Customer Appreciation: Conversations

Publisher's Note: Wayne Bailey is the newest contributor to our "Profit-Driven Tips" e-newsletter.

Sigmond Freud said, "A man with a toothache cannot be in love." What was Mr. Freud referring to when he said this? I think he was trying to say we can't listen to others when we are focused on ourselves. Ouch!

When was the last time you were having a conversation with someone and you were multi-tasking at the computer, making a grocery list or checking incoming emails on your BlackBerry? I'm guilty. Are we really that busy that we can't give someone five minutes of our undivided attention?

It's important that we not just give lip service, but we do listen. We're even made to listen more than we talk. Why do you think we have two ears and one mouth? Next time you're having a conversation with someone, especially face-to-face, try looking the person in the eye and interact in the conversation.

Leading author, John Maxwell said, "Any time a person has an axe to grind; the words of others are drowned out by the sound of the grindstone." We are unable to listen to someone if we're more interested in getting our words heard.

A good rule of thumb I use when I'm having a conversation with someone...if the subject gets changed and we're interrupted, I don't bring that subject back up unless the other person brings it up. If they don't, guess what? It wasn't that important to the other person to begin with or you have exhausted that part of the conversation.

A great book that's in my library is "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. It's a wonderful book that was written 50 plus years ago but still holds true today. He tells how to carry a conversation with friends, family or business associates. It's definitely worth the read.

As Mr. Maxwell put it, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." One way to do that is to take the time to send a card with a personal note. Tell them how much they mean to you and watch that relationship grow!

Wayne Bailey is a Distributor with SendOutCards. He has recognized tremendous growth in his personal and business relationships by implementing the strategies he talks about in his articles. You can email Wayne at wayne_bailey642@hotmail.com or visit: www.sendoutcards.com/waynebailey.