THE "IT" FACTOR

If you are to be a successful Brand Ambassador, enhancing and growing your "IT Factor" is essential. To obtain the "IT" factor one must have charisma and charm. Being charming is not a skill that all of us were born with; many of us have to work at it, but you can excel at it with practice.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE "IT" FACTOR TEND TO BE: 

1. Confident but not cocky
2. Focused on others and not on self
3. Eloquent storytellers
4. Interested and interesting
5. Authentic and engaging
6. Optimistic and purposeful

Think about someone you admire who has these skills. What about them do you admire?

Second, take a moment to evaluate and ask yourself which skills do you already possess and which skills you need to improve. 

CHARISMA! to be a great Brand Ambassador, one of your most essential qualities is to be a person people love to be around. Your dynamic personality was one of the reasons (not the only one) but an important reason why your company hired you, so congratulations, you're halfway there. 

10 Winning Habits of Highly Charismatic People That You Can Adopt Too

1. Confidence

There is a certain confidence that charismatic people exude. According to the Harvard Business review, confidence can be so alluring that people are willing to trust anyone who expresses it. Researchers have noted that showing confidence is more dominant in establishing trust than past performance. Charismatic people literally light up a room with confidence when they walk in.

2. They are attentive and listen to others

Charismatic individuals know how to make people feel valued. People like to be around them because of this. This is because they’ve trained themselves to be attentive to people whom they interact with.

Simple habits like asking questions, maintaining eye contact, smiling, responsiveness, verbal or nonverbal cues, are some of the things they do actively. It’s not surprising that studies have found that eye contact heavily influences likability, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Listening shows that they care a lot more than offering advice.

“Charisma is not just saying hello. It’s dropping what you’re doing to say hello.” – Robert Brault

 3. They’re passionate and show it

Charismatic people tend to be quite passionate about what they believe in. This passion motivates people around them to act.

Behavioral Science has shown that strong emotions can be contagious. A prominent researcher in this area, Dr. Elaine Hatfield, has conducted several studies showing how people “grab” the emotions of others.

For example, if you have a friend who is always critical about everyone, you’ll soon find yourself to be critical of other people. Likewise, being around someone who’s passionate and optimistic is likely to inspire you to think and behave that way also.

4. They are approachable

Charismatic people are often seen as warm and approachable. Most people would rather get to trust and get closer to you if they perceive you to be warm.

According to Dr. Robert Zajonic, facial muscles contract to produce a smile that allows for increased blood flows to the brain which lowers the brain temperature and produces feelings of pleasure and happiness.

Studies have also shown that smiling is linked to how approachable and competent someone is. You want to hone your charismatic skills, then smile.

5. No self importance

Charismatic people have no bone of self-importance in their bodies. They are simple, easily relatable, with no airs.

This doesn’t mean they are not knowledgeable. In fact, they know quite a lot, and are kind in dispensing the information that they have. The only people that can be impressed by self- importance are those who are pretentious, and act self-important also.

6. They have a cause

Throughout the 20th century, sociologist Max Weber’s study of charisma says that a charismatic person has a clear vision for the future and boldly advances towards it. They are people who talk about ideas that are bigger than themselves.

An example of this kind of person would be the late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who on recruiting Pepsi CEO John Sculley, pointedly asked if he wanted to sell sugared water for the rest of his life, or if he wanted a chance to change the world?

7. Genuine interest in others

Confident and charismatic people usually prefer to shine the spotlight on others. They motivate people. Telling others how much of a good job they’ve been doing is essential.

Not only will people who are drawn to you appreciate your praise, but they will also appreciate the fact that you pay attention to what they’re doing. It brings a sense of accomplishment to them. Then they’ll feel a little more accomplished and more important.

In other words, they give credit where credit is due. If they are recognized for a success, they shower the praises on everyone else and empower people without expecting anything in return. Conversely, if anything goes wrong, they aren’t afraid to take the blame.

“There is no better friendship booster than the ability to listen. The ability to show genuine interest in others an admirable quality of a true friend.” – Phil Callaway

 8. Belief in themselves

Even though people have doubts about what they are doing and their abilities, charismatic people don’t allow those doubts to influence their interactions with people whom they motivate.

