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4 Key People Skills for Writers · The Daily Writer

• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Hey my friend, thanks for listening to this episode of the Daily Writer Podcast.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: We writers have the well-earned reputation for not always being the best at having people skills, which is kind of unfortunate because it's certainly not always true.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: But writing at its core is a people-centered business, even though we spend a lot of time sitting in front of a screen typing.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Nevertheless, there's always room for improvement, isn't there?
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're an outgoing people person, you can always use a reminder of the basics.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: So here are several people skills that every writer needs.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, look people in the eye when you're speaking to them.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: This communicates that you're engaged in the conversation.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're on a Zoom call, look at the camera instead of looking at the person on your screen.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: It really makes a difference in the way that the other person perceives your relatability and your social skills.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, smile when you greet people.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Those first few moments of an interaction make a huge difference in how the whole conversation will unfold.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're not really feeling it, smile anyway and then you'll start to feel happier pretty soon.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, this also works on Zoom calls.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Those first few seconds of the call will generally determine how the conversation will go and what kind of emotional energy it will have.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, be a listener.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: In our world of short attention spans, it's hard to listen carefully.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: But this is an area where we writers can really excel.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth because we should listen twice as much as we speak, and that's probably true.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: When you listen and you ask good questions, you draw out the best in other people.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then finally, number four, answer messages quickly.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's social media messages, text messages, or emails, make sure that you get back to people as quick as you can.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: The standard time frame, I think, is 24 to 48 hours.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And you'll immediately stand out from other people when you do this because a lot of people take a long time to answer messages.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: So when you do this, you stand out and it communicates that you're responsive and attentive, which of course, those are qualities that people really like.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, those are just a few important skills for writers in terms of interacting with people.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: And when you practice those consistently, you'll have better relationships and you'll have more success.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And those little things do indeed make a massive difference.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Here's today's question: which one of those four skills is an area where you need the most work?
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I want to take a moment to let you know about our daily writer membership community.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: You know, one of the very best ways to develop better habits and impact more people's lives with your writing is to spend time around other successful writers.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're tired of feeling isolated and chasing success on your own, then I know you're going to love the Daily Writer community.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: For years, I searched for the kind of writing community that I would want to join, but I can never find what I wanted, so I created my own.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the features include weekly writing sprints, monthly community calls, book discussions, calls with guest experts, and much more.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: For more info, you can visit dailywriterlife.comslash community.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.