Sometimes we get stuck and feel less motivated to move forward. This is especially true for anyone set on living a life of fulfillment and achievement. Our experience tells us that motivation is a primary intrinsic factor responsible for moving us to action.
Motivation is the one variable that allows us to push ourselves when those around us give up. It fires up our energy to seek out and conquer one challenge after another. If you are currently experiencing a dry spell in the way of motivation or even if you have never thought of yourself as a driven individual, but would like to become one, continue reading. Here we will explore 5 helpful steps that, in no particular order, are an effective way to enhance your overall motivation and drive to achieve the goals you have set for yourself! Know Your Why While it may seem obvious, knowing your reasoning and passion behind anything you pursue is critical. When you first set out on a goal or achievement, your “why” for doing so typically starts out pretty clear. However, somewhere in the daily grind of working towards this goal, this foundation can quickly become obscured. Make no mistake; any time you are tirelessly working towards something worthwhile, no matter how important, there WILL be days in which you feel less motivated than others. Remaining conscientious of why you started in this first place serves as your second (or third, or fourth) wind to get back up and keep pushing. Know Your Direction Extreme motivation has a tendency to cause one to put their head down and work like a maniac. While there are times that this mindset is beneficial, some sense of direction must be maintained. Big goals rarely consist of going from point A to point B without detours in between. Always keep general overview of what you want to accomplish in mind as well as the specific steps toward your destination. So yes, while keeping your nose to the grindstone is a must, looking up every now and then to adjust and begin the next phase of your blueprint is the only way to continue heading in the right direction! Allow Small Victories No matter how much (or little) motivation you have towards a goal, failing to enjoy small successes in pursuit of the finish line is a sure fire way to run out of gas before you get there. While resting on your laurels and settling for less than what you want must be avoided, depriving yourself of fulfillment along the way is also detrimental. In pursuit of your goals, take some time to reward yourself when you accomplish one of the (often many) small steps to get there. And, don't forget to celebrate the mistakes along the way. They are the stuff that allows us to learn and improve. It's really about You Versus You, Not You Versus Them This is a factor that most of us need to hear. Keep in mind that your goals are YOUR goals. Letting other people’s pursuits dictate what you strive for is a slippery slope. After all, you will never find the motivation required to achieve anything great without a personal conviction to do so. Whatever it is you want, the only comparison to be made is to the person you were the day before. Controlled Tunnel Vision Consider this fact: whatever big goal or achievement you are after most likely involves only one facet of your life. Whether this goal is career, athletic or personally oriented, the rest of your life is not going to stop while you go after it. It is inevitable that much of your motivation and energy is going to be focused on the biggest victory in front of you at any given time. However, I can assure you that your sense of fulfillment will be diminished upon reaching the finish line and realizing you have neglected every other facet of who you are to get there. Balance is always key. Don’t let the rest of your life fall to the wayside while you chase one dream! Thanks for Reading, Richard Fontanie
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There is more to life than just work. Learning a new skill outside of work brings you joy, heightens social skills, improves wellbeing, health, and confidence. It also refreshes you to think better on the job and adds to your interactions with customers and colleagues. How? Leisure provides a break from your world of work. Our work is about production, customer relations, marketing, problem-solving – sometimes back breaking and other times head breaking. From time to time we need to pause from all of that hard stuff and enjoy the moment with a craft, hobby or a new skill. Here are seven top ways to enjoy your leisure time. Pick one that fancies you and go for it. Musical Skills When I was young and well into my adult life, I played the piano and clarinet. When I was older, I enjoyed pounding away on an organ in our rumpus room. It was a way to relieve stress and gave me the freedom to get lost in my own melodies, even if those who heard them wondered what was up with me. I know a gentleman who took up the violin in his eighties (you are never too old or too young to learn a new skill), and several friends were the life of the party as they played the piano or strummed the guitar while the rest of us sang until our throats hurt. We sang out of tune but sang anyway. Learning an instrument can be great fun. Perhaps you would like to learn how to play the guitar, piano or some other instrument? Guitar: For those who want to learn how to play the guitar or even if you are a seasoned strummer, I came across a neat video course about how to play chords with just one finger. Go figure. CHECK IT OUT HERE and you will be playing the guitar and astounding your friends within a couple of weeks. Piano: Maybe your interested in learning how to play the piano. Imagine being able to sit down at a piano and play Ballads, Pop, Blues, Jazz, Ragtime and even Classical Pieces. Well now you can in a very short time without spending a lot of money. Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses available with over 250,000 students worldwide who now play beautiful music. Become the life of the party and learn with PIANOFORALL. Five Other Top Skills Woodworking: Working with wood is a great hobby. Over the years I have made tables, chairs, fish stands, and desks to name a few items. Once I even ventured into building our own rumpus room. There was a time when I struggled with what should go into a small woodworking shop and what was the best way to set it up. Perhaps you have questions about: How much money you need to setup a functional woodworking shop? What size should it be? What are the best and minimum tools you need to create basic wood projects? How to avoid bad quality tools? And, whether you should buy tools anyway? The ULTIMATE SMALL SHOP will help you find answers to those questions. Writing: Some people enjoy writing, even if they write all day long at work. Others feel that because their work is all about writing, they want to get away from it during their leisure time. Here’s the thing. Writing can be rewarding, frustrating, tension relieving and enjoyable all at the same time. Some of us are late bloomers when it comes to writing, and others start young. Wherever you are on the spectrum writing can become a hobby and blossom into published works. I found a neat product that allows me to write with ease, publish my books, follow my customers and open my store - all with a push of button. I’m talking about Sqribble, the world’s number one eBook creator. If you are an aspiring author, or write reports or whitepapers, I would CHECK OUT SQRIBBLE HERE. Photography: One of my distant mentors in consulting was the famous Peter Drucker. I didn’t know Peter personally, but I must have read all of his books. He had a profound influence on my career. One of his pieces of advice, was that busy people need to take a break from their work. He recommended that we take up something that we weren’t familiar with and turn it into a hobby. One time he turned to photography. For three years he studied the art and mechanics of photography and built it into his leisure activities. I mention this because photography is an easy hobby to fall into as many of my friends will attest. I think it is easier now than in the past, because most of us – if not all – are tethered to a camera on our mobile phones. All we need to do is learn how to take better pictures (not selfies) and broadcast them about. I found some astonishingly simple secrets in how to turn your smartphone into a high-quality DSLR and capture eye catching photo that will blow you away. Find the SECRETS HERE. Cooking: There has to be a cooking explosion going on in North America. Just look at all the cooking shows on TV, YouTube, and the number of cookbooks that are available on-line and in our favorite bookstores. People are trying all kinds of new recipes to fit their lifestyle. The good news is that most of the TV shows and cookbooks promote healthy eating. Something for which Canadians and Americans need to pay attention. Cooking can be great fun and not a chore. I think that is why many of the cooking shows are so popular these days. People want to get back to healthy eating. And cooking can be a great release from the tensions we feel from work and our busy life. It tends to slow us down, yet in a very short period of time we can feast on the results. Something that many of us who don’t see the results of our labour for many months and sometimes years, appreciate. Along with the explosion of cooking methods have come an extensive list of diet fads. Our family uses an old fashion method, eat well balanced meals, and don’t over fill your plate. Simple yet effective. However, often because of lack of exercise, I tend to put on weight around the waist – especially during the winter months. One diet plan that makes great sense to me is the Mediterranean Diet as it transforms our bodies naturally and safely. The Mediterranean Diet is filled with natural foods and eases the want for sweets. The recipes are easy to follow and a pleasure to include in any family gathering. Want to learn more about the Mediterranean Method GO HERE AND ENJOY. Sports – Jump Higher: Taking up a sport is another way to build a leisure activity. With sports you can gain confidence, improve socialization and keep fit. Thousands of people join a sports team during their leisure time, everything from curling to basketball. Many of the sports required you to jump, like in basketball, volleyball, football and yes, even dance. Did you know you can improve the height of your jump by practicing a few