Create a Positive, Upbeat, Can-Do Workforce and Dazzle the Customer with Your Caring!

Given the choice of dealing with a positive, upbeat employee with a "can-do" attitude or dealing with a disgruntled, distracted, uninterested one, which would you choose? No contest. Customers always want the best experience possible; they want it to be easy and pleasant to do business with your company. Enter the real challenge of "Relationship Management," the relationships. Until all of our business is done electronically, and much of it might be, managers, in addition to making sure the work gets done, still need to be concerned with the performance of the most important link in the customer connection - people.

Whether answering the phone, fixing equipment, selling a product or reconciling an unpaid invoice, the quality of the interaction between one human being and another is what will be judged by the customer to determine how much you care about them and their business. If the state of your relationship skills does not equal or exceed your sales and marketing skills, your "lifetime" relationship is in danger.

As a manager you should know that survey after survey reports that people prefer to do business with a positive, upbeat person. As a customer, you instinctively know that people want to do business with people who enjoy what they are doing, are having a good time doing it and genuinely care about being able to help you solve your problem, or achieve your goals. So, here are some tips on creating a more positive, up-beat, can-do work force.

1. Remember, the best teacher is a good example. First examine your own behavior. Are you walking the positive talk or are you mumbling beneath you breath, "3 more days 'til Friday." Take great care to listen to your own language. Do you frame things in the positive, or do you often start your sentences with "No." Do you say "Yes, but.." a lot, negating the first half of your sentence with your last? If so, purchase a copy of "Learned Optimism" by Martin Seligman for your corporate library and inhale it. Then pass it on. Optimistic people adapt easier to change, are more creative, have more fun and are healthier then pessimistic ones. They live longer too. Think about it, looking for innovation? Think optimism, that's one way to get there.

2. Learn (and teach) the power of positive self-talk. Often our internal chatter is negative. Reprogram your own chatter and then listen carefully for signs of it in others. When you hear someone saying, "Boy am I stupid," gently coach them away from that attitude by replying with "Don't be so hard on yourself, you're not stupid. You may have made a bad decision, we all do, from time to time, let's talk about that, what you've learned, and how to avoid it in the future." Our bodies respond to our self-talk, if we tell ourselves we are disorganized, we behave just that way. Tell yourself, with conviction, you are an organized person, and the behavior will begin to change. Our brain responds literally, like our computers. Learn to replace negative programming with positive.

3. Ban Whining. One whiner in the group can bring everyone down. A whiner is like an infection - it spreads. Put one strong whiner in a room and they can turn it into a pity party. Stop it at the source. Learn to spot them during the interview process. Don't hire them in the first place, unless you are prepared to keep vigilance over their behavior and attempt to change it. Good luck. Whiners love whining. Put a "No whining" sign on your door.

4. Teach people the art of "win/win." In our competitive society we have a win/lose mentality. This may be a good strategy to fill a sports stadium, not a good way to run a company. Help people to understand that thinking "Win/Win" opens up the possibility for new solutions. Remember, in the 21st century, it's innovation and creativity that will give us the edge, innovation comes from open minds and "possibility thinking."

5. Dump the drama. Melodrama. It sells tabloids, and gets people to watch "Hard Copy" on TV, but it's something you don't need in your company. It saps valuable creative energy. If you've been using "Crisis Management" as your modus operandi, get out of the office, read a few good books, (like Steven Covey's), benchmark with "new thinkers", and learn a new style. Crisis management is passe, wasteful and destructive.

6. Learn, teach and reward "Time-out" stress management techniques. A recent poll says that 90% of all Americans live in a state of chronic stress. YIKES!!!! No wonder customers get treated so poorly. Make sure people understand the role they play in controlling their own stress. We don't have control over circumstances; we do have control of how we perceive them. Take a deep breath, count to ten, walk away (physically or mentally) when you have to and call a "Time-out." Short circuit stress on the way in. Learn good stress management skills and teach them. Reinforce them. "Bob, I noticed how well you reacted with that angry customer yesterday, I was glad to see you take a deep breath and not react defensively - good job - you saved a valuable customer, and your own health as well. I'm proud to have you on the team."

7. Encourage people to live in the "now." Dwell on the past only long enough to figure out what you want to learn from it, and then move on. Stop talking about "the good old days." What is important is what is going on right now. Give your fullest attention to exactly what you are doing now. Do it well, do it right and enjoy it. Customers can always tell if you are giving them your undivided attention, and they really appreciate it.

