7-19-10 Story Time

One of the critical skill sets for the new/aspiring executive is communication (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-4-10 Let's Talk ). Within this skill set is a sub-skill that I call story-telling. And no, I don’t mean the story-telling that you used to do when you tattled on your brother or sister during your grade school years.

What I mean is the ability to use a story or anecdote or even a joke to illustrate the point that you are trying to make. The ability to “story-tell” is a useful tool in the executive’s kit. Why? Because if the story is memorable, people will remember the point you are trying to make. I had one boss that was particularly good at this. And frankly, even years later, I could tell you the point he was trying to make just by remembering his story.

I try to use stories here to make my posts more interesting -- to both you and I. Sometimes I think I hit the mark and sometimes, well not so much.

So what makes a good story? Here are some of the things that I’ve observed.

-- Your story has to fit the situation. Random stories, even if they are interesting, don’t help you.

-- Your story should be well thought out. Have some in your back pocket that you have gone over in your head. Why? If not, you will likely ramble. And people will totally miss your point.

-- Don’t overuse your stories. They lose impact with the re-telling and re-telling and re-telling……

-- Don't drag out the story. Keep it short, sweet, and make an impact with it.

And one final thought. Does the story have to be true? Well, ideally, yes. But not always. Fictional anecdotes can be effective as well.

So let story time begin…….

Cheers!

4-12-10 It's All About Me

It is springtime in the Midwest. That means lawn work. Or for me, that means getting the lawnmower to working order. You know, things like brakes and blades. Just the small stuff.

My encounter with the service technician today produced a nugget of learning that I just have to share.

He was a friendly and clearly knowledgeable technician. After spending a couple of hours getting the mower into tiptop condition, he sat down with me to go over the bill. I was impressed by how he made sure that I understood everything that he had done, along with why he had done it.

At the very end of the ticket was an internet link to a survey. He said, “this is the part of the service call where I tell you that it is all about me”. He said it with a smile, but you could tell that it was important to him. I told him that I would definitely fill out the survey. He went on to say “excellent on all questions would really be appreciated”. And I had to smile.

When I reflected on the conversation later, I realized a couple of things. First, friendly customer service goes a very long way. Because I felt that he had done a good job and I felt that he dealt honestly with me, well, let’s just say it was a positive customer experience from this end. And as a result, I’m much more likely to go back to this company for service.

And second, sometimes it “IS all about me”. And you know what? That is okay. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to be selfish. It was clear that the results of this survey were important to the technician. Perhaps his performance review was based on it or perhaps his next raise was dependant upon it. In any case, it was entirely appropriate for him to ask me for a good review. And it was smart of him to ask. Because, as I’ve told my people in the past, I don’t read minds and you usually can’t get agreement unless you ask. So ASK for what you want.

Cheers!