techniques? Techniques that professionals use and which have received recognition from such media outlets such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN and Men’s Health. And these jumping methods are backed by scientific research and are found to be the most effective exercises, training sequences and techniques. Just because you are an average jumper doesn’t mean you can’t improve. Find out how thousands of average athletes have used a popular jump manual to consistently improve their vertical leap. Are you interested? FIND OUT HERE. Thank you for reading and enjoy your leisure hours, Richard Fontanie Perhaps “blogging” isn’t such a graceful word. For me, personally, it sounds like a worded drudgery the way cereals can be soggy, skies can be foggy, and the way minds can be groggy. It’s a bit late to rename this shortened word for something else particularly when we find that blogging is one of the most engaging Internet developments of the past several years. As a medium it gives rise to many new and worthy voices and plays a new and vital force in shaping opinions, political realities, trends, and even our language. I believe that a blog is simply a tool to use for someone who’s got something to say. However, let me be clear on one thing: a blog is a poor choice for someone who needs a megaphone to scream out to cyberspace in order to elicit a meaningful response from Internet users. If you want attention and want it now and expect blogging to bring it to you, then it will surely be a disappointment. However, if you like to write and engage others on subjects of which you have some command or experience, then it’s a wonderful application with which you can interact with people who share similar interests as you. The hype is well founded. Anyway, here’s a list of blogging tips… 1.) Be Topical: Cohesiveness in message is not optional. Readers may or may not be interested in your topic, but if your message is haphazard that few will bother remembering to return to your blog because it essentially would offer nothing to remember. This doesn’t mean blogs can’t jump from subject to subject. For instance, a blog with a humorous focus has all the leeway in the world for subject matter, but it would be foolish for such a blog to turn the humor on and off. In such an example, the aspect of humor would be content’s glue, the strength of the blog. The beauty of staying on point and on topic is that eventually, due to the nature of the Internet, you will find those interested solely in your topic. 2.) Refresh Your Content: Create a schedule and stick to it. Realizing that blogging requires time and effort, don't create unrealistic expectations and be unable to deliver. An occasional lapse or holiday is generally understood but readers returning to find stale, outdated content are going to find another blog with similar content. New blogs and RSS feeds are popping up on a daily basis. If you have worked hard to develop an audience and a community, you don't want to lose them due to lack of communication. 3.) Clear Language Counts: Blessed is the blog with a clear line of logic. Write without inside jokes, clique-y catchphrases or ambiguous logic. First time readers need to be close to your message. They are more likely to return to blogs that strike them positively. If the first read is confusing there will not be a second read. 4.) Feed the Spiders: Search engines take notice of active blogs and blog search engines are especially sensitive to activity. If nothing else, search engines are smarter today than they were yesterday and are only getting smarter. In constantly improving they are seeking to aggregate quality; quality blogs are updated several times a week, if not daily, as opposed to once or twice a month. I don’t mean to scare you but a big spider is watching, so dance for them. 5.) RSS: Think of RSS like a magic to blogging world, because that’s the effect it’s had. RSS feeds are a way to exponentially sound your voice to the interested. These feeds are a great means to increase the distribution and readership of your original content. Note: RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content.Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it. 6.) Spell Check: Hey man, use the spell-check. I do – if I didn’t you probably wouldn’t have made it to #6. It only takes a minute and can save you from looking like a hack. Your weblog audiences will be small at first. And, frankly, that’s the way it should be. Who are you to think that half the internet will flock to you after three or four posts of your blog, anyway? If you tough it out while maintaining quality, readership will materialize. You will link to good, relevant blogs and, in turn, they will to you. While your voice may be unique, your niche likely isn’t and if your content is emitted smartly to the Internet those relevant readers will respond through readership and interaction. Thank you for reading, Richard P. Fontanie (From the Blogging e-book) Being assertive is a skill that comes naturally to some but not to all. It’s a trait and skill that can get you far in life, when balanced evenly. However, if not kept in check, assertiveness can come across as abrasive, rude, or even mean or aggressive.
