcome my fears and doubts?

They put my mind at ease very quickly, because several of the members shared how they felt when they started out (some called it "overcoming the knocking knees") and I learned that no matter how successful they became from the training they received, they never forgot how it felt to be a scared little newbie. They took great care to encourage, reassure and congratulate guests and new members alike whenever a milestone was reached, no matter how small the achievement may have seemed. 

In business as in Toastmasters, this principle is no different. All the guests and newbies look around with wide eyes, awed, scared of what's going on, and when they see and hear all there is to see and hear, somewhere in the back of their minds they are thinking:

Can I really do this?
Do I really have to say all that I'm hearing them say? I don't know if I can do all that...

It is the leader's job to answer these questions while putting their minds at ease. A leader can successfully answer these questions if he knows the difference between two key words...

Words which I will reveal in the next installment of this article. Give heed to what you've read so far, and look for Part II soon. But if you just can't wait for what comes next, here's a hint:

That's all for now, gotta run.  Until we meet again, remember...

Keep it simple...   See ya!