On the Line: Nine ideas for being more effective

What do we high-tech industry professionals want and need to advance our careers? In recent years, almost every survey I've seen on this comes up with the same results: better collaboration, access to the right people, and effective networking opportunities. It may seem ironic, but the biggest challenge for us as communications professionals is to know how to communicate.I boiled down my ideas on this to nine points - and they apply to everyone: not just advisors and suppliers but buyers and end users as well.The nine ideas fall into three categories: Developing businessDealing with buyersBuyer-supplier relationsOn Developing Business1. Persuasiveness. Do people listen when you're selling your ideas? Do they find you convincing?Self-promotion is important but if you keep it going too long, you lose credibility. You get past the peak on the X/Y self-promote/credibility graph. Most people have good radar systems.The legendary US broadcaster Edward R. Murrow said, "To be persuasive, we need to be believable; to be believable, we need to be credible; to be credible, we need to be truthful."That means you must be strong on the key facts that make your case.2. Credentials. Have a brief portfolio of five recent success stories. Like an artist, bundle your best. I'm tired of "visit our website," "read our brochure," "here's the PDFs." We're bombarded with pitches daily, so make it easy for people.Keep it simple: outline the bad situation, your amazing intervention, the end result, and how someone is now better off because of you.3. Qualifications. Write your qualifications document so that within 15 seconds (30 words!), the reader knows what you do and how you can help.Focus on the people you are helping, not on yourself.Stress your unique skills and talent. Is it helping people to make or save money? Is it fixing broken things? Is it selecting technologies? Negotiating better deals?Go outside and talk to people. Get out of your backyard.On Dealing With Buyers 4. The Food Chain. To be persuasive, you must move up the food chain, shifting your focus from data to information, and from info to knowledge. This is only logical, but today we get too much data, and most information is now free and readily available.Provide wisdom and knowledge, not data and information.5. The Audience. Unless you're with others of the same feather, don't use acronyms to sound intelligent. They just confuse most executives.Watch the audience carefully. You'll get signals when they're bored or confused.And don't repeat what they already know.6. The Content. People expect clarity. It's not the MBA, the P. Eng., or lessons learned in the school of life. It's a sharp focus on the essential.I find it helpful to prepare by starting at the end - the real target - and then working backwards on the beginning and the middle. From Planes Trains & Automobiles, "Have a point. It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!"On Effective Buyer-Supplier Relations7. Be Nice. You get what you give. It's no secret that people are more likely to do things for you if you're nice. Long ago, in Bonanza, Hoss Cartwright put it this way: "Everyone's your friend until they show you otherwise.""No time," "too busy," "on the road" are just excuses for lack of professional courtesy. And there's no courage in being a bully.Be Fair. If you have to issue a formal purchasing document, then write it as if you yourself had to respond to it. Most are too long, and many waste too much time. Ask yourself, "Are we being fair and reasonable?"8. Know the FQ/TQ. Understand that most issues boil down to FQ or TQ.FQ Functional Quality features, applications, etc. "How will this make my life better?"TQ Technical Quality reliability, scalability, etc. "How will this make my life safer?"Recognize that solving problems and making decisions involve: objective and subjective criteria; logic and creativity; human and technological factors.9. Simplicity. Years ago, I tried to cover every angle, every perspective, every pro and con. I may have "fire-hosed" people. I tried to be so logical and so thorough that ... looking back ... instead of really helping them make a decision, I actually may have made it harder for them. I wasn't direct enough; not succinct. There is such a thing as too many alternatives.Now I bear the scars of experience. To borrow a phrase from former US president Harry Truman, I've become a "one-armed consultant" - I try hard not to say, "On the one hand ... but on the other hand.""On the Line" is written by Henry Dortmans, president of Angus Dortmans Associates. Henry welcomes comments and suggestions. Send an email to henry@angusdortmans.ca or call him at (416) 849-2896. For information on consulting services, seminars, and speeches, visit www.angusdortmans.ca.

On the Line: Nine ideas for being more effective

News | 04/01/2007 4:00 am EDT

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