March 28, 2013

Put a Deadline on Your Goals....

Stop faking. Saying you will do it “one day” is a cop out. One day isn’t coming unless you make one day Today. Hold yourself accountable for the progress. I know how you operate. You have all this enthusiasm to start that begins to wane about 3-4 weeks into it. That is if you don’t get distracted by a really good reason to do something else within a few days or hours of committing to follow your dream.
Life has a way of presenting really valid reasons. So give yourself a deadline. Hold your feet to the fire. Make it possible but challenging as well. Move as quickly as you can. Make it happen. Remember this is your ideal. This is the peace, and quality of life you really wanted. Why wait? What is more important to you than you?
Decide what it would take to get out of the way and get it done and then go do it. When the deadline arrives, only three things could have happened. Either you will have accomplished your goal, you will have made amazing progress, or you will start making excuses as to why it didn’t happen. Any reason you offer is an excuse. Either you are making it happen or you are getting in the way of making it happen.

March 19, 2013

What ‘Quality Means for You

It does not matter what everyone else wants for you. Right now, if you are going to get unstuck, you must be willing to explore what you want from life.
Yes, I know you want to make others happy. What about you? What would make you happy? What would allow you to smile the way you make others smile? Think about it. Imagine it. Talk about it. Write it down. Give yourself a few moments to just relax and let that marinate. Your ideal. Your dream. Your fondest wish come true. This is your moment.
Own your desires and goals. Just thinking about it places you into a state of being that is more motivational and energetic. Allow yourself to feel as if your ideal state is happening right now.

March 3, 2013

Dealing With Difficult Situations

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, problems happen, and customers can be difficult to deal with, especially after a negative experience. When people are upset, they can get emotional.
 
Responding to the emotional needs of our customers is one of the best skills we can develop when providing customer service. Whatever the emotional state of customers, it is important to each of them that you understand what they are trying to tell you and how they feel about the services they want you to provide.
 
Listening-The first step in identifying our customers' needs is listening to what they say. Letting customers present their issues and listening to their messages are crucial to identify what is really on their minds. Don't interrupt before they have finished.
- Determine what your customer wants and needs.
- Prevent misunderstandings and errors.
- Gather clues about ways to improve the service you provide.
- Build long-term customer relationships.

Sympathy versus Empathy -When responding to customer's emotions, it's helpful to make a distinction between empathy and sympathy.

Sympathy involves identifying with or even taking on another person's emotions. A sympathetic response is, "I am really angry about those plaques too." Responding to customers with sympathy puts you on an emotional roller coaster and can leave you exhausted at the end of the day.
 
Empathy means acknowledging and affirming another's emotional state. An empathetic response is, "I can understand how that makes you angry." When you respond with empathy, you stay calm and in control. Only then are you at your absolute best, ready, willing, and able to help your customer.
 
Don't Take It Personally-Becoming defensive is a very natural response in any difficult, emotionally-charged situation. However, defensiveness prevents any real communication from happening. Being objective about the information our customers provide can help us respond more objectively and identify their real issues and concerns. Mentally rehearse how you will calmly react to tough situations before they occur.