Enchant and Enlighten:
A Winning Combination

I’m reading Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, by Guy Kawasaki.  According to the bio on his website, Guy was previously the chief evangelist of Apple.  While that may be accurate, he is so much more.  He is a phenomenal communicator and connector. And Enchantment is a book all attorneys should read.  Why? Because all attorneys are in the business of changing hearts, minds and actions.  All attorneys need to be enchanting.

Let’s look at just one nugget of gold from Enchantment – How to Achieve Likability.  Buy the book for this chapter alone.  The most important thing you can do to market your practice is to build “know, like and trust” with your influencers and referral sources.  Enchantment will help you do this . . . and it will enchant you along the way.  Read Enchantment and your approach to marketing will never be the same.  You’ll understand why it’s important to:  smile like George Clooney; shake hands . . . and connect; create real win-win solutions; and NOT speak like a lawyer.

And while we’re on the subject of likeability check out: 16 Enlightening Communication Principles at Dan Rockwell’s blog, Leadership Freak.  The words we speak – or choose not to speak – have a tremendous impact on our likeability. I read Dan’s blog post yesterday, and it reminded me how much words matter.  Here are the 16 Principles.

1. Flatterers puff you up so you’ll lift them up.
2. Backstabbers secretly invite you to condemn yourself by inviting you to condemn others.
3. Always answer a question with a question.
4. Casually spoken words cut. Stop blabbing.
5. The rule for words is restraint: fewer words are better than many words. Churchill said, “We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.”
6. Words limit and create bondage like a snare. Avoid unnecessary promises and commitments.
7. Life giving words are intentional; seldom accidental.
8. Intentionally energize rather than accidentally demotivate with your words.
9. Harsh words invite harshness.
10. Gentle words drain drama and anger.
11. Quiet words enable better than loud words.
12. Loud words excite or overwhelm; more frequently they overwhelm.
13. Avoid whisperers they manipulate.
14. Behaviorally speaking lying is hatred.
15. Never publicly improve the boss’s words.
16. Embrace the two to one rule.  Ask two questions – at a minimum – before making statements.

If you can enchant and enlighten in all your communications, you can change the world one person – or conversation – at a time.

Are there any other principles you would add to Dan’s list?