WOW Word-Of-the-Week #396: Energetic
March 7, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Energetic – actively interested in being or in doing.
Do you feel energetic when you are at work? Are you actively interested? Do you have hobbies or interests that you love doing and that energizes you?
This is the final WOW in the series from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The other E in SERVICE stands for Energy. In my book, I describe it as, “The indefinable sensation you get when you walk into a place where things are happening. That rush of adrenaline that comes over you when you feel that things are going well, that life is good, that people are happy, and that all things are possible. When energy is there, you know it. When it’s not, you know that too. The trick is to learn how to make it always there.” And this brings me to my:
FUN-damental Service Secret #5
“Make Your Customers Feel Good
About Spending Their Money!”
People want to go places where they feel welcome and that create a positive emotion. And they will keep coming back as long as you fulfill that need! In my seminars, I talk about the “Energy Flow” that you feel when you walk into any business. The key is to have “Positive Energy Flow” not negative! As I have said before, “Emotions and moods are contagious, and so is ENERGY!”
Usually, when we are feeling good, we have lots of energy. When we are tired or sick we tend to drag due to lack of energy. Are you getting adequate sleep? Are you getting enough exercise? Do you have hobbies or interests that you love to do?
This week focus on your energy level. Do your customers, guests, members, or clients feel “Positive Energy Flow” when they are around you? What are the things you do that make you feel energetic? What could you do differently to become more actively interested in your work and/or personal life?
Reader Responses
“Our energy level is an excellent outward reflection of how we feel inside. It shows we are interested in being where we are and wanting to be others in that place. As you know, people’s body language is a truth-teller. Posture, walking, facial expressions and tone of voice all let others know our energy level and whether we are invested in the day. I’m sure you have seen many people slouching at their desks, day in and day out. Or walking slowly around the office. Not smiling. Mumbling their responses to questions. These are the perfect tell-tale signs of people who not only have no energy, but don’t want to be where they are. Our energy level is a great indicator of how we interact with one another every day. If there is anything that I have learned in my public life, it is that people watch other people every day. People do notice how we look, dress, interact and react. As much as we may not care what people think of our everyday energy and behavior, it is a true reflection on us – in more ways than one. Thanks, Susan. Have a great weekend. Sunday is “Selection Sunday” on CBS for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The Madness is about to begin!” – “Warrior” Joe
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #395: Creative
February 29, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Creative – the ability to use your imagination.
Do you feel creative at work? Are you encouraged to share your ideas? Do you have a creative outlet in your personal life?
This is the sixth in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The C in SERVICe stands for Creative. And when it comes to service, it means being able to see beyond the surface and the obvious. To look past what the customer says in order to find what the customer NEEDS.
Ask any salesperson whose income depends on his or her ability to get around objections and blocks. They know that what looks and sounds like a NO can often be a MAYBE in disguise. A MAYBE that some creative thinking can easily turn into a YES!
Wildly Creative
Creative also means being able to change your presentation to fit the needs of your customers, guests, members, or clients. If you are a manager, I can’t tell you how important it is to role play. One of your jobs is to help your staff create their own personalized presentations. That way they will sound more sincere and real, instead of canned or phony, and who are uncomfortable using someone else’s words.
When it comes to servers increasing check averages, always refer to it as “helping your customers, guests, members, or clients,” and not “Suggestive Selling.” If you want to be successful making suggestions I personally found that you should always:
1. Be Specific
2. Offer Two Choices
Making Suggestions–It has been proven that servers can influence customers, guests, clients or members easier with a nod and/or a smile. And a whopping 78.3 percent of the time they will go along with the servers suggestion if they feel a sense of trust. And this brings me to my:
FUN-damental Service Secret #4
“Give The Customer Not What He WANTS,
But What He Really NEEDS.”
This week think about how creative you are. Do you enjoy being creative and using your imagination? Do you feel more creative at work or at home? Do you ask questions to find out exactly what your customers, guests, members, or clients really need?
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #394: Involvement
February 22, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Involvement – engaged and/or fully occupied.
Do you feel involvement in your professional life? Are you a part of the decision making process? Are you fully engaged when it comes to your personal life?
This is the fifth in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The I in SERVIce stands for Involvement. I believe involvement is about being connected with the people around you, caring about them and how they are doing.
It’s like being on a basketball team. You make your teammates’ job easier; they make your job easier. After all, your professional future is determined by the future of the company you work for.
As far as your personal life, do you give those around you your full attention? Are you fully engaged and involved? I remember one of my male audience members complaining that his wife takes too long to tell him how her day was. My response was, “Is it hard for you to just listen? Is it OK to not be able to “fix” her problems?
You see, we all process our day differently. Being involved with your family and friends means caring about them and how they are doing. Sometimes that means we need to just listen. Sometimes that requires more patience! That applies to all the people we come in contact with at work as well. And that brings me to:
FUN-damental Service Secret #6
“If You Can’t Get Out Of It;
Get Into It!”
This week focus on how involved you are each day. At work are you just going through the motions every day or do you really care about your co-workers and the company you work for? How involved are you with your customers, guests, clients or members? Could you be more involved and engaged with your loved ones?
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #393: Values
February 14, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Values – your system for guiding your conscience.