In this article, we’re going to explore the topic of assertiveness; we’ll cover what it means to be assertive, how to become more assertive, and how to keep that assertiveness in check. What does it mean to be assertive? According to The Better Health Channel, “Being assertive means being direct about what you need, want, feel, or believe in a way that’s respectful of the views of others.” Being assertive can offer many benefits to almost every area of your life, when kept in balance. For example, when you’re more assertive in the workplace, you show your superiors that you have the qualities required of a leader and the confidence necessary to go for what you need or want. In your relationship, being assertive has a whole slew of benefits. First off, it can help you have the confidence to ask someone out in the first place. Secondarily, assertiveness allows you to identify and be clear about what you want and need in the relationship, improving communication between you and your partner and ensuring the healthy state of your relationship. What can you do to be more assertive? The first thing you have to do when trying to be more assertive is to make the decision to positively assert your views and yourself and commit to it. It’s not enough just to think about maybe trying to be more assertive in situations, like you think about how you really should work out more while you’re eating dessert. You have to commit to it. The next step is improving your communication and listening skills. These two skills are crucial in assertiveness. You need to communicate openly and honestly with a respect for those with whom your speaking. In addition to that, you have to become an active listener. Pay close attention to what people say to you, try to understand their perspective and don’t interrupt. The key to having the right balance in your assertiveness is to respect others and allow them the space to be assertive, as well. Lastly, in the actual practice of assertiveness, you want to stay calm, avoid guilt tripping, and use what is referred to as “I” statements. “I” statements (I think, I feel, I know) are much more assertive and more constructive than “you” statements (you never, you always), which tend to be more harmful. How can you keep your assertiveness in check? There’s a fine line between positive assertiveness and abrasive rudeness. A good way to keep yourself in check and ensure you aren’t toeing that line is to be observant, not just of yourself but of those around you. Take time throughout your day to reflect on yourself, your behavior, and your choices. Watch how others behave around you; if your loved ones seem uncomfortable with your behavior or put off by your attitude, you should examine your assertiveness and maybe make some adjustments. Being assertive can get you far in life, but there’s a fine line between being positively assertive and being rude. If you keep yourself in check when working on your assertiveness and create a good balance, you can go further and be happier in your life. Assertiveness can lead to promotions, healthier relationships, and a more positive self-image. We hope we’ve helped to instruct you on and guide you through improving your assertive behavior. Author: Kayla Sloan
Reprinted with permission from Priority LearningLink When email first gained popularity about twenty plus years ago, the business world quickly realized its value. Sending nearly instantaneous messages to colleagues they could read at their convenience was a major time saver. Of course, over time email systems have evolved and changed beyond just sending a simple message to someone. But as wonderful as email is, our reliance on it has brought some inefficiencies to light. Obviously the common worker can't do anything about what may be lacking in the email application itself. Nevertheless, if you'd like to make your emails more effective, there are ways you can. Problem: Checking Email Too Frequently One of the first problems to address with email inefficiency is checking email too frequently. Like other workers, you're probably in near constant communication with others. Computers, cell phones and other electronic devices are always close by making messaging simple and convenient. In fact, depending on your settings, email notifications may pop up every few minutes. Therefore, stopping to check each one really interferes with work flow and productivity. Reading the email, responding, and then completing related duties takes time. But so does switching back and forth between different apps and thought processes. Every time you pause to look at your phone or computer valuable time is wasted. This is true regardless of whether the emails are work related or personal Fix: Organize Your Thoughts These days, time is money and being productive can mean keeping your job. Therefore, you must save time wherever you can and make sure your important emails get read. Before sending an email to someone, take just a moment to organize your thoughts. If you need to, make it in a numbered list format with short explanations for each point. Make sure you include a subject line and that your email address is correct. Believe it or not, taking those extra seconds or minutes will save you time in the long run. You'll spend less time rambling or resending emails as a result. Problem: Taking Too Much Time During Email Breaks Taking email breaks at regular intervals, as mentioned above, can help you be more efficient. But it won't really help if your email breaks are 30 minutes or more. When you spend that much time sifting through emails it cuts into time needed to do more productive work. This could lead to you being labeled as a procrastinator or lazy at the very least. At the worst you could be