E- Zine - July 2003

WELCOME to the PROTOCOL PLUS MONTHLY E-ZINE

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
Tips to Outclass Your Competition – Beat shyness.

At least half of all American adults self-identify as shy. Most feel their shyness gets in the way of their relating to people and career success. Some are afraid to walk into a room and meet strangers. Some people hate eating in front of others. Some even hate parties. The reality is that it’s often an obligation we must meet if we want to get ahead in our careers and businesses.

Shyness is far more common than you might think. Most people think shy people are introverts, but there are many extroverts who are shy. If shyness is getting in your way, there are some things you can do about it.

  • Recognizing you have the challenge of shyness is the first step.
  • Make a list of all your good qualities. Enjoy yourself for who you are.
  • Pick one area of your life where you would like to see a change and concentrate on that ONE area. Do not overwhelm yourself. Take “baby steps.”
  • Each day, ask yourself “What ONE thing can I do today to help me overcome shyness?” It may be as simple as smiling and making eye contact with the teller at the bank, saying hello to the grocery clerk, or asking someone about themselves – their favorite subject. They will think you are a wonderful conversationalist.
  • Stay with it. Don’t think you have to be perfect - just be yourself.
Many of my clients place the “shy label” on themselves or perhaps their parents told them they were shy. Sometimes it’s not shyness, but lack of confidence in social skills. If social skills are getting in the way of your enjoying life, call for private, confidential, training to give you the skills you need to present yourself with confidence and poise. No one will ever know. Shyness is not a terminal disease and with savvy social skills, self-confidence can be arranged.

Call 405-341-3216 today to overcome this challenge so you can enjoy life and be perfectly at ease in any social situation.

Customer Service Techniques – Guest First Standards.

I was recently in a store looking for a product. No one seemed to notice or care that I was wondering aimlessly down isles looking for something or someone – anyone to help me find what I needed. The employees whizzed by me quickly – avoiding eye contact for fear I would “bother” them with a question. I won’t go back to that store. Has that ever happened to you? Did you go back to that store?

That store would do well to be familiar with the Six Flags mission –“Exceeding Expectations.” A summary of their “Guest First” service is:
  1. We will always be Guest Ready. Comply with dress cods and grooming standards, arrive at work on time and “Don’t pass it up, Pick it up!”
  2. We will always make our Guests welcome. Smile, make eye contact, and greet the Guest. Never allow Guests to hear personal conversations and always speak positively about Six Flags products, people, or services.
  3. We will answer our Guests’ questions. Know the health and safety standards and take personal responsibility to get the answer to any question a Guest asks.
  4. We will offer assistance to our Guests. If we observe a Guest looking at a map or taking a picture, we will offer to help. If something is unavailable to our Guest, focus on what the Guest CAN DO.
Do you treat your customers with Guest First service? Companies who are not keeping their customers happy, satisfied and loyal will not thrive for long. To master the many ways to treat your customers like Guests, keep their loyalty, and increase your profits, visit http://www.protocolplus.net/seminar/smallbus.html or call 405-341-3216 today.

The Coach’s Corner – Create supportive environments.

Do you rely on yourself and your willpower to get things done? Certainly you can rely on yourself to get things done. Why put yourself through the stress when you can design environments to support you in your actions. Think of your environments as partners that help you reach your goals.

Let’s say you are a wonderful, successful salesman, but your desk is loaded with paperwork that is long overdue. Customers are demanding answers, replies, etc. Paperwork is just not your niche. What/who can help you here? Creating a supportive environment could be hiring an assistant to come in once a week to do your paperwork. It could be going into the office one hour earlier each morning and not accepting any phone calls or interruptions. Almost anything can be your environment – family, friends, physical surroundings, ideas from others, a network, nature… Having supporting environments reduces stress and takes the pressure off you. Your environments support you to do more with less effort.

Coaching questions:
Pick one of your present environments.
How did it come to be this way?
How well is it working?
Is it supporting or hindering you?
Is it inspiring or demanding?
If it just took care of you, what would it look like?

Would you like to look at your environments to see how well they support you? As your coach, we can design your environments to fit you vs. you fitting your environment.

If you want to make significant changes in your life, hire me as your coach. Our coaching relationship is powerful, and when the going gets tough we stay in collaboration and work through to the other side. As your coach, you have my word that I am 100% committed to you being powerful, successful and to having the life you want.

Quotes of the Month – How to treat others.

To behave to everyone as if you were receiving a great guest.”
         --- Confucius

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”
         --- George Washington

Ask the Expert - Embarrassed by bad food in restaurant.

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