9. They encourage self disclosure

Charismatic people ask insightful questions which make others share things about themselves. Studies from Harvard researchers, prove that sharing information about ourselves impacts our brains.

It’s also confirmed that our brains are literally wired to enjoy sharing information about ourselves. Being charismatic is less about you and more about how you make others feel.

10. They are generous

According to Professor Grant at the Wharton school of business, there are three types of people; the taker, the matcher and the giver. Charismatic people are givers and altruistic. They give without looking for anything in return.

Charisma is a character trait that can improve with time if you continue working on it. If you do so, you will soon charm not only your fellow bartenders, friends, and family but also senior executives, buyers, and the press.

Below, we will discuss how to enhance these qualities so that influential people enjoy your company & take you seriously.

CHARISMATIC PEOPLE TEND TO HAVE: 

1) Gift of leadership: A leader is someone who sees how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward that better vision. Motivating people isn't enough — leaders need to be empathetic and connect with people to succeed.

As a brand ambassador you are most likely a former bartender and will be in the marketplace often. This gives you have a unique advantage that will help you to become a leader within the industry if you use this advantage correctly.

While in the market make sure to:

• Spot trends and see them unfold in real-time
• Understand and translate best practices utilized by top accounts
• Connect with bartenders and buyers on their level
• Gain insights about your brand from customers (the good and the bad)
• Gain insights into the competition

Utilize this information to:

• Help transform accounts that might be behind the times. Use your knowledge to help them update their ways of working & create efficiencies that will help save them time and make them money. It is a great way to build a partnerships with key accounts.
  
  
• Develop innovative brand programs: you can utilize your insights gather from the field to create trade and consumer programs in step with current trends.
  
  
• Bring people into the fold: Inform others about the cocktail industry and the resources within it. i.e. The USBG, Tales of the Cocktail, Bar Smarts etc.
  
  
• Build meaningful relationships with accounts and become a valued member of your brand & marketing team

2) Power of Authority is the ability to use your communication skills, persuasiveness, and charm to influence others.

As a BA, this should be your superpower. If you do your homework, you should be an expert on your brand & the category. If you come from the bar world, you should know how a bar operates, how to cost cocktails, and spot gaps or needs based on your observations and questions.

Utilize this information to:

• To speak confidently about your brand and present a convincing case of why that account should carry your brand. 
  
• To train others on your brand and the category.
• To train others on cocktails, bar program best practices etc.

You can also use this superpower to present ideas to your brand teams & senior management. The significant difference is that for this audience, you need to use language and format a presentation that people at this level respect. 

3) Charm that can inspire: They can exude passion for what they are speaking about, influence others, and lead people to take action.

An ambassador's great gift is to speak passionately about their brand (if you cannot, this is not the right brand for you). By showing the buyer and/or consumers how much you believe in your brand, you inspire them to feel the same.

4) Ability to Influence & motivate A charismatic leader can motivate, inspire and encourage others using strong communication and listening skills.  

Use this information to:

• influence and motivate others
• Grow your career. . Your ability to communicate, cater to the audience, and utilize professional language and etiquette when needed will be one of your most essential skillsets. 
  

Charisma: Can it be learned? Many believe so because it is not a technique but an attitude. 

As a Brand Ambassador, you need to work continually on:

• Listening more than you speak- People like to feel heard
• Not to interrupt when someone is speaking to you
• Remembering peoples' names
• Standing up tall - People remember others who have a presence
• Build confidence in others when speaking with them. You can achieve this by giving credits and compliments where they are due to make others feel important and also by constructively critiquing those whose actions need to be reformed.
• Be genuine. People typically like those they perceive honest and humble
• Stop complaining- Nobody wants to spend time with people who whine
• Don't make excuses, and don't take yourself too seriously
• Take responsibility for your own life and keep your ego in check

Ask yourself, who do you know who has these qualities? What about them makes you want to spend time with them? Now flip it and ask yourself who are the people that you do not enjoy spending time with, and what qualities do they exude that irritate you? Lastly, ask yourself if you have any of these qualities in yourself, the good and the bad.

Self-reflection is hard, but working on oneself is an ongoing process; some people are just born with it, but most of us have to work on it. The good news is if you continually work on it, you can eliminate your annoying qualities and enhance the charming ones with time.