In this issue: January / February 2015
- Quotes of the Month– LIFE
- News at Barbara Glanz Communications, Inc.
- New 2015 Video Demo Tape
- Idea of the Month-“Don’t Take a Customer’s Anger Personally”
- Article of the Month — “Creative Ways to Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace”
- Product of the Month — “The Red Plate”
Quotes of the Month — LIFE
“What I do, you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do the small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”~ Mother Teresa
“Don’t’ relive the past. Don’t prelive the future. Live now fully!”
“View your life with KINDSIGHT. Stop beating yourself up about things from your past. Instead of slapping you forehead and asking, “What was I thinking?”, breathe and ask, “What was i learning?” ~ Karen Salmansohn
“You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.”
“Believe that the universe is friendly and life is on your side. What is life for? It is for you.”~ Abraham Maslow
“Let yourself play. I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things….I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”~ Leo Buscaglia
“Be a force for good. Your spark can become a flame and change everything.” ~ E.D. Nixon
“Believe in the miracle of the second chance. The life you have led doesn’t have to be the only life you have.”~ Anna Quindlen
NEW 2015 VIDEO DEMO TAPE NOW AVAILABLE
Watch live excerpts of Barbara in action!
We have just completed a brand new video demo tape. Please watch and send us your comments. A huge thank you to Primeau Productions for the fine work they did for us. I hope you will enjoy it!
Is your organization experiencing overwhelming change, high employee turnover and low morale, increases in customer complaints, or burnout from having to do more with less? Are your employees struggling to find a balance between their work and home lives or do they simply need a boost of positive energy? If so, Barbara Glanz can help you! Clients say her exciting, motivational, action-oriented presentations have given their employees a new sense of direction, understanding, and hope.
To watch the new demo tape, click here.
Article of the Month — “Creative Ways to Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace”
Today, with so few jobs available, it is more important than ever to differentiate yourself in the workplace. Here are some creative ideas to help you stand out and be remembered.
1. EVALUATE YOUR BUSINESS CARD
Take a look at your business card. Most of them are almost exactly the same –boring! Think about the size, shape, color, and even the back of the card. I always put a book cover on my card, and since the book there now is square, I fold the card down the center so it looks like a tiny book. They are fun, different, and everyone wants one! Also, what is on the back of your card? Most of them are blank. Add a quotation. graphic, picture, Scripture, or something that tells what is important to you as a human being. That will facilitate networking and personal as well as connections.
2. CHOOSE A PERSONAL MOTTO
Do you have a personal motto? Mine is “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm”, and i include that on all my marketing materials to share with people my stance on life and work.
3. ADD A PERSONAL SIGNATURE TO YOUR WORK
What can you do, no matter what your job is, to make your customers feel special? Some people keep special treats at their desks or work stations. An airplane pilot writes 2 or 3 personal notes to frequent fliers on his flight to thank them. This was the message that “Johnny the Bagger” heard from me that inspired him to put a thought for the day in everyone’s groceries he bags, and millions of people have been touched by his story.
4. LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE MAIL MESSAGE
Call your own voice mail message and listen to the message. Does it sound like someone who loves their work or does it sound like a computer? We form impressions immediately from hearing someone’s voice and message. I always leave a short thought for the week on my voice mail, and you would be amazed at the touching messages I receive back, even when I am out of town! When you re-record your message, stand up, smile and add a positive message at the end.
5, SCAN YOUR OFFICE OR CUBICLE
When someone comes into your workspace. what does it share about YOU, the person? Do you have pictures of family, pets. hobbies, awards. travels, anything that is important to you. I LOVE my office, even when messy, because it contains so many things that remind me of what is really important in my life — pictures of family, gifts from customers. books that have touched my life. silly toys that always make me smile, and my most prized possession, my “oscar” from being inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame!
Our world has become so isolated with technology so often replacing human level contact that any ways we can find to differentiate ourselves beyond our job description will help us to be remembered and appreciated.
For more interesting articles you can use in your company newsletters, click here.
News at Barbara Glanz Communications, Inc.
BARBARA’S SURGERY
If your email has not been answered promptly, please be forgiving. Barbara had some surgery February 6 and so will be home for 3 weeks recuperating. Unfortunately, one of her eyes was affected and she has not been able to read or do email since. However, she is healing well and appreciates all the prayers and support during this time. The doctor jokingly said that perhaps after all the international travel last year, it was time for a real rest!
NANCY HENSEL JOINING OUR TEAM
We are delighted to have Nancy Hensel coming on board to do some marketing and new product development for us. She was a trainer and consultant for the company where Barbara was Manager of Training and has had extensive experience in customer service at every organizational level. She is lovely, smart, and passionate about the importance of Barbara’s message. I hope many of you may be talking with her in the future.
A SMILE FOR ALL OF OUR FRIENDS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
“THE CLERK WITH THE SMIRK”
The shop it was busy.
The clerk he was not.
The more shoppers asked him,
The dumber he got.
“They don’t pay me enough,
To do all this work.”
“They don’t pay me enough,”
Said the Clerk With the Smirk.
“Slow, slower, slowest:
That’s my strategy.
You want it done fast,
Don’t try asking me.”
“I hate working here….
All irk and no perk.
I long to get axed,”
Said the Clerk With the Smirk.
“I’ll be unemployed.
I’ll go on the dole.
