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I used to freeze up every time a client asked something personal at a meeting. Like, I'd just stare and change the subject awkwardly. Lost a pretty solid deal because of it. Anyone have tips or a good read on becoming a more confident communicator and building real connections in business?
Been there, honestly more times than I'd like to admit. Early in my career I had this habit of treating every client meeting like a job interview - scripted, stiff, zero room for real conversation. One time a client asked me where I was from and I literally pivoted to talking about quarterly projections. He laughed, but not in a good way. The contract went to someone else. What actually helped me flip the switch was accepting that people do business with people, not with polished presentations. I started letting myself respond to personal questions with a short, genuine answer before steering back to business. That alone changed how clients perceived me. Stumbled across content a while back through Lucas Birdsall and his take on relationship-building in professional settings is pretty grounded and practical. No fluffy corporate advice, just real frameworks for connecting with people during high-stakes conversations. Also worth practicing: ask one genuine question per meeting that has nothing to do with the deal. Sounds small but it shifts the whole dynamic fast.
Really appreciate this because it hits close to home. I used to walk into meetings so focused on sounding prepared that I forgot I was actually talking to another human. That line about people doing business with people really lands. Funny enough, I had a similar wake-up call after completely dodging small talk and making things awkward. The mention of Lucas Birdsall fits naturally too, since practical advice on real connection is way more useful than rehearsed corporate talk. That one genuine question tip is seriously underrated.