When you’re overseas, should you rely on connections and acquaintances to get things done?
I have a neighbour, Xiao A, who is neither particularly good-looking nor highly educated, and she’s not from a wealthy or powerful family. She doesn’t have a large number of friends, but when she needs help, her friends and acquaintances are always more than happy to provide very effective and appropriate assistance.
For example, when Xiao A went to the dentist, her friend who is a dentist felt that Xiao A’s teeth needed major treatment. He completely put himself in her shoes and advised her to switch to a certain insurance company with the shortest waiting period, and the most comprehensive coverage that matched her needs. Another example is when Xiao A wanted to buy an investment property. Like everyone else, she attended a few seminars, and each expert spoke eloquently, leaving her unsure of how to choose. Her real estate friend, however, objectively and professionally analysed the current market and, based on Xiao A’s financial situation, gave her a few options to consider. Some of these options weren’t even in her friend’s inventory, but they still helped Xiao A achieve a successful investment right from the start.
At first, I thought Xiao A was just lucky, always managing to make friends who genuinely cared about her. But over time, I noticed that she had capable friends and acquaintances in every aspect of her life. For instance, her mechanic was both professional and enthusiastic, always taking great care of her car. Her lawyer was always available for a call without needing an appointment. Her accountant even had her phone number saved. What really puzzled me was that these professionals weren’t all particularly nice people who treated every customer like Xiao A. In fact, some of them even had a poor reputation. So how come they treated Xiao A like family?
I thought about it for a long time and came to the conclusion that, like Xiao A, the key to building good relationships with everyone might not lie in these professionals themselves, but rather in her own qualities.
We all hope that in our daily lives or when we run into problems, there are people who genuinely care about us, rather than just trying to sell us their products or services, like study abroad agents, immigration experts, investment advisors, or even hairdressers and plumbers.
These professionals are actually just like the rest of us, with both kind and positive sides, as well as irritable and dark sides. In our interactions with others, how we bring out their best side and achieve the results we want is all about communication skills.
You don’t need to pay extra money, and you don’t need to entertain or host meals. If you understand some of the skills for interacting and communicating with people, you can make your life much smoother and more convenient.