On this episode of Entrepreneur:Uncut Khierstyn wanted to focus on a much more foundational area that every entrepreneur needs, the importance of building relationships. Stuart Knight is a guy who’s made it his business to learn the practice of relational intelligence and how to apply it in casual and business settings. He is a graduate from the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and is an award winning entrepreneur, critically acclaimed author, and hit producer. The conversation today hovers around the topic of relationship: why they matter, what it takes to get beyond the surface level where most people stop, and what impact a consistent practice of that depth of relational interaction can have on an entrepreneur’s life and business.
In Stuart Knight’s mind relationships are relationships, whether they are initiated and developed in real life or online. What is important is not where they develop but HOW they develop and what each part does to facilitate that development. It comes down to the components of conversation and interaction, the things each person says and does to push the relationship to a deeper level. Stuart shares a ton of insight into this issue through personal examples and common situations so that when you hit the “stop” button at the end of this episode, you’ll have some very practical things you can do to take your relationships to a new, more helpful level.
On this episode of Entrepreneur:Uncut, Khierstyn Ross asks entrepreneur and networking expert Stuart Knight to unpack what he means when he says that every needs to learn how to ask better questions. An example he gives is a conversation that might happen around the water cooler or coffee pot at the office…
YOU: “Hey Jim, how was your weekend?”
JIM: “It was one of THOSE weekends…”
YOU: “Yeah, I know what you mean, I’ve had quite a few of those myself.”
Stuart points out that a typical interaction like this one doesn’t do anything to push the relationship to a deeper level. What might happen if you responded with something like, “Really? Tell me what made it a challenge?” There are lots more gems like this on this episode, so be sure you listen to get all the good stuff Stuart’s got to share.
That’s what they’ll remember later in the day or as they are laying in bed at night. That’s what will form their greatest impression of the type of person you are. Stuart Knight says that if you focus on that in your communication you’ll be much more likely to develop relationships that not only serve you over time, but also bring benefit to the people you’re in relationship with. It’s a key to building relationships that matter, and Stuart shares lots of insights like that on this episode of Entrepreneur:Uncut with Khierstyn Ross.
Do you even know? It’s not accomplished by the things you do for them, though that’s an important thing that shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s done by the way you show interest in them and draw them into sharing their life with you when you’re in conversation with them. That “others focused” approach to conversations causes others to feel good about you, to wish they were able to make others feel like you’ve made them feel, to value your insights and opinions, and overall feel like you are someone they like. On today’s episode Stuart Knight upacks a variety of topics surrounding this issue, so make sure you take the time to listen.
BOOK: Awaken the Giant Within
Stuart’s website: www.StuartKnight.com
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