passed over for promotions or even eventually fired. While that may sound drastic, if emails get out of hand, other work can get pushed aside. That would turn what sounds ridiculous into a very real problem. Fix: Set a Reminder or Timer Do you use your calendar to its full potential? If not you may be missing out on time savings. Additionally, when it comes to email you can manage it better using your calendar. Block 15 minutes intervals mid-morning, at lunchtime, mid-afternoon, and the end of the day. Set reminders to go off and alert you of your email appointment, so to speak. Create another reminder to get back to other tasks after the 15 minutes is up. Another thought is to set an old fashioned timer or use your cell phone. No matter which option you choose setting up time constraints will make your emails more effective. It will also keep you moving through emails faster allowing you to be more productive. Problem: Emails Stress You Out For some people, hearing email notifications and not responding to them is stressful. They feel they must take care of each email immediately no matter how trivial. But this can cause stress in other ways too. It puts you on call 24 hours a day and doesn't allow you to truly relax during off hours. Everyone needs to disconnect and rejuvenate so they are ready to work the next day. If not, your work will begin to suffer and you may be tired and irritable. Fix: Turn Off Notification During Off Hours To make your work and emails more effective turn off your notifications during off hours. This lets you get the rest you need so you can respond quickly and effectively the next day. If you don't give yourself downtime you run the risk of burning out at work. This won't help you, your business or employer, or loved ones who may depend on you. Problem: Repetitive Responses Repeating the same responses, even if to different people, can be annoying. If you find this happening to you, typing out those emails feels like a waste of time. There's a reason for that: It actually is a waste of time. Fix: Canned Email Responses You can make your emails more effective and answer them quicker using canned email responses. Anytime you can take time to automate with email it will make emails more effective and faster. Take the time to explore the settings and options available with your email system. You may be able to set up processes that save tons of time and get you through emails faster. Problem: Lack of Response from Receiver At times, waiting for a response on an email you've sent can be frustrating. When you need an answer quickly it's even worse. Waiting on other people can put a halt to projects until answers are received. But that doesn't mean you can't do something about it. Fix: Send Follow-up Emails When you aren't getting answer to emails you send, consider sending follow-up emails. Make them attention grabbing, positive, and to the point to get a better response. If you must send a large quantity of emails it may help you to create a tracking spreadsheet. This way you can document when and to whom emails have been sent. Clearly emails are a popular and efficient way of communicating. That being said, there are ways to make your emails more effective so you can be successful. If you want to be the most productive and efficient worker possible, use these tips to make your emails more effective. Reprinted with Permission Priority Management is a worldwide training company with 55 offices in 15 countries. We have successfully trained more than two million graduates in Priority workshops. Our programs help companies and people be more effective and manage their workflow in and out of the office by providing tools, processes and discipline. Simply put - A Better Way To Work! Clients range from Fortune 500 companies, small-to-medium businesses and government/military employees. Click Here to learn more about how Priority can help you and your team WorkSm@rt, develop essential management skills and the competencies to....make life and work better and happier! Sometimes I don’t know which tab to place certain articles. This is one of those times. This topic could fit under the Spiritual Discovery tab or this tab. I have chosen both. Why? Because strengthening our spiritual muscle takes effort, focus and personal work. It takes a certain psychological skill to develop spiritual awareness. Spirituality matters. However, it is a personal journey and may mean different things for different people. What I do know is that often my past work bordered on the spiritual, especially when I focused in on one’s sense of purpose and values. Often people would grow silent and then tentatively approach some of their inner feelings about how they carried out their values. Some conversations uncovered a broken spirit that cried out for healing, others stimulated deep spiritual thoughts about personal growth and development. In general spirituality has certain qualities that reflect: a sense of purpose, inner peace, joy, humility, religious observance (not religiosity), and, an openness toward a greater good, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. Ways to develop our spiritual muscle Nature walks: Getting in touch with the beauty of nature touches our spiritual core. A beautiful sunset in the evening, a gorgeous sunrise, the colors of the leaves in the Fall or the budding of trees and the rejuvenating ground flowers in Spring often bring a sense of awe within us. Walking is not only healthy for our physical body but also for our spiritual wellbeing. A friend suggested she captured a sense of her smallness and a touch of the divine as she walked under a canopy of trees on a dusty trail. She was struck by the beauty of the moment. In my book, Eternal Unfolding, one