With everything in the world moving so quickly, we want to remind everyone to take a moment to ensure that we are being the best version of ourselves at all times. 

Proxy is implementing monthly book recommendations to help motivate our clients and advisors to put their best foot forward in everything they do.

The first book we are tapping into is “Good In a Room” by Stephanie Palmer. This book provides a lot of key tips that are essential to help make better connections and develop more meaningful relationships. For example, when in a meeting the way you speak is just as important as the things that you say. Stephanie states that you should pitch yourself as if it were a first kiss – “flirt with small information and gauge interest based on what you hear.” This can help make anyone more interested in the conversation and leaves room for others to throw some ideas down on the table. 

Stephanie really hammers the nail on the head when it comes to focus, material and asking questions. She presses, “listen to your client like they have 20 minutes to tell you where the treasure lies.” Listening allows you to properly adhere to the conversation, process accurate information, and leave room for questions. A great tip she gives is “don’t ask ‘why?’’ and insists that using “tell me more” is a great way to encourage further detail. This process of listening and asking questions can also help build greater rapport with not only your clients, but people in your day to day life. 

Preparing your material is another huge step in becoming good in a room. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Do the research, set-up a strategy and show the commitment that was put in.

Once you are fully prepared, it is important to remember to stay in sync within the conversation. What this means is that you must mirror the same pace, depth and tone of the client. It is a subtle reminder that they are the spotlight. When the flow is there, it can lead to a deeper relationship with the client. 

However, there are ways to fracture the conversation as well. Any fracture can easily be prevented by remaining professional and avoiding any common nuances as that will set you apart from competitor advisors. Stephanie encourages the reader by stating, “Don’t ask, ‘Am I right?’” This takes away from the client. She also lets the reader know that giving their opinion on an idea or telling the client their opinion is a big thing to stray away from. The whole point of this is that the client is the most important – this is not about you.

All in all, there were a lot of important takeaways from “Good in a Room.” The advice mentioned within this book is easy to understand, and apply to your work or daily life. 

“Good in a Room” – Stephanie Palmer

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