The success of every growing business depends on the ability of the organization to duplicate certain performance characteristics between individuals, within a team and between teams. In larger organizations, this is traditionally done through written methods and procedures (M&P) and day to day interpretation provided by someone in management. As organizations decrease in size they devote less time to written procedures and rely more on direct verbal or short text based communication styles – they actually become more flexible and responsive. If you’re operating a home based business, it is at the logical extension of this trend and may be almost entirely about direct communications with backup in the form of advertising collateral. That’s why organizational flexibility can be become anarchy and your business collapses because you are not able to communicate effectively to your customer and business associates.

So what makes large organizations inflexible and slow to change can also make them strong because their duplication procedures insure consistency. What makes a home business successful is the ability to rapidly adapt to a changing environment and the ability to then duplicate that adaptability in others through effective communication skills.

How do you translate what’s in your head to others? For most of us the chief vehicle is language – spoken, unspoken (body) and written. If you are growing a business, especially a work from home business, odds are that you’re probably doing a lot of text and telephony based communications. Here’s the interesting thing – 80% of our communications are non-verbal. Meaning that when we speak or listen to someone 80% of the information we receive is delivered via facial, body or tonal expression – NOT the words themselves.

As an independent Business Operator (IBO) this is critical to understand because you could be killing your business and not even know it. We do a lot of phone business and our language is inherently embedded w/negative messages.  But because the person can’t “read” us using normal cues – your choice of words and how they are delivered tells the listener about you.  So be positive and solutions oriented.

If the way you are currently doing business has you spending tremendous personal energies (time, money, etc.) for slow or no growth results then you need to undergo a business reality shift. Your results are telling you that there is breakdown in communications. The definition is clear – the effectiveness of your communications is the result you get back.  You need to make the shift where you are leveraging smaller amounts of personal energies to generating faster, sustainable and profitable business results.   How?

Be a business model
No matter what the business – people are sheep – they will follow your example. To develop forward momentum, you must be consistent and lead from the front. Even if you have just started, project and believe in your success. Some people sarcastically call this – the fake it till you make it approach. If you don’t feel good about that – why are you in the business to begin with? Key mental conditioning pointers in being a business role model:

• NO stories – negative stories tell the listener that it’s OK to make excuses or that you understand excuses for poor performance.  Model what you want to hear by only speaking positively for the listener.
• There is ALWAYS a choice – this is important!  No matter what the life situation there is a always a choice. To say otherwise is to give your personal power away to someone else.  People make choices and choices have consequences – if you don’t like the consequences – change the choice. It’s about personal courage.
• There is ALWAYS a solution.  No matter what question the customer or team member asks or results they have there always a solution.  People sometimes believe that all solutions are positive and they are going to like them – not true.  Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and make the best of whatever the situation is change the dynamic. Your business needs you to reassure it that everything can be resolved – time frames may be changed, behaviors modified, goals realigned, etc. BUT there is always a solution.
• Let the listener know YOUR choices.  Don’t be friends in a business relationship – keep the lines of association clear and uncluttered. Also let your team know what you did and also let them know that these were your decisions not theirs.  People will also ask you, what you did and you know that your life, drives, finances are not theirs; so your choices can never compare but people get in their heads that everything is apples for apples.
• Let them MAKE theirs and ACCEPT responsibility. Be clear that whatever path a person chooses is the right for them.  Be clear in your language that commitment must be in alignment with expectations.

Speak Clearly and with Precision
Spend some time listening to other people, notice how we avoid declaratives.  It’s “I think”; “maybe”; “it could be”; “I have a headache”; “almost”; and many others.  These speech patterns give your customers and business partners mixed messages.  You think you’re clear because this is how you normally speak to friends BUT to business partners you sound uncertain and leave them with a feeling of unease.  Simplify all your speech – make it clear, positive, action oriented and directive. ”Yes”; “Do this”; “correct”; “congratulations”; and AVOID “try”; “hope”; “maybe”; “sure”.  Lastly make sure you let them ask questions and make sure you have agreement and next steps laid out.  I used to work with this guy who nodded his head and said yes to everything.  I thought he was agreeing and it turned he didn’t agree at all he was just saying yes in acknowledgement.  This led to big meltdown issues.

Choose the right words for the occasion.  Successful people make probing questions about themselves and others.  Unsuccessful people make statements that erode themselves personally.

Know your Numbers
Compensation drives behavior. Know how your business rewards and then relate that to an individual’s efforts and their income/life goals.  In a home based business, you want to eliminate all superfluous activities, literally anything that does not have direct bearing on making money – shelve it.  You can do the extraneous things when you’re a millionaire.

Know What It Takes To Change
In a work from home business you are going to hear from people – I tried this or that and it didn’t work and I tried EVERYTHING.  Well if they tried everything and did it consistently, etc. it would have worked – doesn’t matter – it always works – it doesn’t matter.  The variable is not the system – it’s always the person.  Knowing that, language the importance of learn from where you’ve been but not dwelling on the past.  Personal change will be their key to success, not an impersonal system or process.  Why do this? First, because it’s true and second because success is their hands and they should feel empowered.  But also that change will necessitate that get out of the comfort zone because clearly staying in their comfort zone has brought to the place where they are.  Always be positive but lay it out clearly, because people actually know this but they need to hear you say it – never assume just because someone has started something they will follow through.  You have to be a better sponsor for their dreams than they are.

Speaking and presentation style
Everyone is different – accents, word choice, etc.  There is no one right approach – which is good because you want to be yourself.  And if you’re saying; “I’m not a presenter” – you couldn’t be more wrong.  Every time you talk with someone your presenting, especially if your parent.  In this case we’re just trying to make the process consistent – so it will get easier each time.

When talking with one or a group remember; you are playing a role when you are presenting and you don’t need to be perfect, just feel comfortable because it not about you, it’s about your listener. Nervous is natural – letting it overwhelm you is not. As a general rule, always speak louder when you’re on the phone and stand up, walk around, whatever will give up good posture so you feel more relaxed.

If you are in a successful business group – you will have a coach to work with.  Make sure that you work with them, not everyone is Tony Robbins but remember everyone is great just the way they are.  The ONLY way to grow is to commit yourself to personal growth.