Unlocking the Secret Languages of Intuitives, Creatives and Analytical
Thinkers
Non-Fiction/Communication
Date Published: 03-14-2023
More people are on the same page than you may think. They just may be
speaking different languages.
When you consider how every community, industry, and culture of any kind
has its own culture and language, then the way to successfully navigate any
conversation is to figure out how to speak in the same tongue while still
getting your message across. This is especially important when you are
networking for your business, cultivating personal relationships, and
climbing up the ladder in the corporate space.
So, how can you quickly assess what keywords and phrases are best to use
when speaking to anyone who crosses your path?
Through listening, observation, and the power of discernment.
That’s where Listen Up! comes in. This power pocketbook dives into the
language commonalities of three communities: Intuitives, Creatives, and
Analytical Thinkers. It provides simple observational and communicative
strategies for becoming a better communicator without manipulation or
persuasion.
Making a great first impression can be difficult but with the right
knowledge, you can be sure to make an impact. The book offers tips on how to
learn how to get people to know, like, and trust you quickly by using body
language as your ally. It also offers advice on icebreakers—or
questions that help draw out conversation—and confidence-building
exercises so that you feel more comfortable speaking up during conversations
with others.
The book covers how to communicate effectively by understanding how words
are interpreted across different communities. Additionally, it provides
specific tips on improving your speaking skills through active listening
(e.g., repeating back key points), and storytelling (e.g., telling stories
that grab attention). All these strategies help create deeper connections
with our audience which makes them feel more comfortable in our presence and
results in more effective communication overall!
Listen Up! is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to become a
better communicator and build stronger relationships with those around them
without the need for manipulation or persuasion. Whether you’re looking to
make new friends or strengthen existing relationships this book has
something for everyone looking to become a better communicator!
EXCERPT
I was a child of no words. People scared me. The world was terrifying. Loud noises were too much. With no way to call for help, I clung to safety as best as I could, and, at the time, my sole source of comfort was my family. I considered everyone else off-limits. My internal world was all about protection and retreat. To the external world, I was a very socially awkward and needy child.
After I tested negative for autism, the doctors chalked up my behavior to my speech delay and sent me on my way to get speech therapy for the next nine years. Over time, words finally escaped my lips, and I started to trust other kids enough to form friendships. Even then, I still felt very different than everyone else around me. Deep inside, I felt like there was a hidden truth that lurked, crawling its way around my thoughts silently as I went about my life, leaving me with more questions than answers.
Eventually, I found solace in writing. The written word allowed me to freely articulate my emotions and my ideas without the interference of worldly judgments and rules. It was in this space I was able to recount my day, explore different worlds, and play within the confines of my mind. At some point, I created my own superhero—a play on Marvel Comics’ “The Phoenix”—but made her my own. It was glorious, and I loved it. Yet there were moments of sadness and loneliness because I still felt far removed from the truth of my being, which felt so separate from my external world. Everyone around me saw me as the typical sweet Asian American girl who got good grades and did anything and everything to make her family proud. I felt extremely misunderstood and uncomfortable in my skin.
Then my life took a turn. After a fateful trip to a Baja research station through the local community college (I was a sophomore in high school), I changed all my other plans to become a journalist and beelined to marine biology. I got my bachelor of science in ecology, behavior, and evolution from the University of California, San Diego. I worked as a lab technician contracted for the National Marine Fisheries Service. For fourteen years, my primary role was to extract the DNA from sea turtle tissue samples (e.g., skin, blood, dead turtle embryos, and muscle) and turn it into data that would eventually play a role in protecting sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act. In a nutshell, the work I did helped scientists determine whether or not a fishery was catching too many sea turtles. If so, they could shut the fishery down. (To this day, every time I tell the story about my prior career, I get a little embarrassed because I have no clue how to describe my work succinctly!)
