My RSS Feed is a Thinker and blog is #1 for online personal brand thoughts. Dan Schawbel is Gen Y and geared to Gen Y personal brand, but you will benefit regardless of generation. He has Just Posted the Following on his blog:

Happy Valentine’s Day, and I hope everybody is having a great 2009!

What better day than today to discuss what it means to be a smooth operator.

What is a smooth operator?



To be a smooth operator means you’re able to handle situations with ease, no matter

how complex the situation is.* It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about dating, navigating a difficult situation in the office, or getting off the hook when you’ve gotten in some sort of trouble.

I remember working for my first manager out of college at Dell, where he prided himself on being able to negotiate free car washes and great deals on his car.* He was also a great salesman.* He was confident, made people feel good, and wasn’t the least bit arrogant. He was a smooth operator.* He was able to get what he wanted, but he did it by also helping people get what they want.

Being a smooth operator requires you to develop your empathy skills.* You need to have an understanding of what people’s goals and motives are and understand how to play to those needs.
Do they need to be heard?* Do they need to feel wanted or important?

Be brutally honest to build trust and confidence

It’s one of the lessons that has been the most beneficial for me in my lifetime.* Being brutally honest builds trust and confidence.** It’s also the right way to start being a smooth operator.* By being remarkably honest about your intentions and goals, it becomes incredibly easy to get other people to do the same, and once you can align your goals with someone, you can start to share a story.* This is incredibly powerful and something that comes in handy as you’re trying to get your goals accomplished, but it starts with honesty and selfless actions.

It’s my honest opinion that by being honest, you bring out the best side of yourself. You bring out a more confident and more charismatic self that is able to navigate social straits in ways you might not have thought possible.

Remember to keep an eye on other people’s goals.** What are they trying to accomplish? What is the output they are trying to achieve, and what emotion makes them most satisfied?* A smooth operator makes people feel good, confident, and balances that without being arrogant.

Author:

Adam Salamon is Partnerships Director at Bazaarvoice, Inc., blogs about social media, entrepreneurship, and pop culture. Follow him on Twitter for daily updates.

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