of the scenes goes like this: “Julech took in the silence of the forest, broken from time to time with the harsher sounds of magpies, blue jays and crows and with softer songs of the chickadees, wrens, nut hatchers and juncos. Joining the bird songs were the rat-a-tat-tats of woodpeckers, the fluttering of the grouse and the occasional trill of a grosbeak. His olfactory nerves were tingling with the smells of spruce, firs, pines, junipers and alders. There were the aromas of fallen acorns, pine needles and rotting logs…As he walked, he reflected on the spiritual insights…” Gratefulness: Ancient wisdom people, philosophers, religious leaders and spiritual writers tell us that gratitude is the basis for strengthening our relationship with God (or a power greater than us) and one another, as well as improving our wellbeing. Intuitively they knew this and speak eloquently about it. Today we have a growing body of scientific evidence that supports what appeared to be naturally known. In the past I had identified a number of scientific findings about gratitude and how we can apply it in our places of work, business and personal lives. If so inclined you can read the article here. Volunteering: In religious parlance we often say share your time, talent or money to those less fortunate. I know too many people who don’t have two nickels to rub together but they are the first to volunteer their time and talent. They often say that it feels good to help others less fortunate. How ironic. And, I know many who have several nickels to rub together but don’t share time, talent nor money with those who they consider “beneath them.” Volunteering within one’s community lifts others up and in return lifts the person up. In giving one receives, perhaps more than what he or she has given. We know this by the comments we receive from those that give within their communities. In the process there is something spiritual going on within them, a link whether they know it or not, with the love that is universal and beyond them. Listening to a religious messages: Some people have difficulty with listening to a homely or a sermon as they view the person (preacher) as a bit of a hypocrite. They don’t see the person’s behavior reflecting the message. In a sense they are saying the medium is the message. I have yet to hear a true religious message that suggests that one should go against principles that are considered universal truths. The message is usually about avoiding those things that hurt us spiritually, mentally and physically, encouraging compassionate behavior, forgiving one another, strengthening one’s better self. Religious messages are most often positive affirmations of caring for one self, neighbor and community. All of these messages should cause us to ponder how they could apply to us individually and collectively and in the end strengthens our spiritual core. Spiritual reading: In many ways our modern technology encourages us to dart from one thing to another. Our emails, ease of access to information, and internet explorations, text messaging, Facebook, Instagram and the like shortens our attention to small bites of information. We flit, where as spiritual reading causes us to stop and ponder our deeper selves and our connection to someone or something beyond us. Books that explore men and women of spiritual conviction and purpose and carry that out in their everyday lives become role models. Wisdom found in ancient and modern writings give food for thought and provide profound insight to what we may consider improbable solutions to what ails us, our community and our world. Taking some time to read something spiritually everyday will tend to slow us down, reduce our stress and in the end strengthen our spiritual muscle. There are many other ways to strengthen our spirituality including meditating, having healthy relationships with others, taking compassionate action, engaging with a spiritual adviser, having coffee with a friend while exploring spiritual matters, joining groups that encourage spiritual discussions, and working at being non-judgmental. In short, we have ample opportunity in our everyday lives to go beyond the ordinary and touch our spiritual core. Thanks for reading, Richard P. Fontanie, Paul Petrone, editor of Linkedin Learning has listed the skills companies need in 2019. The skills were determined by "looking at skills that are in high demand relative to their supply. Demand is measured by identifying the skills on the LinkedIn profiles of people who are getting hired at the highest rates. Only cities with 100,000 members were included." Those listed were both soft and hard skills. In this article I will concentrate on the soft skills confirmed both Petrone's findings and my own experience. For thirty-five years Fontanie Associates in collaboration with their training partners have developed, delivered and promoted the necessary soft skills for small, medium and large companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies. I'm pleased to learn that these skills are still in high demand. They are skills needed in today's workplace and in life. Although my list of skills is similar to Paul Petrone's, they differ to some degree. They include:
