Energetic engagement goes a step beyond emotional engagement, underpinning the way we interact and connect with one another and taking things to a whole new level.
You’re probably aware of many of the personal and professional qualities that you (and everyone else involved in your business) bring to the table. Your skills, insight, attitude, integrity, personality, experience, passion and attention to detail are central to the way you go to market.
The ingredient you may not have considered is the intangible, yet highly influential, underlying bedrock of positive and negative energy that you exude.
This energy is produced by the emotional currents that ebb and flow in your life.
Negative energy or thinking in yourself, your colleagues or your customers will naturally affect how you all interact with one another, how each of you approaches your work and even how purchasing decisions get made.
Whether you like it or not, every interaction you engage in is like a chemical experiment: energy is constantly being exchanged for good or bad, better or worse.
If you’re feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or hurt, the person you’re interacting with may experience those same feelings without consciously realising or understanding why. They may even go to great lengths to withdraw themselves from the conversation and get away from you without being able to put their finger on the reason. All they know is that for some reason they don't feel good around you.
On the other hand, consciously raising your energy levels enables you to positively engage with your customers, creating a memorable and highly lasting experience and leaving them with the feeling that you’re someone they love doing business with.
Think of your energy levels on a sliding 10-point scale:
- Low energy states (4 out of 10 or lower) are associated with negative, unattractive emotions such as guilt, anger, selfishness or even apathy.
- Middle-of-the-road energy states (say 5 out of 10) might be associated with feelings of indifference, neither happy nor sad – a neutral experience.
- At levels 6 to 9 you feel happy, satisfied, content, enthused, relaxed, peaceful – maybe even elated. And so do those around you.
- Level 10 is the highest rating of all: here you’ll come across as energised, vibrant, charismatic, attractive and highly influential. That all sounds great – and often is – but there are some scenarios in which level 10 energy could potentially be perceived as over the top. (For example, I wouldn’t necessarily want my accountant at an outrageously energetic level 10 if I were talking to her about a serious financial issue).
The secret to energetic engagement with prospects, clients, colleagues or even the media is to observe where your energy levels are at, and then consciously raise or lower them to create your desired impression.
If your energy is too low, you may leave a negative lasting impression and push people away. A neutral level 5 is unlikely to be memorable. Levels 6 to 9 will probably see you remembered for all the right reasons, and turning the volume up to level 10 is probably best saved for special environments or occasions.
Have you noticed that your energy levels affect your business performance? Please share your learnings and observations below.
“ Consciously raising your energy levels enables you to positively engage with your customers, creating a memorable and highly lasting experience and leaving them with the feeling that you’re someone they love doing business with. ”
Ben Angel is the author of the step-by-step marketing companion, Sleeping Your Way to The Top in Business. He specialises in answering the question, "Why are your prospects purchasing from your competitors instead of you!"
