How Understanding Communication Styles Can Transform Your Business, According to Liz Bradford

In a recent LinkedIn post, Liz Bradford shares profound insights gleaned from her experience with agricultural sales coach Georgia Stormont and Stormont’s book, “Selling in the Paddock.” Bradford emphasizes that the lessons learned extend far beyond traditional sales, offering a transformative approach to human connection and communication applicable to everyone, regardless of industry.

Bradford recounts her initial impression of Stormont, describing her as “intimidating. Not because she’s scary. Because she lives and breathes what she writes about.” This deep embodiment of her subject matter, Bradford explains, is what made Stormont’s coaching so impactful.

“Not everyone will see the immediate relevance of Selling in the Paddock (or sitting in a paddock) to building better careers and lives of their own. But everyone can take the lessons I did from the coach who wrote this book. And those lessons changed everything.”

The Power of Empathetic Listening

Bradford highlights Stormont’s exceptional ability to connect with people. She recalls observing Stormont engage an entire dinner table, drawing in individuals across the introversion spectrum. This skill, Bradford learned, is rooted in a deep understanding of how humans connect.

Central to Stormont’s teaching, and subsequently Bradford’s own communication approach, is the principle that true influence stems from effective listening. As Bradford notes:

“Influence comes from how well you listen, not how loudly you speak.”

This emphasis on listening, Bradford explains, shifts the focus from self-promotion to genuine understanding of the other person’s perspective. She elaborates on the core tenets of Stormont’s communication philosophy, which Bradford found deeply resonant:

• Understanding how someone processes information and meeting them at their level.
• Recognizing that people are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or audio-digital, and tailoring delivery accordingly.

Adjusting, Not Changing, Who You Are

A particularly impactful lesson for Bradford was the idea that one doesn’t need to fundamentally alter their personality to be effective. Instead, the focus should be on adjusting communication “volume” to match the recipient’s reception.

“You don’t have to change who you are. Just adjust the volume on the parts they can hear.”

This realization, Bradford states, has fundamentally rewired her conversations in both business and personal life. She credits this insight with helping her business thrive, even though she doesn’t consider herself a natural salesperson.

Universal Human Connection

Bradford also touches upon Stormont’s teaching regarding universal subconscious fears – worthiness, being loved, and belonging. While not delving deeply into this topic in the post, she suggests it’s a crucial element of understanding human motivation and connection, hinting at its broader implications for communication and relationship building.

Ultimately, Bradford concludes her post by strongly recommending Georgia Stormont’s book and her work. She asserts that the wisdom shared is universally applicable, transforming not only communication skills but also fostering personal growth.