Are You “Present”?

This question has an esoteric feel to it, but I assure you it’s totally real. Are you present? I don’t mean are you physically present; rather, are you truly engaged with the people around you? Your ability to be present has all the power to make a huge difference between success and failure. Your ability to be present is also totally in your control. It really does not matter what you do for a living. When you are doing whatever it is that you do, are you present and available to the people around you and your clients?

All too often, I see people who are going through the motions of their job, but there is something missing…and it’s obvious. It’s obvious to coworkers, and it’s most obvious to the people they are doing (or attempting) to do business with. When I speak, I feel engaged and connected, and that helps me deliver a good speech for my clients. Here are a few thoughts for you to make sure that you are present and engaged:

  1. Are you prepared? Are you prepared to take on the task at hand and have a meaningful and productive meeting with your client? If you are going into the meeting thinking that there are things you didn’t do or research you didn’t complete, being present will be hard.
  2. Is your mind racing? Are you headed into that sales call or client meeting already thinking about the next task or the meeting you have that day or in the future? If so, you are not present and need to take a deep breath and get focused and centered on this meeting.
  3. Are you answering questions before they are asked? This is a classic salesperson’s mistake, and we all do this one from time to time. Great sales professionals – and for that matter, all professionals – listen to the question and answer the question, not the next question that hasn’t yet been asked.
  4. Are you feeling patient? If you start the meeting or sales call with the intent of ending it so you can get to the next thing, your client or prospect will sense it and tune you out – they’ll be the ones who aren’t present. Remember, being present is a two-way street for ultimate sales success.
  5. Are you passionate? Clients, hiring managers, and prospects all can tell when someone is upbeat and positive about the meeting and task at hand. That passion means you are in synch with the client and able to connect. This translates into a higher likelihood of a positive outcome! It’s certainly no secret that enthusiasm and passion sell – and it’s also a strong indicator of your being truly present.

Being present and available is a very big deal, and it’s not always easy. In fact, sometimes it feels almost impossible if we have other things distracting us. You have to constantly “check in” with yourself and make sure that you are prepared and on your game. If the answer is “yes,” then everyone around you will sense it and be excited by it! They will see and bask in your confidence and buoyant attitude. This will directly translate into sales and other professional successes. Whether you’re facing a job interview, a monster presentation to the boss, or that all-important sales call, your ability to be present is the reason why you will set yourself apart from your competition and win!

3 thoughts on “Are You “Present”?”

  1. Todd, this is such an important concept! I try to teach this whenever I have the chance. In the last 2 years I have been doing a lot of Zen-like work, all of it centered on being present, mindful. Do you know Eckhardt Tolle, especially his first book The Power of Now? It’s great, transcendent.

  2. As a former Bell Atlantic employee, I attended a corporate training program where we were counseled to “Be Here Now”.
    I have adopted this mantra in my business life as well as my personal life and it has served me well as a business executive, husband and father.

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