Another reason why you may be getting interrupted is due to any distracting behaviors that are over-powering your message.  When your body language is inconsistent with your message, your listener is confused with what you are saying.  Do they follow your message or what your body language is communicating?  You probably can relate to this example.  The individual leading a meeting emphasizes how important it is for everyone to stay within the budget to meet the client’s needs yet their posture, facial expressions and voice communicate there really isn’t an emergency.

Build rather than jeopardize your influence Monday to Monday® by applying the following steps during every conversation.

1. Get to the point quickly. Oftentimes, the more you say, the more you confuse resulting in frustrating your listeners. As their patience runs out, they interrupt to try to get the information they need from you. Remember, less is more!

2. Focus your passion. When we are passionate about a topic, we often feel compelled to tell our listeners everything we know about it. We think our listeners will be as passionate about it as we are. This is rarely true. Share your passion while keeping your message directed to what is important to your listeners.

3. Pause. An influential communicator understands that the power of persuasion involves saying less and listening more. When you spend more time listening, you hear what your listener is not saying.

Your listeners are less likely to interrupt when they feel you truly care about what is important to them and what value they will receive when they act on your recommendation.

4. Without interaction, the conversation is one-sided. Interaction increases engagement and connection which builds trust.

 Interaction also allows you to adapt your message on the fly; another way to communicate to your listeners you care about what is important to them.

5. Consider the interruption a gift. An interruption is actually a friendly reminder that you need to get back on track or adapt your message to your listeners’ needs. Take this feedback and run with it.

Drop me a note to share the action steps you took this week to avoid the temptation to interrupt.  Tag me on my Facebook page.

 What Achievers Read:

The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders

by Elena L. Botelho, Kim R. Powell and Tahl Raz

This week’s blog is an excerpt from Stacey’s new book, Influence Redefined … Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact her at stacey@staceyhankeinc.com

 Download our free Ebook – 5 ways weak communication hurts strong businesses

The post Interrupting…Whose Fault Is It? 5 Actions to Eliminate Interruptions first appeared on Stacey Hanke, Inc..

1. People don’t follow your lead.

Winning over your audience means knowing beforehand what it takes to keep their attention and what pitfalls you must consider. They may not follow you if they don’t act on your recommendations, do the minimum amount of work to get by, make decisions on their own without your input or limit the amount of information they share with you.

• Check in for understanding and clarification. A message that sounds clear and concise to you doesn’t guarantee your listeners have the same level of clarity.
• Ask others whom you can trust to continuously give you feedback to ensure you are leading in a way that influences others to follow.

2. Your listeners don’t respond to your emails and texts as frequently or as quickly as you would like.

Are your email messages too long and confusing? Are your text messages one continuous paragraph? Are your messages written in Morse code? Would you respond to your email messages?

• Before you hit “send,” double-check your grammar and spelling.
• When in doubt, hang up the email and pick up the phone to minimize the risk of miscommunication and to save time.

3. You’re frequently interrupted.

Your listeners may be interrupting you because you take too long to get to the point, you never pause and/or it is difficult to follow you.

• This week, focus on getting to the point while adapting your message to your listeners’ expectations.
• Pause to listen and give others time to speak. Influence Monday to Monday® involves saying less and listening more.

If you still get interrupted, consider this a gift. This may be a friendly reminder to get back on track or adapt your message to your listeners’ expectations.

4. You often run out of time.

A well-crafted message requires key points in getting your listeners to take action. If you run out of time before you can share these with your listeners, they don’t have the critical information they need to be influenced.

• Identify your listeners’ needs ahead of time, as well as what is most critical for them to know to take action.
• Always prepare for 20 percent less time than you will be given to make sure you respect your listeners’ time.

 Drop me a note to share how you will commit to apply the action steps above. Tag me on my Facebook page.

This week’s blog is an excerpt from my new book, Influence Redefined…Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®, available TODAY!

Click here for a complimentary chapter of my latest book “Influence Redefined”

What Achievers Read

The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good You Are and How Good You Could Be, by Mark Sanborn

 If you missed one of Stacey’s previous blogs or tips, visit her online.

The post 4 Signs You’re Not as Influential as You Think first appeared on Stacey Hanke, Inc..