Anything Else You Need?

This summer finds me around 500 miles from my Portland Oregon Home in Helena, MT.  Recently, while sitting on a park bench on a warm afternoon, a woman, who by appearances was likely homeless approached,  paused as I looked up, then advanced towards me when I smiled.  With a brief hesitation and a  (mostly toothless) grin she asked if I could do her a favor.  Assuming (incorrectly) the question that was to follow, I replied, "possibly, what is it you need?"  Her  response was " Do you think you could just take a minute and talk with me?" What followed was an interaction where she mostly talked; I mostly listened.  My new friend walked away shortly thereafter asking if I would talk with her again if we happened across each other.

What does this brief interaction have to do with successful business?  Quite a bit actually. A few take a way's include: 1) Avoid assumptions based on circumstances, surroundings or appearances.  2) Listen: This woman, just like our customers are hungry to be "heard";  a reminder for us to refrain from interrupting conversation and  offering our presumed immediate solution.  Be attentive, let customers talk; then respond. One of the highest needs of human behavior is the need to understand and be understood.    3) Slow down. I admit this is one of the harder points to practice in  our culture of  moving fast and  full, but  again customers that become customers for "life" want to feel their needs are important and worth your time.   4) Be kind...smile...make eye contact. It is absolutely amazing to me the power of a smile!  The need for genuine respect in our often  impersonal world is one of the highest values we can provide to our customers.