Sales & Leadership Tips From Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has extraordinary interpersonal skills. She is a superstar at ‘people buy people first’. Yes, she is an incredible songwriter and singer, but these skills alone are not usually enough to produce such spectacular, global success. It’s her ability to win people over that warrants further investigation.

So, just how does she get people to ‘buy’ her? Here are our thoughts:

Tip 1: Like Them First

Whenever she is being interviewed, or on a chat show, she ALWAYS has something kind and complimentary to say about the other participants. She does her homework.

On the Graham Norton show with fellow guest Eddie Redmayne, she says ‘You’re one of my favourite actors, you’re so ridiculously talented’. On another show with Saoirse Ronan, star of the film Hanna, she says ‘You carry that whole movie’.

When talking about her fans, she says ‘They’re really smart’.

She goes out of her way to talk about a clear-cut skill or attribute she likes about the people she is communicating with.

That’s the lesson for us all.

In sales, when talking to a potential client – comment positively about something they have done, or something about them or their business, or their offices, or their advertising. People buy people first.

As a leader – praise a specific skill or attribute of a team member – for example, say: ‘The thing I like about you is ….’ Or ‘The one thing I admire about your approach is …’

Being sincere and authentic is understood here. Paying someone a genuine compliment shows confidence in yourself.

Tip 2: Be Upbeat

Taylor Swift radiates enthusiasm and joy. She owns charisma and positive energy. This is surely one of her secrets to winning people over. Always upbeat her attitude is infectious. People want to be around positive people.

Of course, like all of us, she has suffered setbacks – the difference is what happens next. Many of her songs talk about turning adversity into a positive. Such skills are essential for success in sales and just about every other challenging role.

This naturally leads to the question – What do you radiate? What do people say about you when you’re not there?

Tip 3: Attitude of Gratitude

The third interpersonal skill from Taylor, is her ability to acknowledge a compliment.

Many people when you pay them a compliment, say ‘It’s nothing’, or offer a shy ‘thanks’. Taylor says ‘THANK YOU’ in a powerful, appreciative way. Often followed with a pause then ‘THANK YOU SO MUCH’. She is highly appreciative and it’s engaging. People like to know their positive comments are well received. Her gratitude shows humility.

Think about how you can weave these skills into your communication.

Public Speaker

Away from singing, Taylor Swift is also an outstanding motivational speaker. Her speech to New York University 2022 Commencement Address is well worth a watch – especially if you are looking to improve your speaking skills. One of the YouTube comments describes it well – ‘Poised, confident, humble, funny, charming, and so attuned to her audience’.

(Speech begins at 3.44).

Two insightful Taylor Swift quotes:
“Hard things will happen to us. We will recover. We will learn from it. We will grow more resilient because of it.”

“The times I was told ‘no’ or wasn’t included, wasn’t chosen, didn’t win, didn’t make the cut…looking back, it really feels like those moments were as important, if not more crucial, than the moments I was told ‘yes.’”

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