All in all, life was good. My time in the lab was mixed with some fun adventures. How many people can say they caught and sampled turtles in San Diego and the US Virgin Islands? My bet is not many! As cool as my research was, I still felt stifled. My internal truth would not let me forget that there was something I was not seeing. I felt this way despite falling in love, getting married, overcoming some major health issues, and doing some serious work on myself emotionally and physically. What more could there be to unfold?
When I got the news that my then-lab manager was leaving us to become a health coach, the change in personnel seemed to spur me into action. I thought that perhaps going into business for myself would shed some light on this “unknowingness” that refused to go away. I completed a year-long health coaching certification program. Despite my best efforts, I still could not make a dime from my coaching business. I was a new mom (my daughter was born one month after I got my certification) and had no idea what I was doing. Marketing? Charging money? Business felt alien to me. What on earth was I supposed to do? After a lot of trial and error and thousands of dollars spent, my business coach saw how my lack of progress had left me feeling emotionally raw and demoralized. It was then she challenged me to change my business focus to copywriting. I seemed to have a natural knack for the written word. I also saw a clearer view of how my craft could fit inside a business model. Lo and behold, I got my first two clients within one week of changing over my website and business cards. Hallelujah!
As things unfolded, I saw two distinct benefits to this new direction. It defined a clear deliverable to an audience that was willing to pay. It combined the creative and analytical parts of me. It was a much easier sell than health coaching, and my confidence skyrocketed I started to notice something I had never pieced together. When I shifted my focus to writing, my clients opened up to me on a deeper level. Some of them said things they had never spoken out loud before. Some of them saw their value in a way they had never seen before. Some even started to cry during the consultations. I started to notice I had a gift for pulling people’s stories out of them. What was even more profound was that this didn’t start when I became a copywriter. This was an innate ability that had been with me since birth, and I was finally owning up to it. As I was helping my clients own new parts of themselves, I went on a similar journey with them. This was when I really dove into my spirituality. I started reading material about empaths (people who feel empathy for others to the point of taking on other people’s emotions as their own). I had to own up to another fundamental truth: I was an empath myself.
It all suddenly made sense. My behavior as a child. The feeling of “not belonging.” All the times getting “lost” in others. The need to protect myself. I thought it was just people-pleasing, but it wasn’t. I even recall instances when I was fine one moment, then angry the next—for no other reason than sitting right next to someone who most likely felt those feelings. Unexplained bodily pains were no longer an enigma because they, too, were a side effect of my empathic nature. The shadow lurking in the darkness had finally stepped into the light—and an undiscovered part of myself began to emerge. I saw a vision of a beautiful phoenix waiting to soar the skies.
Now, why did I tell you my story? Why bother spending the time going over all of this with you when you just want to dive in and get what you need from this book? I’m using my own story to model the framework this book will lay out for you. My journey allowed me to dive into the analytical (the scientist), the creative (the writer), and the intuitive (the empath) aspects of my total Self.
My journey has not only deepened my self-awareness but also revealed three primary groups of people who naturally resonate with me and my work. By focusing my efforts on learning to speak the language of these three personas, I have been able to jump between worlds and translate different worldviews. Even though the three groups are made of fundamentally different people, they all want the same thing: to be seen and heard as they truly are without shame and judgment. If you can give people the gift of being heard, then not only will you earn their trust but you will earn their respect too. Whether you are working to hone your personal elevator pitch for a particular audience or trying to engage with a coworker who thinks very differently than you, this book will come in handy. I’m ready when you are.
Are you coming?
About the Author
Amy Lanci is a communication consultant, storyteller, and dot connector.
After wrapping up a fourteen-year career in sea turtle genetics, she moved
on to fully embrace her gifts by giving birth to her company, Untold Story
Enterprises. She has since spoken about storytelling and communication in
workshops, podcasts, summits, and international conferences. Her story is
featured in the first edition of Goddesses Among Us.
Contact Links
Tiktok: @amylanci192
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