Tag Archives: linda yates

Service and Chopsticks

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What do chopsticks have to do with service? Chopsticks

Last week we explored elements of a positive service experience for both the giver and the receiver. Today I was pondering how you would teach good service to an employee or an individual that you are trying to mentor even if that person has never good experienced service before.

It would be hard for them to deliver exceptional service if they had not experienced exceptional service before. They would not know what to do when confronted with the different types of service scenarios that could occur, so there would be a disconnect or missing link for that individual.

One great way of teaching is leading by example. One way to get your students to learn is to get them to teach you. While eating lunch with chopsticks one day I was contemplating this learning by teaching and it reminded me of a personal experience when I thought I would never be able to learn, as I had instructor after instructor try to teach me.

The story goes like this – I was raised on an Idaho farm and ranch. I spent my summer competing in rodeo events, driving cattle and pulling weeds in the sugar beet fields. Eating out was a true luxury because the nearest town was a good distance away and I have five brothers and two sisters. When we did eat out, it was typically a hamburger stand.

On very special occasions my parents would go to a Chinese restaurant that was 50 miles away. A few of us kids got to attend a couple of those occasions and because I was naïve to the tastes of different ethic foods, I always opted for the one “American” dish on the menu. After one of those dinners, I remember my Mom serving some of the leftovers and I thought I would try a bite and you guessed it, I was hooked! Oriental food and all its varieties now happen to be one of my favorite foods. I love to cook them, smell them, and lastly eat them!

As I moved away from home and started my adult life I was traveling all over the country and when I would have oriental food the people I was with or the wait staff at the restaurant would try to teach me how to use chopsticks. This went on for twelve years. Every new person that I had oriental food with would try to teach me their way of using chopsticks.

One evening I was dining alone and sitting at a Sushi Bar and got into a conversation with a gentleman about chopsticks, he said: “Linda, just pick them up in your hand, don’t think about it, and practice picking up the larger pieces.” I tried, missed, tried several more times and finally as time went on, I was eating with chopsticks and today can even pick up a grain of rice.

What does this teach us? First off, when you have experienced something that someone is trying to teach you, and you try their way exactly you may not ever get it right. You may find that with applying your own unique style, your outcome is the same or perhaps better when a variation on the skill was implemented. Also, we learn that we each are given innate hardware.

Even if we have never experienced great service in our lives, the ability to give great service can be learned and can be delivered with our own style and signature. The best way to learn something is to teach it – so with those you lead or have stewardship over get them to teach you what great service is to them and they will deliver far above your expectations.

We are born with a birthright to succeed that applies to giving great service and even learning how to use chopsticks!

Million-Dollar Contact

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Dollar sign

You never know who will be your next million-dollar contact – so the trick to being prepared is to treat everyone whom you associate with as if they already were your million-dollar client, buyer and/or associate. Your ability to be respected and liked by a multitude of personalities is pivotal to your success in any aspect of professional or even your personal life.

I heard this quote from C.S. Lewis a few years ago and it has resonated with me. He stated, “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.”

What I have learned from this is that my true character is always the foundation of who I am and affects how I treat everyone I come in contact with. Some people believe that humans cannot change; that who you are and how you act is and will always be set in stone. I also know from personal experience that is NOT true. For I have seen my own and others character transform authentically when consciously worked upon – where eventually it become subconscious. Life is a gift that if we seize the opportunity to learn and grow and change its beauty will flourish and the wealth we experience will grow in all aspects of our lives.

You can become a magnet to others through, consciously deciding to do so.

How do you treat those whom you meet as if they were a million-dollar contact? Let’s begin with a few steps:

1. Smile at everyone you meet. Now in some parts of the country or even the world this may go against your culture, your personality or even your nature. But let me put it to you this way, how do you feel when a newborn smiles at you? Does that simple gesture infuse you with warmth? Does it bring a smile to your face? Smiling is the key to your ability to succeed.

2. Make eye contact. The window to everyone’s soul is through his or her eyes. When you make eye contact you are acknowledging their existence and you are exuding confidence and imparting the feeling of trust.

3. Logging the individual’s first name to memory. This personally has been a hard thing for me to do, but as I traveled and spoke in countries around the world, I made it a game to tie the individual’s first name to a hobby or interest of theirs.

4. Ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to connect and show interest in everyone you deal with. It is through questions that synergistic opportunities are created.

5. Being responsive. After you have met the new contact and established an opportunity to follow-up be sure to make it a priority. Especially if you have made promises. It surprises me when people are surprised that I am responsive. This habit has served me well throughout my life.

You never know when you are meeting and networking with others what opportunities lie in the future, either through the first degree contact or even the seventh. By making small changes to how you interact with others, you can bring million dollar returns today and tomorrow.
As I look back over my life, I can tie every positive thing that has happened to me because of the individuals whose path I had the opportunity to cross. I know when I consciously make an effort to treat everyone I meet with as if they were a million-dollar contact I have experienced happiness and peace within myself. At the end of the day we all are incredible to degrees we can’t physically or emotionally comprehend. May you realize your potential through these simple steps.

Five A’s to Marketing Yourself

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1099 Form

As 1099s and W-2s come in the mail for the previous year’s earnings, I often ask myself how can I earn more this year than I did last? There are many factors that affect that question. The productivity cost of doing business, sales pipeline and the economy are just a few.

One of the key ingredients to having a more profitable year is marketing. Whether you are the business owner or an employee, everyone engages in some type of marketing. Recently, one of my trusted advisors and I were speaking of this topic of marketing oneself.

There are so many factors involved. In fact I believe that often we don’t realize the impact of the little things we do that affects how others respond to us. Let’s take a look at some of those areas.

1. Appearance. This is an important aspect of how people perceive us. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair that how we dress or look makes a difference. The reality is that those who we do business with react to us based on how we dress, our grooming and our body language.

2. Actions. It is true that actions speak louder than words. If what we say contradicts how we act then integrity becomes questioned and trust impaired.

3. Attitude. Now you may be wondering what in the world does our attitude have to do with how we market ourselves. The secret here is being positive. Humans draw on light and positivity. If you exude a positive outlook and demeanor then others will want to associate with you. We all like winners or at least the perception of associating with winners.

4. Associates. Who you associate yourself with will determine your income level. As mentioned in the attitude section, if you associate with winners you will win. If you want to lose weight or improve your health you need to spend time with people that are reaching their health and fitness goals. We all need positive reinforcement. To increase your income associate with those individuals who have proven positive work habits. This will help you improve your daily habits.

5. Accountability. Being accountable for your actions or lack of actions will put you on the fast track to economic growth. People have a habit of blaming others for their circumstances while not looking at themselves in the mirror. Be sure to ask yourself: ”What could I have done different and what was my part in the outcomes of my actions or inactions?”

There is so much to explore with each of these five topics in marketing yourself. One of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself is, “Would I buy from me?” If not, why and what do you need to change within yourself so that the answer is yes?

It is not enough just to believe you can be successful. You must come to know it. You need to know this fact with every fiber of your being. If you know something you can’t help but exude positive energy, others will want to associate with you.

By following these five steps, your business and income will flourish and next year’s tax forms will be the proof in the pudding!