There are many on-line one or two hour sessions giving insight and tools to improve the skills mentioned above. However, I remain convinced that face-to-face workshops that last one or two days are a better way to strengthen skills. Don't get me wrong, self-learning whether that is through reading or participating on on-line training is helpful, but our experience shows that effective face-to-face workshops with follow-up coaching has more lasting results. Look to LinkedIn learning if you are a member of LinkedIn or Human Resource learning for short one to two hour session. For results oriented one to three day sessions I recommend Priority Management Skill Training. Find one of their offices near you. Thank you for reading, Richard P. Fontanie BA, MSW In today’s world, besides a face-to-face encounter, customers primarily use a telephone or email when they want to reach a Customer Service Representative (CSR). The focus of this article is on basic telephone etiquette with the understanding that there is only one difference between communicating face-to-face and communicating over the telephone. You are heard, but not seen. I will leave the e-mail and the CSR for another time. Telephone communication is one step removed from face-to-face communication in that the CSR cannot see the individual and hence will not get the full impact of the communication process. What is missing is an appreciation of the demeanor, look and body language of the customer. However a critical listening ear can certainly detect the level of feelings projected by the customer. A CSR should be able to determine if the customer is angry, anxious, concerned, frustrated or inquisitive by listening to the tone of the voice. Your Smile Smile as you talk. Although the customer can’t see you a smile somehow comes through the telephone. Physically smiling forces the CSR to speak clearly so you will be better understood. A smile often reduces frustration and has a calming effect on the customer. Holding It is common practice among many businesses to place people on hold. Customers are often peeved about this particularly if they are on hold for lengthy periods of time while ‘canned’ music or “company advertisements” are played over and over again in their ear. By the time the CSR comes on the line, the customer is frustrated and if they are mad about a product or a service they become more irate. Recognize the frustration and apologize sincerely for having to place the customer on hold. Your apology does two things: 1) you immediately give the impression that you understand the customer’s frustration; 2) you reduce the potential for a tense conversation about “being on hold.” Control the length of time you place a customer on “hold.” If you have identified your name and the name of your company – you can hold indefinitely; if you have not, place the customer on hold for a maximum of 15 seconds. Breathe and Pauses Use short sentences when you talk. This lets you breathe easily so you can control your voice. For those of us who tend to ramble talking in short sentences takes practice. As you speak keep the microphone end of the phone away from your mouth so that your breathing doesn’t project over the phone. Pause after each point you make. This allows the point to sink in and gives some time for the customer to respond. Questions Turn sentences into questions whenever possible. This makes the customer more ready to respond and give you feedback during your conversation. Ask what, how, why, when and where questions. These tend to be more open-ended and give the customer a chance to explain in more detail their concern. After the response paraphrase your understanding of the customer’s response. This allows the customer to agree with your understanding or correct your understanding. Once there is mutual understanding ask for agreement. Names One of the advantages that the CSR has is the customer often uses their name at the beginning of a conversation. “This is Richard speaking.” If the customer doesn’t use their name, then ask as well as give your name. During the conversation use the customer’s name frequently. This shows that you are interested in him/her rather than just another number. Using names perks up the person to listen more attentively and initiates a closer bond between the customer and CSR. Whenever possible, close the conversation with your name and thank the person by name. Indicate that if there are further questions later to ask for you by name or indicate that you have made a note of their concern to file so that when the customer calls back another CSR can pick up the conversation from where you left off earlier. Pleasantness Whenever the CSR is conversing with the customer, basic etiquette is always in order. Keep three words in your head at all times: respect, polite and tact. A CSR does not have to accept telephone bullying, swearing and disrespectful behaviour on the part of the customer, but the CSR never bullies, swears or disrespects the customer. Respectfulness, politeness and tactfulness projects a CSR that is in control, wants to listen and adheres to the dignity of others. All customers are different, but all share certain characteristics. One of them is they want to be heard with respect. Listen Listening is an absolute critical telephone skill. The CSR not only has to listen to what is said, but also what is not said. This takes a special skill. Often what is said is the presenting problem for the customer. What is not said is the ‘real problem.’ By listening to both what is said and what is not said, the CSR can assist customers in clarifying their request and the CSR gains an understanding of the customer’s real issue. To learn more about listening to understand read this article. Paraphrase Paraphrasing and listening go hand in hand. It is the skill you use to check to make sure what you have understood relates to what you have heard. It is a useful way of giving you some time to think of what to say next. It is your assurance that what you have heard is interpreted correctly. It is also a way to show the other person that you have understood them and gives them an opportunity to add to or clarify their statements. When you paraphrase you usually end with rephrasing what the person has said.
