People skills++

You’re busy. They’re busy. There’s plenty to discuss. It’s easy to get straight down to business.

But sometimes, two minutes spent building the relationship makes the rest of the conversation much easier.

Start with something simple:

👉 Ask what they’ve been busy with recently
👉 Pick up on something they mentioned last time
👉 Show genuine interest in something beyond today’s agenda

People often remember how you made them feel long after they’ve forgotten what was discussed.

Build the relationship first. Don’t make every conversation about work.

Listen carefully to what they often repeat. 

Notice what frustrates them. Notice what they’re proud of. Notice what they keep coming back to without being prompted.

This tells you what matters most.

And the next time you speak, refer back to one of them:

👉 “You mentioned this last time. How was it?”

Doing this only takes a few seconds, but it tells people you were listening.

People like being listened to. They like being remembered. And they like knowing you were paying attention.

Notice what people care about. And they’ll notice that you care.