Making Business Personal: Exclusive Conversation with Author and Entrepreneur Terrie Williams

Exclusively Interviewed for The NetWork magazine
By Angela Adams

Terrie Williams

When it comes to developing professional relationships and successful business practices, Terrie Williams is considered one of the best. Her firm, The Terrie Williams Agency, is one of the premiere public relations and marketing communication firms in the country. Its client roster has included the likes of Eddie Murphy and Miles Davis (her first clients), Russell Simmons, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and Stephen King, among others. She has consulted with the NFL, NBA, Revlon and Time Warner and has been a guest speaker at events for many Fortune 500's.

In the corporate world we are taught to maintain a distinct line between business and professional life, that mingling the two is hazardous for one's career. Yet Terrie William's has built her extraordinary reputation by treating the two as one in the same. She will be the first to say that her techniques aren't revolutionary but just plain elementary, the basic home training of always treating others with respect. The little things others often neglect have been Terrie's secret ingredient to success and the premise of her best-selling book, THE PERSONAL TOUCH: What You Need to Succeed in Today's Fast-Paced Business World.

I approached this interview expecting a formal bullet list of effective networking strategies. Instead I got a non-conventional approach to simply connecting with people. While Terrie may not be a "corporate animal" (as she puts it) her approach can be adapted to not only business relationships but also life in general.

THE CORPORATE MODUS OPERANDI
While Terrie Williams believes business should be personal, she is aware that the corporate modus operandi says professionals must keep a formal, aloof posture, "I operate with the assumption that people walk around with their 'game face' on," she says. "Often times, people have two very distinct personalities and are just reticent and do not show their personal face in a professional setting."

Terrie's networking style goes against the grain of corporate culture. She's blunt and has a low tolerance for B.S. or pointless small talk. Her candor can be intimidating. At the same time, she projects a natural warmth and sincerity that is disarming.

Recently this inspiring author of three books (the latest being A Plentiful Harvest) was the keynote speaker at the Women's Forum, an event for prestigious women leaders in New York. As is her personality, Terrie addressed the audience from an unconventional perspective, "I wanted to talk about some level of spirituality in the workplace ... about not being afraid to bring your soul to the workplace."

As expected, not everyone in the audience embraced what Ms. Williams had to say. A couple of executives challenged the appropriateness of being so open in a business environment. While she acknowledges and understands the objections, Terrie remains steadfast to her belief that there can be a meaningful, human element to business relationships, "I say that people are human. Even though they may walk around with their 'game-face' on, they have a personal story."

Terrie further explains why personal style can be a positive, differentiating factor when building professional rapport, "Everything you do in life is relationship-driven. Any rule can be bent, broken, or cease to exist if you develop a relationship with someone first.

"It is important to reach people on a human level if you want to make a connection, because this is a very high-paced environment and everyone wants what you want. Often the way to standout is to connect with people on a human level."

However, she adds, you must be forthright and honest, and if you are not really genuine about connecting with people, they can sense that you have an ulterior motive. Strong personal relationships are built on trust and honesty.

PEOPLE RELATION'S SKILLS
As our conversation swayed towards networking techniques, this 'people relations' guru offered some advice to MBAs trying to build a strong network of contacts and relationships.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
First and foremost, you should treat everyone with respect regardless of how they rank on the corporate food chain, "One of the reasons I have been able to achieve the success that I have achieved is because I treat people with respect. I do not have much patience for high fallutin' folks who think they are God's gift simply because they have a degree, an MBA, a JD, or anything, because none of that means a thing if you do not have people skills."

To reinforce her point, Terrie mentioned a recent conversation she had with an executive at Daimler-Chrysler. The executive found out about her position from a janitor, proof, states Terrie, that you should always be respectful and courteous, "You never know what may come from it. You may be closing off some blessings, some leads by having the audacity to think you are better than others."

RELATIONSHIP RECIPROCITY.
Like many other high-profile entrepreneurs, Terrie Williams constantly meets individuals looking for her assistance. However, many forget that relationships are a two-way street, "There are people who always ask you for something but never offer to help you themselves, people who never say, ˜Well, what could I possibly do for you?" Sometimes they are self-centered or they don't think that they are at the level to help you. But after years and years of giving advice to people, I have little time for people who want to pick my brain. I get paid to give advice. To ask for my help but not offer to help on some level is not cool." As you begin to solidify relationships with your contacts, Terrie says to remember that there are many ways to reciprocate and show appreciation to someone who has helped you.

SHARPEN YOUR NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION SENSORS.
Another key to making a personal connection is being mindful of other's needs. Before approaching someone at a business event, Terrie stresses the importance of being observant, " Is it time to approach that person? Is it a good time? Are they in a hurry? Are they busy and you are holding them up? Fine-tune your ability to respond to and initiate something before they have the ability to express it." It could be as simple as letting someone enjoy a cup of coffee in private or not monopolizing a person's time at a networking function. Learn to pick up on the subtle, non-verbal signals others express. They will appreciate it. "I've scored points just for letting someone off the phone. Be intuitive enough to zero-in on what somebody needs. Once you can do that then you can figure out the rest, but everything hinges on that assessment."

*****

For those of us heading to business school and on to a new direction in our careers, we will inevitably be conflicted between our desire to bring our "soul to the workplace" and the corporate requisite of keeping our "game-face on". The cynic in me says that Terrie's philosophies are too idealistic for a dog-eat-dog world; her strategies could only work in a corporate utopia where everyone plays fair. Then there is the optimist in me, the one who has witnessed the unraveling of Corporate America through questionable ethics and scandals. Terrie's Personal Touch is what's missing. The business world could benefit from a return to basic good manners and decorum. Perhaps we will be the generation of MBAs to reform the "corporate animal" and bring integrity and humanism back to business practices.

TrackBack

Comments