8. Start a list called "The 10 Best Things about Working Here." Let people add to it and watch it grow. It's fun, positive and a great way to focus people on what's right with your business. After the list is finished start one called "Ten More.." Remember you get more of what you focus on.

9. Get psyched! Recognize that almost 80% of what the average person takes in is negative. You've got a job to do. Create a positive sanctuary in your workplace. Develop a corporate library that includes all kinds of motivational literature, audio and videotapes. Play audiotapes and videotapes in lunchrooms, keep inspirational books around, start discussion groups. Create positive energy, people inside and outside the company will feel it and want to come back for more.

10. Don't worry, be happy. Playing upbeat music helps lift your spirits. Challenge the staff to develop the "Happiest" of happy music tapes, a collection of tunes that will keep people smiling and whistling while they work. (They make great coming to and going home from tapes too.)

11. Smile. When you activate the smiling muscles in your face, you activate the "happy" brain chemicals that help you feel good. You can't be depressed when you are smiling, and smiles are contagious. So, smile.

As a manager, it's your responsibility to help to create an experience for your customer that has the word "value" all over it. Customers respond better to a company that provides them with a quality product at a fair price served up by positive, upbeat, can-do people. Aw come on, who wants to do business with a grump?

About The Author

JoAnna Brandi, is Publisher of JoAnna Brandi's Customer Care Coach TM a weekly training program designed to teach managers "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of three books and has been writing newsletters and articles since 1984. You can sign up to get her latest tips and get your personalized weekly coaching program at http://www.customercarecoach.com. You can find out more about her speaking and other services at Http://www.customerretention.com. You can reach via email: joanna@customercarecoach.com.

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety, as long as the bylines and all links are included. An e-mail notice of your publication would be appreciated: mailto:julie@customercarecoach.com.

---

Your Number One Asset

Customers put you in business, keep you in business, and... Read More

Make An Action Plan To Improve Customer Service

Customer Service is a critical factor for keeping your clients... Read More

Listen to Suggestions

If you are up to your ears in a stressful... Read More

Customer Service - A Lost Art?

Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that... Read More

Developing A Customer Complaint System

Background The company was experiencing an increase in the number... Read More

Whats For Lunch?

As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based... Read More

Customer Service - How Good Are YOU?

At 8.30 am a wealthy client (on his way to... Read More

Dont Work with Jerks: How to Recognize a Difficult Client Early

Five minutes into the call I knew this client was... Read More

Learn to Anticipate Your Customers Needs

This morning I was having breakfast with my good friend... Read More

DONT Give Your Customers What They Want!

One of the mantras we hear repeatedly in business is... Read More

A White Paper: Profiting with Kindness

In 2002, there wasn't much interest for Kindness in business,... Read More

Automating Your Help Desk Workflow

Do you know you can open, answer, close and report... Read More

Customer Satisfaction Is Your Business

Regardless of what business you are in - you are... Read More

Sorry, No Customer Service After 4:00 P.M.

A few months ago, I wrote about ingenious styles of... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Win the Loyalty of Customers

Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, in his cassette album entitled, Win Customers... Read More

Customer Service Consultants

When all else fails in your company to meet the... Read More

Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client!

Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every... Read More

Be the Customer: See Yourself as Your Customers Do

What do your customers experience when they interact with your... Read More

How to Walk the Floor and Talk to Customers

This may seem a strange topic to introduce. Yet, it... Read More

Identify Your Silent Customer Service Message

With the growing number of people in every business sector,... Read More

Setting Up a Customer of the Week Program for a Mobile Car Wash

In a mobile detail or mobile car wash business you... Read More

Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key

Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More

Why Communication Skills Dont Work In Customer Service

Every time my firm conducts communication skills training, we know... Read More

E-Business?s Best Friend: eCRM

From Ebay to the smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Prevent Customer Service Conflicts

There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More

Stand Out in Business the Write Way

When was the last time you received a handwritten note... Read More

Everyone talks in code!

How often have you left a meeting with a customer... Read More

Customer Service - Winning Customer Experiences

Winning Customer ExperiencesMuch research has been done on what the... Read More

One of the Secrets of a Great Customer Experience

A few weeks ago we conducted our annual "Customer Experience... Read More

Dont Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot

Q: In a recent column you made the point that... Read More

Create Win-Win Deals With Your Competitors

In the competitive world of the 20th century, we generally... Read More

Courting Customers - From First Date to Marriage

Landing a new client is like courting a potential spouse.... Read More

Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!

Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of... Read More