Jean-Pierre Lauzier, Consultant and Sales Consultant, regularly gives his personal and commercial development advice on Isarta Infos. Today, he addresses essential elements of communication to increase his influence… despite the strengths and weaknesses of his personality.
When you talk to someone, whether it is your client, your employee, your boss, your child, your neighbour, etc., do your remarks generate, at your interlocutor, a high level of enthusiasm to take action based on your ideas?
If you say “often”, well done, you are a great communicator. But if your answer is “rarely”, well, do not despair, because you can develop your talents as a communicator, if you really want it!
Influence, an essential element for success
People who are very successful and who get what they want have developed an ability to influence others. As we live in interaction with each other, it is almost impossible to succeed without the support of people. As a result, being able to influence others to follow your ideas has become an essential part of success.
There are certain people with whom you have a chemistry that settles quickly and naturally, and that, without you making any effort whatsoever. However, in order to communicate effectively with people, there must be a chemistry that is felt between you and your interlocutor and the reason why such complicity is established is that you share similar personality traits.
You have the same strengths and weaknesses, which allows you to perceive things and events through a similar filter. But this filter is in your genes, it is your DNA, and you cannot change it. There is no good or bad personality, rather there are strengths and weaknesses in your character traits.
Turning weakness into strength
In order to positively influence as many people as possible, you need to establish that same chemistry with everyone, not only with those who have the same personality profile as you, but also with those who are different from you.
To do this, you need to focus on developing your weaknesses and seeing to changing them so that they become strengths. Now, let’s say you are very introverted, and you are communicating with a person who has that trait opposite to yours, in other words, who is a very outgoing person, so in those circumstances, you have to choose between the following two options:
1. Do nothing and feel frustrated every time you come into contact with this kind of person;
2. Make the decision to develop another facet of yourself by being able to be an extroverted person.
Your best option is of course option 2, but it is also the most difficult to achieve, as you will have to perform actions that will completely take you out of your comfort zone.
For example, as an introvert, you can enroll in public speaking classes, theatre classes, or participate in various social or business club activities, etc. The more you develop over time your extroverted side, the more quickly you will be able to feel chemistry with extroverted people.
The same applies if you are an extroverted person. If you want to communicate effectively with people who are introverted, you must learn to act in a way that is not yours, such as speaking less, taking the time to listen well to others, asking more questions, etc. These actions will require significant effort on your part, but this is the price to pay to become a better communicator.
“Slave to your personality”
Are you introverted or extroverted, prudent or reckless, methodical or artist, inclined to think before acting or to act impulsively…? To help you get to know yourself better, there are different tests that will help you identify your dominant traits and weaknesses.
Most people decide to stay in their comfort zone and not change anything in their behaviour. When this is the case, they should not be expected to achieve a higher quality of life, for they have chosen to be slaves to their personality.
By turning your weaknesses into strengths, it will not change your deep nature, but you will become a much more open person, you will better understand people’s reactions and you will enjoy a much more harmonious social life, both family and professional.
Good communication!
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