Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    • Advertise with Us
    • Inside Conversations
  • Affiliate Offers
  • Events
    • Virtual Valentine’s Paint Party
    • MarketPlace
  • Resources
    • Market Research
    • Community Hubs & Co-working Spaces
    • Tech Resources
    • Human Resources
    • Financial Resources
    • Small Business Toolkit
  • Innovation
    • Clean Technology
    • Green Technology
    • Medical Technology
  • Blog

Feb 23 2014

What Your Communication Style Says About You

Martina-R.

Communication is key. Whether we communicate in writing – in letters or e-mails – or verbally, over the telephone or in person, what business owners and clients say and how we say it is important to understanding one another. Getting it completely wrong can have consequences ranging from simple misunderstandings to lost business.

While we all know how to talk, and business training teaches us what to say, what do we really learn about interpreting someone else’s communication style and what it says about their preferences in dealing with us?

In a recent Lunch & Learn, Jayne Huhtanen, a business coach with Focal Point Coaching of Toronto [http://ca.linkedin.com/in/jaynehuhtanen], addressed whether our communication style might be holding us back. Not speaking the same ‘language’ as our existing or potential customers, Jayne says, “can significantly limit your success”. To start with ourselves and recognise our own style, Jayne demonstrated the DISC profile created in the 1920s by psychologist William Marston.

The profile identifies four main communication styles: Dominant, Influential, Steady, and Conscientious. The first step is to recognise your style or that of the person you are communicating with. Then it helps to know what does and does not work when dealing with someone of that style.

  • Dominant individuals are: decisive, competitive, direct, often demanding and impatient. When dealing with a D-style it is best to be brief and to the point, focused, and logical. Keep the conversation results oriented and on topic. Do not dominate the dialogue, get emotional or touch the person.
  • Influential individuals are: sociable and talkative, impulsive, spontaneous, and emotional. When dealing with an I-style it is best to focus on the positive, show enthusiasm and smile a lot. Be warm and friendly, let him or her talk, and ask their opinion. Do not squash their enthusiasm, be negative, or focus on too much detail.
  • Steady individuals are: calm and laid-back, amiable, patient, modest, and often indecisive. When dealing with an S-style it is best to build trust, and slow down to draw out his or her opinions. Do provide reassurance and enough time to make a decision. Do not press for an immediate answer, make sudden changes, or fail to deliver on promises you make.
  • Conscientious individuals are: precise, logical, analytical, quiet, and disciplined. When dealing with a C-style it is best to present facts and data, use proven ideas, and stay on task. Do be patient, provide detailed information, and give enough time to think. Do not touch the person, be too chatty and talk about personal issues, or keep important information to yourself.

Recognising these different communication styles quickly is, of course, a challenge for anyone who is not a psychologist or otherwise trained. Nevertheless, when dealing regularly with your existing clients it will probably become quite evident which style pervades.

With some observation and a little practise you should be able to recognise which style your clients – and you! – fall under. It may help to understand that someone’s curt mannerisms are borne not out of malice but a habit they have less control over. Makes me think of the TV character Sheldon in ‘Big Bang Theory’!

 

Sources:

https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/william-marston/

 

Martina Rowley is the founder and operator of Beach Business Hub – THE co-working space east of the Don Valley. She combined her passion and experience in the environmental sector with her community engagement side to create a local work environment where space and resources are shared. She fosters and facilitates collaboration, networking, and learning for and with small business owners and new start-ups.  Contact her at:http://www.beachbusinesshub.ca, on Facebook and on Twitter

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Martina Rowley · Tagged: Beach Business Hub, Big Bang Theory, business, business development, business owners, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, coach, coaching, communication, communication style, communication styles, competitive, Conscientious, desicive, DISC, Dominant, Email, emotional, entrepreneur, Focal Point Coaching of Toronto, in-person, Influential, interpret, Jayne Huhtanen, Martina Rowley, networking, small business, small business development, small business owners, Steady, telephone, verbal, William Marston

Feb 10 2014

Enhancing Communication

anna

Throughout our business and personal lives we meet wonderful and unique characters and those memories remain with us.  We encounter individuals that have a personality that we may define as odd or quirky and yet we are drawn to them because of the individuality.  They add to our own enlightenment and growth in being able to communicate.

We also encounter some very quiet and simplistic characters and with these lovely individuals we admire the uniformity and calmness in their methods of communicating their thoughts and feelings. Once again they teach us new methods to communicate as well.

There are all types in between from quirky to simple and how lucky we are to be able to meet them all.  Each individual is an inspiration of communication.  Even those that do not communicate well are an inspiration on what we want to avoid and maybe what we can teach.  I get excited when I meet someone new.  I tune my ears and open myself up to the wonders of meeting a new friend or colleague along with honing my skills on how to be an effective communicator.

The most important part of communicating is LISTENING!

In this quick paced and ever-moving world we hurry through everything; including our conversations.  As a matter of fact, I can sense that the next words coming from someone are before I have even finished my thought.  Did they hear me and my ideas all the way through?  Have I answered their concerns and they weren’t even paying attention?

There are some tips when trying to effectively communicate:

  1.  LISTEN! You need to know the question before answering.  You can take a lot of information away from the conversation that will help you in future if you stop and really listen!!!
  2. Two way speaking is very important.  Focus on the person you are speaking with and train your mind to STOP trying to find the immediate answer. Take a breath before replying and if you don’t have the answer or want to take the time to think over your thoughts tell them so. The answer, “I believe I really would like to think this through”, is much more thoughtful than a half hearted, “Sure”.
  3. Know that there are different communication styles and you need to know how you communicate and what others need to hear and feel to understand you.  I am happy to help with different communications styles as I love to explore this avenue and enlighten others.

Speak with integrity. Your enthusiasm and honesty shows through to your words and sincerity is the key.  Be yourself and explore!

Anna Ottaviani is a Board Certified NLP Master Practitioner & Master Coach, Board Certified Master Hypnotherapist,Creating Your Future® , Time Line® Therapist Practitioner and Reiki Master. Her methods are unique and tailored to each individual client. She can be reached at www.sucessfullyyou.ca or by phone at 289-221-5772. You can follow her onFacebook 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Anna Ottaviani · Tagged: Anna Ottaviani, business, business development, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, coaching, communicate, communication, communication style, conversation, entrepreneur, integrity, listen, successfully you

Stay Social with Canadian Small Business Women:

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Login

© Copyright 2012 Canadian Small Business Women · All Rights Reserved

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.