Gossip can be difficult to avoid because it’s all around us. You’d be hard pressed to find a TV show or movie that doesn't have gossip in it. The same goes for books. There are even “news” programs dedicated entirely to gossip.
We’re all guilty too. At one time or another, just
about everybody has shared a nice juicy piece of gossip with a coworker—or two.
Even if you haven’t been the one doing the talking, you've probably found yourself
standing in the break room sharing a good gossipy laugh until the person you’re
talking about walks in.
In fact, gossip has become so prevalent that it would
be easy to jump to the conclusion that a little gossiping every now and then is
perfectly acceptable behavior. Don’t believe it. Gossip can end relationships. In
a business setting, gossip can end the business relationship you were counting
on for income.
There are definitely times when it’s hard to decide if
what someone is saying has crossed the line from being relevant business
information over to providing observations or details that are outside the
scope of the current situation. You can’t stop people from gossiping. But there
are a few rules you can follow so gossip won’t interfere with your ability to
build solid and successful business relationships. Here are three:
1.
Don’t say things
about other people you wouldn't be willing to say to them directly. This isn't the
old adage of only saying good things about other people. In business, sometimes
the facts are the facts and they may not always be nice facts. But they are
what they are, and sometimes those facts are the difference between securing,
keeping, or losing an account. Don’t embellish. Stick with the truth and you
won’t have any trouble remembering what you said if you have to repeat it.
2.
Remember that how
you speak about your co-workers, business associates, and clients is the way
your co-workers, business associates, and clients believe you speak about them
in their absence. When you speak well of the people you do business with, you’ll
be building business relationships based on trust and respect. That won’t
happen if you gossip.
3.
There might be
people you’re thinking about doing business with who gossip to you. We all want
to be liked, and we definitely want to build our business relationships to
increase our income, but don’t give into the gossip game thinking it will help.
That’s not to say you shouldn't do business with people who like to gossip. You
might find yourself bluffing your way through a few uncomfortable
conversations, but stick to your business strengths and ethics.
When you follow simple rules like these, you’ll be
putting yourself in a better position to build solid long-term business
relationships…. Well, that’s what I
heard.
Alan Luoma is a Sales Coach and Speaker with extensive
experience in industrial sales, sales management, and sales and product
training. He holds key accounts with a national sustainable packaging company,
is a motivational speaker, and provides sales training to individuals and
groups. He is a member of the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network. You
can view his profile on LinkedIn,
or contact him at Luoma@snet.net.
