I’m Most Thankful for Our Human Connection

It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., and I’m taking a break. I’m taking the time to appreciate my amazing family and friends, my clients who have become friends, and my remarkable team at No More Cold Calling. Because what I’m most grateful for—this year and every year—is human connection.

Thanksgiving Day is our official kickoff to the holiday season, and never in modern history has the world needed a reason to celebrate like we all do right now. It’s been a frustrating year for everyone. The pandemic has moved in-person meetings and gatherings to online events. We feel disconnected from our friends, colleagues, and many times, our family. Zoom is great, but it’s no substitute for a handshake or a hug.

If there’s a silver lining to coronavirus, it’s that we’ve all been reminded about the importance of conversation and human connection.

Put a Little Love in Your Heart This Holiday Season

If there ever was a time for real, authentic conversations, it’s now. Not just business conversations, but conversations with inquiry, empathy, and understanding. Conversations without pitching—just full-on caring about the other person.

Everything’s changed in our world, and that includes the business world. In sales, asking for help used to mean you were a wuss. It felt like asking for a favor or pleading with prospects for business. Yep, wimpy.

Good news: The mood around asking for help has done a complete 180. These days, we’re all reaching out to clients and colleagues, asking how they’re doing, and finding out how we can help them. Many times, they ask how they can help us in return. (Referrals, please!) People are concerned about each other’s welfare. Conversations are authentic and personal, and that’s something to be grateful for this year.

Plenty to Be Grateful For

If we let it, gratitude can be an antidote to some of that frustration we all feel this year. The holiday season won’t be the same for most of us, but instead of focusing on what (and who) we’re missing, we can take this time to stop and reflect on what we do have.

It’s time we all remembered the value of getting personal—at work and at home. We don’t regret the texts we didn’t send. We regret the time we don’t spend with the people we love. Sure, it’s tougher this year, and some of that quality time might be via video, but we still have a lot to be grateful for (including Zoom).

I appreciate that I have a roof over my head, which many don’t. I appreciate that I can walk out of my house, breathe the fresh air, and be safe. And I appreciate all of you.

If you’re not in the U.S., I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving anyway. We can never say thanks enough. Thanks for your friendship, thanks for your business, thanks for your support, thanks for always being there, thanks for all you do. If you are in the U.S., stop checking email. We all need to get off the hamster wheel sometimes, and what better excuse to take a break than the holidays?

(Featured image attribution: Askar Abayev)

(Note: This post was originally published on November 26, 2020 on No More Cold Calling.)

About the Author

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling—the only business-development strategy proven to convert prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and author of NO MORE COLD CALLING?: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust and Pick Up the Damn Phone!: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal. To learn more, visit www.NoMoreColdCalling.com. You can also follow Joanne on Twitter @ReferralSales, or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.