Anyone following me on Twitter is probably used to my Saturday night tweets whilst the X Factor is on TV.
If you have been watching it recently or read the news you will have seen that the twins that call themselves ‘Jedward’ are still in the competition and there are some very talented acts that are getting a bit worried. The simple fact is that more people are voting for Jedward than some of the talent.
The lesson is quite simple: It is not enough to have talent. We also need to be likable. This is especially important in services where you are not only the person who is selling the services but also delivering the services. I would go as far as to say that working on soft skills should take priority over selling skills if developing relationships is an issue.
Of course we do not need to be liked by everyone. It is clear that Jedward are not! We just need to remember that people buy people first. The terrible twins may not be that talented but their popularity seems to be growing!
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on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 am
Yup, getting liked by 51% of the people or better is what’s required!
on Nov 9th, 2009 at 9:20 am
I have heard this message several times over the last few months whilst setting up my business. As a service provider it is critical for me that I provide this to my Clients, whilst most of our contact is electronic or phone you can still get a feel for people.
We have all made decisions at some point based not on sound reasoning but on whether or not we like the person we will be dealing with.
It relates to all aspects of our lives, not just business, how often have we based decisions on our opinions.
Sometimes people need to think more before they say or write something, could it be misinterpreted, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can have a lasting effect, and once the damage is done it is very hard to recover from.
Always try and be yourself, don’t mimic someone else, for all you know the person you admire and mimic may be unpopular. Be honest with people, it builds trust, it builds confidence.
By being yourself and thinking ahead you have much more chance, acknowledge your faults and be prepared to learn from your mistakes.
on Jan 18th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
My father once said “Less talk, more action”. It captures, in 4 simple words, another reason why talent is not enough. Many of us experience a gap between what we think we should do and what we do do. Bridging that gap is very empowering. How to bridge that gap? Now there’s a question!
on Jan 18th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Thanks Brendan
In answer to bridging the gap – I recommend the audio training on procrastination by Nicole Bachmann. The transcript will be there in a couple of days.
Best wishes
Richard