Do you have a clear picture of what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable? Do you work for a company that has a strong sense of values?
This is the fourth in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The V in SERVice stands for Values. It means that a person believes in the basic simple truths about human behavior. Things like being truthful, conducting your affairs honestly, following through, being there for someone, and being reliable. Doing what is morally and ethically right.
And that includes putting in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. It sort of goes back to the idea of respect: if you respect people, you won’t try to cheat them. If you respect your job, you won’t try to shortcut it. And most important if you respect yourself, you’ll conduct yourself with dignity.
In my study of behavior and why people do what they do, I learned that your belief system determines your values, your values determine your attitudes, and your attitudes get played out in your behavior.
Have you found that as you have grown and matured some of the values your parents instilled in you are no longer your values? Or have your values changed based on your experiences or environment?
This week focus on your values. Do you always let your conscience be your guide? Are you proud of the company that you work for because they are true to their values? Have you ever stopped seeing someone because they didn’t share the same values?
Readers Responses
“I liked what you said about values, attitude and behavior, and how our belief system affected all three. As I thought about it, I believe you are correct. Not only is my conscience my guide, but I find that the values inculcated by my parents are stronger today than when I was growing up. My wife and I have inculcated these same values in our daughters. My 10-year-old’s grade school has a slogan on its marquee: “Character counts.” And everyone in the school from the principal on down through the kindergarten teachers epitomize this in their work with the students. Values flow from the top-down. And that goes for any workplace. If the executives at the top are exhibiting solid values, then it will flow down to the workers. This is an important word in these tough times. Thanks, Susan.” – “Warrior” Joe
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #392: Regard
February 6, 2012 by Susan Clarke · 2 Comments
Regard – consideration and respect for a person.
Do you feel you treat the people in your personal and professional life with consideration and respect? Do you feel that you are treated with consideration and respect by your customers, guests, clients, members, co-workers, bosses, or employees? How about your family and friends?
This is the third in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your 
customers feel good about spending their money!” The R in SERvice stands for Regard. I believe in the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as though you are the others.” If you want to be treated with high regard then you need to treat the people around you with consideration and respect. Every person that you come in contact with deserves to be treated with high regard.
Your customers, guests, clients, or members are not just “another transaction.” They are human beings with wants and needs – the same as you. They want and deserve to be treated the same way you do when you’re a customer, and that is with courtesy, dignity, politeness, and respect.
By the same token, you must hold yourself and your job in high regard too. You’re not just filling up time and space, but you are helping people make their lives better, no matter what you do. Each thing you do has value and is worth something.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO: when you serve people, you are affecting their lives. Look at your customers, guests, clients, or members as part of your extended family. Which brings me to;
FUN-damental Service Secret #3
“It’s Not a Customer; It’s a Guest!
It’s Not Your Business; It’s Your Home!”
This week focus on how you much regard you hold for the people in your life. Could you treat your customers, guests, clients, or members with more consideration and respect? How would it feel to treat everyone like guests in your home instead of strangers in your business? How does it feel when you are treated with consideration and respect as a customer?
Reader Responses
“I absolutely love this and try to stress it in our office. Thank you so much for sharing it – I have printed it out and taped to my monitor!
“It’s Not a Customer; It’s a Guest!
It’s Not Your Business; It’s Your Home!” – Mary
“Great word. I have to admit that when I first saw the word it reminded me of a “Seinfeld” episode. One woman was having a conversation with Elaine when the subject of George Costanza came up. The woman told Elaine to “send her regards” to George. Elaine told George that the woman said “hi.” When George called the woman, she agreed to meet him. George, thinking it was a date, was obviously excited to see the woman, whom he had been interested in the past. While driving, the woman asked George if he considered their meeting a date. George said that he had, because of what Elaine had told him. The woman said, “George, I never told Elaine to say hi to you. I told her to send my regards.” I guess that is not the same thing as saying hi. In any event, I liked what you said about the Golden Rule. Treat others as if you were the others. Not enough of us do that on a regular basis. When I am at work, I treat my co-workers and bosses with dignity and respect. I try to listen to everything they ask and request during the day. I give them the benefit of the doubt. While it certainly has a lot to do with the fact that I like the people I work with and for, I like to be treated as well. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I make it a point to remember the birthdays, anniversaries and special events in the lives of family and friends, with cards and/or phone calls. Whether I receive them in return does not matter, because it is important to me to do that every year. While it would be nice to have it acknowledged, I do it because I WANT TO; not because I will get that acknowledgement. It helps me to get out of myself. Besides, we don’t do enough writing of letters, cards and thank you notes in our society today. I regard all of them as special. My younger brother has six children. On a regular basis I would send birthday cards, congratulatory cards and other remembrances to them. My brother told me not to send the cards anymore because his kids and his ex-wife would throw the cards in the garbage without opening them. They figured since I did not put money in the envelopes there was no point in opening the cards. So, I did not send cards to his kids anymore. I was tempted once to put money or a gift card in one of the envelopes, and then call to ask if they received it. But, I decided not to. I guess these are the times we live in, Susan. But it is important to still treat others with respect, whether others do it or not. WE have to show the example. Whether others follow it or not is up to them.” – “Warrior” Joe