N taxes to pay,
No rigamarole.”
And the Clerk With the Smirk
Soon got himself fired.
The boss sent him packing,
With language inspired.
Thought the Clerk With the Smirk,
“That’s fine, fine, fine.
I’ll collect unemployment;
I’ll go get in line.”
But the lines there were long,
And the service so poor,
That waiting and waiting
Became quite a chore.
At last at the front,
The smirker did whine,
“The help here is lousy.
You ought to resign.”
The man sized him up,
And said with a sneer,
“I’m closing this line;
You can go to the rear.”
“Hey, wait, no you don’t!”
Cried the Clerk With the Smirk.
“I’ll see that you’re fired
For the work that you shirk.”
To the Clerk With the Smirk
Said the Clerk With the Sneer,
“Thanks to people like you,
I’ll always be here.”
Reprinted with permission
Dale Dauten
For more current news, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/news
Idea of the Month-“Don’t Take a Customer’s Anger Personally”
This idea is excerpted from Barbara’s book, “CARE Packages for your Customers – An Idea a Month for Customer Service.”
“Don’t Take a Customer’s Anger Personally”
THE IDEA:
When a customer is upset, always remember that he or she is not upset at you personally; the anger is for the situation, the company, and the helplessness he or she feels.
THE IDEA IN ACTION:
Always remember the Human-Business model:
(1). When the customer is terribly upset, the Human level has taken over the interaction completely. It is nearly impossible to move the customer to a business solution until you have first met his or her human need for empathy and understanding. You can do this by using listening skills, staying calm, and being sincere.
(2). Remember that the customer has a life outside of his or her interaction with your company. “Every customer is a unique human being.” You cannot know what his or her whole story is, but just an awareness that there are many abused, lonely, victimized people in our world today will help you know that your customer may simply be angry with the world and not at you as a person. Try to find out as much as you can about the specific situation by asking sincere and empathetic questions.
(3). When the customer realizes that you truly want to help him or her and not defend the company or the world, then he or she will usually allow you to move to the business level of the transaction.
TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION:
The following quotation from Lou Holtz, the coach from Notre Dame, has made a huge difference in my life:
Why is it that people need love and understanding the most at a time when they probably deserve it the least?
What this thought means to me is that the angriest, rudest, most obnoxious person I meet today NEEDS my love and understanding the most. He or she certainly does not DESERVE to be loved and understood; however, I can CHOOSE to be kind to this person rather than beating him or her up like the rest of the world.
Keeping this thought constantly in mind raises me up a level to be able to say, “Wow! This is a hurting person. I can choose to treat him or her with respect, understanding, and love. Even if he or she doesn’t respond positively during this interaction, I can feel good because I have made the positive choice to offer kindness and understanding even when the person didn’t deserve it.” In my experience, if you truly apply this thought, people will finally realize that you do really care about them, and they will accept and appreciate your help.
To order this book, click here. For more creative ideas go to www.barbaraglanz.com/ideas
Product of the Month — “The Red Plate”
The “Red Plate”
Whenever I work with a department or an organization over a period of time, I love to give them the “Red Plate.” For many years the “Red Plate” has been our favorite family tradition. It is just that–a bright red plate with white hand painted lettering along the edge that reads, “YOU ARE SPECIAL TODAY.” It came with the following explanation:
“The Red Plate is the perfect way to acknowledge a family member’s special triumphs, to celebrate a birthday or praise a job well done, reward a goal achieved, or simply to say, ‘YOU ARE SPECIAL TODAY.’ When the Red Plate is used, any meal becomes a celebration honoring a special person, event, or deed. It is a visible reminder of love and esteem. The Red Plate — make it a tradition in your family, symbolizing the good and happy times. It will speak volumes of love when words just aren’t enough.”
IN YOUR FAMILY
The “Red Plate” is one of the best ways we have found to bring joy, affirmation, and encouragement to different members of our family and friends. Whenever we have a guest for dinner, he or she gets the “Red Plate.” Whenever there is a special occasion–from birthdays, the first night home after being at camp or college, finishing a hard project or getting a good grade on a test, that person gets the “Red Plate.” (I have even heard of families who bring it with them to a restaurant when they are having a surprise party for someone!)
However, the most important use for our Red Plate, I think, has been for the hard times, those times when someone has worked and worked to get a part or make a team or win an election, and they have been disappointed. Someone in the family always makes sure they get the “Red Plate” that day as a symbol that they are still special, no matter what has happened.
IN YOUR WORKPLACE
Several years ago I gave the “Red Plate” as a gift to the publisher of my first two books. I presented it to the publisher at an all-company gathering where I was speaking. One of the most touching stories of its use was from a young man who is the receptionist in the building. He told how surprised and delighted he was to be one of the first ones to get the “Red Plate.” He said, “I thought only management would get it.” He then decided that he would add his special touch, so when he passed the “Red Plate” on to someone who had made a difference for him, he put a Danish on it and thus began a new tradition in their organization!
The “Red Plate” is a fun and visible way to show appreciation in a company and also to create a new organizational tradition. Legends grow up around who got the “Red Plate” and why. Each person who receives it gets to keep it in his or her office for a certain period of time, and then they are asked to “pass it on.” The “Red Plate” has been the bearer of many deposits in employees’ emotional bank accounts!
To order a Red Plate for your family or organization, click here.