Jargon Sometimes we use jargon, complex sentences and unclear logic when speaking with customers. Jargon is useful shorthand for us, but if customers don’t understand what it means then we do not serve them appropriately. Use words that translate the jargon. These will improve the chances of customer’s understanding the message. Tone of voice Ever wonder what our customers might be thinking when they hear our voice? Usually if they like what they hear they will more likely perceive you as confident and professional. If they don’t like what they hear they may “tune out.” During in-person conversations your voice is one of the vehicles we can use to build trust. This is more true when we are speaking over the telephone. Our voice tone conveys more than words - it places emphasis on what we say and how it may be understood. Connected with voice tone is voice profile - how fast we speak, the pitch we use, the loudness of our voice and the clarity of our words. To be a star customer service professional your voice must always sound
Gestures This may sound silly, but it works. Use gestures as you talk. The customer won’t be able to see you, but it will help you make your point. We often use gestures when we speak face-to-face. We use them to: help us with our presentation, provide emphasis, express our thoughts and communicate emotions. Since gestures often come naturally to us and can be interpreted as conveying warmth, energy and affability, they become a useful technique even when they are not seen. Leaving a Message A final reminder: when leaving a message make it short, give your name and telephone at the beginning of the message and at the end, and speak slowly. Thanks for Reading, Richard P. Fontanie The fourth article in the Radiating Customer Services Series. One of the key ingredients to Radiating Customer Service is to project a positive customer attitude. Our attitude is not something that can be bought. It’s ours and how we project it makes all the difference in our relationship with our customers. This article focuses on two things: 1) claiming the importance of your work as customer service representative, and 2) managing your attitude. The importance of your work, a positive image, and personal self-esteem coupled with personal knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, values, attitudes and habits (KSAE’VAH), bring the “I” factor to customer service. The importance of my work The ‘I’ factor is really you at your core self. How the “I” aligns with your work is critically important to your success. Alignment with work really comes about when you see yourself fully alive in mind, body, and spirit and steer yourself with a personal focus (purpose), a sense of discipline and sound interpersonal relationships. You then can have a sense of passion about yourself and your work and contribute to the organization’s strategies, structure, culture and values. (Based on the work of Stephen Covey) Once your “I” recognizes the “power” you have within yourself, which comes from a deep spiritual connection to a spiritual source, and how that connects with what you do, then purpose, passion and values become truly alive for us in our everyday action. When this occurs, you can then move from just “doing the job,” to being “fully alive in my job.” The sense of pride and accomplishment comes from doing the best work you can do – no matter what the job happens to be. A sense of confidence comes from having product knowledge and the skills to do the job. We are who we are because of our KSAE’VAHs all of which may be strengthened or weakened by what we do, who we associate with and what we say. Studies show that people respond positively when they encounter a positive attitude, respect and self-regard. To become a “star” in customer service we need to be knowledgeable and skilled in our work and to err on the side of positive values, attitudes and habits. My Image Our feelings make a difference in the customer service profession and the quality of our work. Sometimes we are reluctant to talk about our feelings and the significance they have in our daily activities. We need to understand that our feelings are easily telegraphed to others, just as we pick up the attitudes and moods of others. We really can’t hide them. We all have bad days and they affect the way we approach our day. When we are in a bad mood sometimes we have a tendency to try to hide it and not tell others what is bothering us. The reality is that the way we feel is often telegraphed to others through our demeanor and body language. We think we are camouflaging them, but we are not. People often see through the façade. Bad moods don’t go away automatically we have to work on them. We can talk to a trusting person about them and garner their support as we work through difficult moments. Other times we may need expert help. Don’t be afraid to seek ‘help’. Other times, we can deal with them ourselves by facing them head on and reinforcing our own mood behavior. The first step towards dealing with mood swings is viewing ourselves as ok. First, Feel good about yourself. Our success in dealing with others comes from our success in dealing with ourselves. We can give positive vibes if we feel good about receiving positive vibes ourselves. We can compliment people if we can handle them ourselves. The reverse is true as well if we are uncomfortable receiving compliments we will be uncomfortable giving compliments. Take the time to:
Second: Add a Smile A smile is a simple thing to do. It doesn’t cost us much yet enriches those who receive it. A smile takes a moment to give and nourishes relationships in business and in friendships. Often customer service personnel meet people who are weary, seem discouraged, sad or troubled. They can recognize this because of the customer’s body language or from their tone of voice. A warm smile brings those people comfort and a bit of cheer. The customer service representative can give away a smile freely and adds value to the person receiving it. Sometimes our customers are too tired to give us a smile, give them one of yours. Sometimes we are too tired to give a smile, turn to a colleague and receive a smile from them. “A smile of welcome calms a worried or harassed customer. A smile reassures customers that a problem can be solved. A smile leaves a pleasurable glow when people take their leave” Anon Third: Present a Professional Image How we present ourselves relates to our self-confidence, attitude and feelings of self-worth. Simply put, how we project ourselves outwardly reflects who we want to become inwardly. If we have a sense of low self-worth we project ourselves accordingly; if we have a high regard of self, we project that demeanor. Customers want to deal with customer representatives who project themselves as knowledgeable, positive and helpful. Here are seven hints to presenting yourself appropriately:
Remember: It’s not your customers job to remember you, but your job to make sure they don’t have a chance to forget you. Pilot to co-pilot please run down the check list before we take off! Before a pilot takes off down the runway, he confers with his co-pilot who runs down a check list to assess whether everything is in order before take off. Here is your check list before you pick up the telephone or step in front of a customer.
Thanks for reading, Richard P. Fontanie |
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