I want to talk to you about first impressions and how they make you memorable. Let me share a story to illustrated my point.
I went to an appointment the other day and was amazed at how I was greeted. As I walked through the front door the receptionist, Barbara, stood up, greeted me with a warm smile and a handshake, and said, “You must be Steve Kloyda.
“You are meeting with Alana today, is that correct?” “As a matter a fact I am.” I said, “How did you know that?” Barbara responded with, “It’s my job to know that.” She asked me if I wanted something to drink. I was blown away!
As I waited for Alana, I wondered if Barbara was a new employee and excited to have a good job. So I asked her how long she had been with the company. Her response was “I have been with the firm for seven years and in this role for three.”
So I asked her why the special treatment? Her response was, “I love people and I love what I do.” How many of us have Barbara’s passion? Can our customers really feel that passion and excitement from us? In this day and age where exceptional customer service continues to slips away, Barbara had me astounded.
How many times have you walked into a company and been treated like you were an inconvenience to the person who was there to greet you? Companies invest millions of dollars to bring us in the door and yet with one bad experience, we rarely return.
You have one opportunity to make a strong first impression. If it is less than that, you rarely get second chance. Let me leave you with this quote from Walt Disney “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”