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Charisma Cards: Affirmations for the Art of Making Enduring Connections

They’re the size of a deck of playing cards, but they deliver powerful messages about how to be a dynamic communicator. People are getting hooked on Charisma Cards™--50 Irresistible Ways to Energize Your Personal Magnetism, the latest tool that helps promote good connections and builds productive, enjoyable relationships at work, especially important for building viable teams.

“To create positive relationships, we need to feel connected to others,” says Sandra Strauss, a professional speaker and co-creator of the Charisma Cards™ “Great connections have become even more cherished, but developing and maintaining positive, productive connections is challenging. Our attitudes impact our actions, and we need to make conscious choices about the connections we’re making with others.”

“Having the skills to create good connections with our colleagues makes a significant difference to our productivity. Poor connections are definite stressors—at work they drain productivity, reduce morale and cause chronic tension,” says Strauss.

Strauss, a communications coach and co-author, Arnold Snow, a marketing strategist, developed the cards to address a question frequently posed to them in their work: Is charisma the secret to making good connections? To gain greater insights about this quality, they surveyed hundreds of people around the country. Their responses consistently pointed to charismatic qualities as the key to positive relationships.

“People who possess good relationship-building skills create unlimited opportunities and serves as a magnet for success,” says Snow, a marketing strategist and speaker. “They gain the respect and loyalty of colleagues and customers, make people feel valued and appreciated, attract the interest and attention of others, and generate ever-expanding networks and opportunities in endless ways.”

Strauss and Snow created a set of people-connecting affirmations. Each card offers tips for immediate application to improve communication, enhance leadership qualities, strengthen relationships and focus on the techniques for building powerful teams.

Snow and Strauss wanted a tool well-suited for training customer service, sales and marketing professionals, and the staffs of government agencies and nonprofits for creating important connections with all their key audiences, strengthening valuable relationships and providing individuals with some handy tools to build team-building skills.

“Our performance at work is all about relationships and our ability to nurture rich, rewarding connections,” says Strauss. “Each of us has the power to influence, to energize, empower and inspire others. Charisma helps us create and expand an ever-widening circle of influence through the development of a powerful presence.”

A few examples of Charisma Cards™ at work

Ilene Turbow, V.P. Marketing, Ryan’s Steak Houses, a Fortune 500 company, with a chain of 326 restaurants in 23 states says, “The Charisma Cards™ are useful training tools. They help focus managers and team members on positive behaviors for impacting sales."

Karen Petry, Training Specialist, Costal Health District, of Georgia, purchased more than 200 decks of Charisma Cards™ for each employee in the district for use in their health care training programs. “The cards are so versatile. We use them in many different ways. For instance, we’ve used them in our training sessions by having staff members clip on a card to their clothing. We then talk about how each message relates to building good relationships with both colleagues and clients. Our employees also carry a card each week in their wallets as a way to continually reflect upon the positive affirmations on the cards as well as ways to apply them on-the-job.”

Rosemary Pappas of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. shuffles through a deck of Charisma Cards™ every morning to get her day going in the right direction. “I also rotate cards in my weekly planner to reflect upon one or two messages throughout each day and week. These nuggets of wisdom help to position my attitude and interactions with others and enjoy good connections with both personal and professional relationships.”

Iris Adams, a staff member of the Inspector General’s leadership team in the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses the information from Charisma Cards™ as screen savers for USDA’s intranet. “It reminds our staff daily what we need to do for building enjoyable working relationships.”

Lloyd Tucker of the Document Management Industries Association, Washington, DC says that he puts one Charisma Card in his wallet each week to focus on strategies for promoting a positive work environment.

Katherine Hutt of Nautilus Communications, a public relations firm in Vienna, VA, draws a new card from the deck every week, posting it by her computer. “These messages make a difference in what I say and do, too. They’re great reminders to constantly extend my best to everyone, whether on the phone, in meetings and dealing with the everyday matters of business. They keep me focused on what’s really important.”

SAMPLE AFFIRMATIONS FROM CHARISMA CARDS™

The 50-card deck of Charisma Cards™ are printed in black and gold with original, eye-catching artwork, and packaged for gift-giving in an elegant black suede pouch.

One side of each card includes a bold affirmation for making positive connections and the other, some tips for reaching that outcome, all important for building lasting professional and personal relationships. Here are a few examples:

Encourage the human spirit! We like to be on the winning team as well as to be cheered on to triumph and succeed. People who inspire and motivate, command the interest and loyalty of others. Speak the language of success. Appeal to the winning spirit in everyone.

I seek understanding of others' needs as a top priority. By giving others an opportunity to be fully heard, to explain needs, to air grievances and share why something is important shows a desire to understand.

I extend respect and understanding when people don't do what I want them to do or treat me the way I want to be treated. People play by their own "rules" and may not be familiar with yours. Remind yourself that others have their own "rules." Check out your rules and be open-minded or risk losing charismatic appeal and some valuable moments of connection.

I express an attitude of gratitude! Thank people for their help, time, service, thoughtfulness, caring or support. Showing appreciation to others is rewarded by receiving more help, more thoughtfulness, more caring, more support in return--more of what you want. By developing an "attitude of gratitude," you're setting up good thing to return to you!

I focus on the needs of others. Showing that you honor others' needs wins their respect and maintains connection. Asking others for their ideas helps in both finding solutions and in showing that you care about them.

Custom Capabilities Available

Quantity orders can be customized with a business or organization’s logo and marketing message. A customized card about the company or organization can be added to the deck, providing a promotional opportunity. The pouch is also available for customization with an organization’s logo.

Charisma Cards™ are pocket-sized tools designed to positively impact attitude, service, productivity, performance, image, and relationships that build conscious connections. Suggested retail for these relationship-building tools is $19.95.

Note: Snow and Strauss have also co-authored a new book on building good relationships, Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere--8 Keys to Creating Enduring Connections with Customers, Co-Workers . . . Even Kids!

Charisma Cards™

Motivate! Energize! Inspire!