Social Intelligence
The term refers to a person’s ability to relate to others, build meaningful relationships & navigate social situations.
It makes sense that a person with a high level of empathy & understanding of others will not only be able to build their own vision of their business & brand but also a higher level of understanding of their customers & the market place.
The original definition of social intelligence, first coined by Edward Thorndike in 1920, was “the ability of a person to converse, understand and manage other people”, this definition was later updated.
Understanding your customers and their buying decisions are a key part of building an effective marketing campaign.
So how do you improve your social intelligence?
- Active Listening – a person with a highly developed social intelligence does not just listen in order to respond but really pays attention so the speaker feels they have been completely understood.
- Making a good impression – finding the balance between making a good impression but also being authentic. By stepping back, listening and being thoughtful of others builds a connection and respect.
- Keep an open mind – by listening to others views or ideas without rejection or arguing even if you don’t actually agree with them. Find a way to put gently put your view across without arguing.
- Be observant – learn to be aware of those around you, learn from others and understand what might be subtle social cues.
- Respect – respecting other view and cultural differences is key to social intelligence, understanding that other will have different ways of doing things based on their cultural upbringing.
So you can see from practising all these social skills we will not only have richer lives but also how these skills can feed into the way you run your small business and manage your digital marketing.