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Are first impressions the most critical part of Approachable Service? Maybe. YES, it’s true that first impressions are usually correct. YES, it’s true that first impressions are based on instinct and emotion. YES, it’s true that first impressions your customers form about you are likely to stay in their minds forever. YES, it’s true that humans put pressure on themselves to behave consistently with their own existing commitments. YES,…

Your first impression is only 1/3 of the battle. WHICH MEANS: simply greeting customers at the front door is NOT enough. For that reason, always remember THE TOUCHPOINT TRINITY: FIRST impressions. These lay a foundation for the service process. These frame the entire customer experience. They take between five and ten seconds, but last nearly forever. ONGOING impressions. These either reinforce or diminish customers’ initial judgments. Throughout the entire…

What enables someone to be relaxed on an interview? Here’s the way I see it: Approachability comes from relaxation. Relaxation comes from comfort. Comfort comes from confidence. Confidence comes from knowledge. Knowledge comes from preparation. IN SHORT: relaxation come from preparation. So, what the best way to prepare for an interview? By asking yourself questions. Like, hard questions. Questions like: 1. What are three reasons ANYBODY would want to…

My mastermind group used to meet in a conference room at an ad agency. The first time we held our session there, I couldn’t help but notice the powerful slogan painted across the office wall: “What finish line?” Wow. What a concept, I thought. Imagine a company with no finish line. Meaning, they’ve never arrived. Meaning, they’re always getting better. Meaning, they’re never resting on their laurels. No finish…

A few years ago I was hanging out at an art gallery in Portland. I asked the owner, “How do you know how much to charge for your paintings?” Without a blink she smiled, “Depends on my rent!” Wow. I don’t think she was kidding! Still, whether you’re an artist, writer, entrepreneur or consultant, this is a tricky topic: When should you raise your fee? Lots of potential answers……

My first job out of college was selling couches at a discount furniture warehouse. Aside from the long hours, sub-par working conditions, terrible pay, annoying customers, pain-in-the-ass coworkers and chronic back pain from lifting too many sofa-sleepers; it was a pretty decent job. Anyway, my boss Pamela had a thing about signs. She loved to post these little notes, sayings, quotes and motivational messages around the store. My favorite…

Let’s start with two facts: 1. The word “testimonial” is defined as “writing testifying to one’s qualification or character.” 2. The word “testimonial” is derived from the 1432 French term testimonie, which means “evidence, statement of a witness.” So, does a testimonial for your business HAVE to be a piece of letterhead from one of your customers? Au contraire, Mon Fraire! Your job is to SHOW and PROVE, not…

That Guy is… Somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else. Call it personal branding. Call it USP. Uniqueness. Remarkability. Whatever. That Guy is… The best. THEE, not a. The only one. The obvious expert. The go-to person when it comes to your area of expertise. That Guy is… Known FOR something. Known AS something. And if you’re NOT That Guy, customers will gladly and easily choose someone else who…

You can’t control your online image. You can only participate in (and monitor) it. So, the big question is: How do you know who’s talking about you? HERE’S THE FIRST ANSWER: Get Google Alerts. Google Alerts uses its unique Web Intelligence technology to track the entire web for your personalized topics and send you new results by daily email. You can use Google Alert to keep track of anything,…

PICTURE THIS: you’re one unhappy customer. You just discovered that something is wrong with your checking account. So, on your lunch break you leave work and head over to the bank to get some answers. But. When you walk into the lobby and approach the front desk, nobody seems to be available to assist you! Now, it’s not like nobody works there. Several employees DO mull about behind the…