I’ve been meeting a lot of receptionists this month, and bank staff and shop assistants. Not intentionally, but I just seem to have been out and about more than usual. And overall, I’ve enjoyed the human connection … however I can’t tell you the difference a smile has made to the interaction. Don’t get me […]
How far does a smile go? Further than you might imagine. Read More »
For some people I meet, networking describes everything that they don’t want to do … … Walking into a room full of strangers, making small talk, listening to others talking about themselves or waiting for their turn to jump into the conversation and tell you about themselves. And to cap it all … having to
Are you planning to network more this year? Read More »
Stephen Covey relays a story in his book “7 Habits of Highly effective People” about how important it is to put the big rocks in life front and centre. In his analogy the big rocks are family, friendship, health, projects that will move you forward etc and the pebbles are the minutiae of life –
Make sure you have space in life for your big rocks. Read More »
Do you tell yourself stories about what is, has or will happen? Or provide yourself with a running commentary as you go about your daily business? That’s self-talk … the voice in your head … what you say to yourself, whether positive or negative, can boost or undermine your confidence. And unless you question it
Why self-talk matters. Read More »
Have you ever been caught out on the phone? There you are mid conversation and you suddenly realise you have no idea what the other person just said. It’s not always a problem but it certainly can be … particularly if the first you notice is when they say “do you agree?” or “so what
How to stop getting distracted on the phone. Read More »
A little while ago my niece told me that someone was annoyed with her and said she knew it because they had put a full stop at the end of their text message. “But I do that – it’s just grammar” I said … “yes but they’re under 30 so they know!” she replied. Apparently,
When is a full stop not a full stop but an indication of anger? Read More »
One of the services that we offer to our tourism and front of house clients is a spot of mystery shopping! We aren’t interested in whether the signage works or the shop is well stocked. We are only interested in how the staff make us feel as visitors. In it’s simplest terms we’re looking for
How to make your customer’s day without spending money. Read More »
I overheard part of a conversation in a shop last week, between a customer and member of staff. The customer was irritated that the price he was charged was higher than the price on the signage and he wanted the shop assistant to know what had happened. The assistant’s response was to leap to a
Why it isn’t their job to understand? Read More »
If you had some negative feedback to impart to a colleague, we were told to dress it up with something pleasant. So, you would find a couple of positive elements and then sandwich the negative comment in between. Imagine you thought a team member’s presentation was pretty good but that the slides they had created
How not to give feedback and what to do instead Read More »
As regular readers will know, I attend a lot of networking events, at which business owners and representatives can take the opportunity to give a short presentation. The topic usually relates to an overview of their business, the market they work in or some top tips for the audience to take away. As the speaker,
Five ways to ruin your presentation and what to do instead! Read More »
