The punchline for a Farmers Insurance commercial is “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.” With 26 years in business, “I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.” What I know is that you can’t succeed without charisma, connection, and character.

We are connected through an endless variety of platforms. These platforms have taken us away from authentic person to person connections. How many times have you been out and seen people in a common area yet none is conversing with one another? Our heads are tilted in a down and our fingers are tapping away.

People need to be connected to one another. The most powerful connections are personal connections. Personal connections are essential for good relationships.

According to Maslow’s ’Hierarchy Theory, we need to be connected on five levels.

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https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html The common thread in Maslow’s Theory is connection.

There are many types of connections. Personal connections include: family, friends, exercise buddies, church members, club members, and the like. Professional connections include: coworkers, mentors, supervisors, etc. For now, I want to focus on the importance of professional connections.

Professional connections can make or break a career. Doesn’t it make sense to let your connections elevate you? Isn’t that why you chose your career or chose to venture out and become an entrepreneur in the first place?

The 3 Cs—charisma, connection, and character have built a legacy of success for me. I have learned to listen and ask questions for clear communication. Tone of voice and body language are clues too, of what a person is feeling.

When listening to what the other person is saying, I share some of my realities that mirror their reality. Once the connection is made, I explore the possibility of subsequent conversations to find out how I can serve them through my business.

Wisdom and discernment as a part of knowing what to say and what not to say, when to connect and when not to connect in any endeavor.

To sum it all up, it takes two basic skills, listening and being authentic to make a great connections with people you meet. That’s it!