Customer Service – Complete Mistreatment

Customer Service – Complete Mistreatment

Garth Beyer

Yelling

We’re all in the field of customer service.* Some live casual lives, only just touching customer service on the surface. Others actually have “customer service” in their job titles. As any person in the latter situation can attest (and if you use your imagination enough, anyone in the former situation can attest), sometimes we’re completely mistreated by the people who we are there to try to help.

It seems almost puzzling how someone could call wanting OUR help, but act so ignorant, so rude, so hateful; as if we’re not human.

As humans, it’s devishly difficult to be friendly and willing to help someone who is acting the complete opposite toward us.

Here’s what gets me through those frustrating, stressful, red-face-flushing times… I fire them.

They’re not who my product or service targets. They’re not who I want my team to have to endure. They’re the part of the 80 percent of work that only accounts for 20 percent of results. (Some people I would argue fall under the 90/10 group.)

As humans, it’s also natural to want to please everyone.

You can’t. So don’t.

 

Stay Positive & Release Your Stress

*Let me know if you want me to explain how.

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The Green Light

The Green Light

Garth Beyer

Go Do SomethingWho are you waiting for to turn the light green for you? Who are you waiting to tell you to GO? Whose validation are you waiting to receive before you start moving forward, before you launch, before you step on the gas?

If the answer isn’t “myself,” then you’ve given too much power to someone who doesn’t need it and who will only abuse it .

Don’t wait for anyone to give you permission, to pick you, to say your idea is worthy. Find out for yourself. Better yet, go make it worthy.

 

Stay Positive & You Control The Light, You Control The Worth

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The Truth About Great Advice

Garth Beyer

You won’t be motivated by it. In fact, you’ll likely want to run the other way.

A mentor of mine recently reminded me that “you can get your story, you can get the sources you need for it if you make enough calls; as long as you put the effort in, you will get what you need.”

Essentially, as long as you try, and keep trying, and never stop trying, you’ll succeed.

Not very motivating is it? But it’s true. It works. It’s sound advice.

 

Stay Positive & Will You Take It?

20 Ways To Boost Your Client Connection

20 Ways To Boost Your Client Connection

Garth Beyer

Surf Bro

PR freelancing has its downfalls, but one particular positive piece about it I love is the chance to connect with a client (be it a person, a business, or perhaps an actual PR agency). Here are 20 ways you can honor, strengthen, and leverage that connection.

1) Do one unexpected thing a week for them.

2) Ask for promo gear. (shirts, mugs, pens, etc,.)

3) Work with, not for.

4) Have their birthdays written on your calendar.

5) Connect them with other like-minded people they have yet to meet.

6) Ask a lot of questions – business and personal.

7) Write blog posts for them without being requested to.

8) Post on review sites. (Must love & trust your client)

9) Share your weekend goodies with them Monday morning. (cookies, cakes, dip, etc,.)

10) Be forward and transparent about your experience working with them. (Keep a work journal they can view anytime)

11) Fire the clients consuming 80 percent or more of your time, energy, money, etc,. (Unless, of course, you only have one client…)

12) Meet up on their turf.

13) Meet up on your turf.

14) Meet up outside each others’ turfs.

15) Friend as many other employees or team members of theirs as possible.

16) Remind them each week of what you’re thankful for.

17) Be forward with what you see is working annnd what you see isn’t.

18) Challenge them.

19) Always have one piece of the puzzle you work on together.

20) Consider at the end of the day.

 

Stay Positive & Every Business Is In The Business Of Connecting

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You’ll Make Very Little Impact

You’ll Make Very Little Impact

Garth Beyer

Doing Things Differently

There’s certainly a chance you’ll make a very large impact, but the chances are slim.

Slim indeed.

But this should be a motivator more than a turn off.

With nearly 100,000 public schools in America, as a teacher, you have an opportunity to do something different without negatively affecting the system of the other 99,999 schools.

With 500,000+ businesses starting up each year, you, as a now business owner, have an opportunity to do something different with your business without it negatively affecting the trend of others starting their businesses.

With 290,000+ books getting published each year, as a writer you have an opportunity to do something different without breaking down the publishing industry.

There are so many people doing what you are doing that you now have permission to do what you do in a drastically different way. And don’t forget, no one is paying much attention anyway.

I wrote you’re unlikely to make a huge impact, a real dent in the universe. It makes me wonder if knowing that, are you willing to give up your attempt? If you may only influence one other person through your trial of something new, something different, do you believe there’s no point in following through with it then?

Would you rather an aspiring teacher quit his pursuit and work at a gas station instead because he knows he may only impact one or two students in five years of teaching?

This is a call to experiment. And once you experiment, experiment more. Regardless of whether you’re making a large or small impact doing so.

If it’s any consolation, your chances of making a huge positive impact are far greater than making a huge negative one. It’s easier to redirect a current than it is to get others to stop all currents completely because of some pesky seaweed buildup.

 

Stay Positive & The Only Negative Impact You Can Make Is Not Making An Impact At All

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Show Up Early, Stay Late

Show Up Early, Stay Late

Garth Beyer

Pick Yourself event

When it comes to work, simply show up on time, do the important work first and end up leaving early.

When it comes to meetings, events, gatherings, seminars, networking parties, ceremonies, workshops, conventions, conferences, and powwows, show up early and stay late.

By showing up early, you have a hand at setting the agenda or at least setting up the room (perhaps so you get to sit by those who have the most influence?), you get to meet the organizer(s) (they are like the secretary, as important to have like you as the boss), and you get more time to make friends with others who show up early (making friends is a reason you’re there, right?).

By staying late, you get to connect with others who attended and are hoping to connect too (you’re not chasing connections), you typically get to meet the keynote speaker or the key influencer if you stick around (you’ll learn what they didn’t get to tell you during their time in the spotlight), and you’ll hear the down and dirty of what people really think (both helping you know who to avoid and how to make things go smooth if you ever organize an event yourself).

The things you learn, see and hear before and after an event is sometimes more fruitful than the event itself.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Take My Word For It. Go Learn, See, And Hear For Yourself

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What Do You Have?

What Do You Have?

Garth Beyer

Blackhawks Fans

Clients? Members? Customers? Friends? Bypassers? Fans? Impulse buyers?

The people you interact with for business success. What do you refer to them as?

The answer gives me insight into your business model. Changing the answer, then, means changing your business model, and, by extension, your level of success. Chris Brogan has friends. Seth Godin has members. Edelman has clients. The Blackhawks have fans.

 

Stay Positive & People Foremost Love Being Friends And Members

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