David's Photo David Rutkauskas

Life is Beautiful when you are your own boss. There's nothing quite like it. Hello, I’m David Rutkauskas, Founder, President and CEO of Beautiful Brands International. Everyday my company helps people with an entrepreneurial spirit like yours live a beautiful life by creating wealth and sustainability through franchising. Through this blog, I want to show you how I do it...with my personal experience and advice for success. You are welcome to email me your questions to: askdavid@davidrutkauskas.com and I will answer some of them in my future posts.

  • Don't Ignore the Small Talk

    March 7, 2012

    As a purpose-driven male, I must admit my tendency in my bidness (Oklahoman for business) conversations is to get down to brass tacks and try to get to the root of an issue quickly and efficiently.

    Admittedly, that’s how most of us type A’s roll, but that’s not necessarily a good thing if it’s at the expense of building relationships and getting to know others in the business process.

    My encouragement is...don’t brush off the small talk with people, especially in a business setting. Take time to meet face to face and discuss something other than the task at hand. It’s really the thing that cements bonds between people and creates familiarity that is easy to skip over if you’re purely agenda driven. 

    I’ve noticed today’s technology has made it really easy for us to make communication about our own convenience rather than creating significant interaction. We’ve actually created the illusion of communication through Skype, Facebook and other social media when nothing really beats the power of just sitting and chatting a little.

    Business is about building relationships... as the saying goes, and if you don’t take the steps to get to know your customers and colleagues, you won’t really be building a business that will succeed and last. I believe you have to communicate in a real way to build something solid.

    Small talk chips away at the ice so you can better understand the person you’re engaging in business with, but more than that, it reveals how comfortable you are at sharing something personal instead of just getting to the nitty gritty of your negotiations.  

    Yes, it makes you more vulnerable, but doing so, invites trust. Building trust is the cornerstone of any business success.

    Believe it or not, the moments you spend chatting might be the most important part of your business interactions...it shows you’re taking the time to share and learn more about the other person and not just about what you want to achieve. 

    A cup of coffee and some genuine conversation...that’s all I’m talking. Trust me, a little will go a long way. 

    The power of small talk helps you make a connection.

    If you have to...just think of it as the ultimate low-tech social networking app. LOL. 

    David