Advice From Someone Who’s “Been There”

It was three hours into a communications seminar. I was well prepared and doing the voodoo I normally do so well. Yet by lunch I felt I had lost control of the group, wasn’t adding value and was making a fool of myself.

I’ve given hour after hour of seminars in the US, UK and Australia. I’ve worked in front of thousands of people who write comments about me like “the best I’ve seen” and “Jean is awesome!”

What was going on?

I had no time to figure it out. In forty-five minutes I had to face this group again, and I didn’t know what to do. Often I would call a trusted friend, but I needed something more: I needed to speak to a colleague. Speaking to a colleague when I felt this vulnerable felt like a risk. After so much time building credibility with a peer in my business, would I be throwing it away by showing my underbelly?

I called Rachel Karu of Kruz Consulting with whom I have a warm relationship. She was at her home office, thank goodness, and had a few minutes to talk. She listened and gave me some wise words. Words that only a person who’s “been there” could give. I could tell she was honored that I included her in my awkward, uncertain and imperfect moment. And now I get to expand my definition of trusted friend to include colleagues like Rachel.

By the end of the class that day, I was loose, enjoying the group and certain that they were getting the seminar they paid for. The comments they left included “the best I’ve seen” and “Jean is awesome!”

Travel Tips From Your Roving Speaker

I’m proud of being a healthy, well exercised road warrior. Let me tell you how I do it.

Exercise

Dance: If you like to dance like nobody’s watching, there’s nothing like a hotel-room-solo dance party to spark up a business trip. I’ve collected songs I like to dance to and with my ipod, I don’t even need to wake up the neighbors with that infernal loud music.

Bed jumping: This is an underrated exercise activity. If you tell your children not to do this at home, this is a great time to practice the fine art of hypocrisy. Or tell them about this tip.

Bathing suit: Who knows when a hotel with a heated pool, sauna or hot tub might come your way? My motto is to be prepared.

Snacks

Celery: If you are lucky enough to like celery, you can be the only one in your airline seat row who has a fresh vegetable to crunch on. Celery doesn’t spoil without refrigeration even after a few days.

Apples: Oh blessed apples that are hard, don’t need refrigeration and are an oasis of freshness right there in my suitcase. I pack one per day.

Peanut butter: If you like peanut butter, you probably already know that you can’t get a jar through airport security. This next tip is for the die hard peanut butter lover. Buy a few jars of the healthy kind that only has peanuts and salt. Open it up and put some paper towels in the top to soak up the oil. Close the lid and wait a day. Throw out the oily towels and replace them with more towels. Repeat for the next few days. Now scoop out a line of peanut butter onto a row of paper towels. Wrap the peanut butter and squeeze more oil out. Repeat over the next few days. Ultimately, you will have your prize: hunks of solid peanutness. Put hunks in plastic bags and enjoy with an apple. Or celery.

Water

We’ve been told that flying can dehydrate. Let’s face it – life can dehydrate, so take the advice of the lady who once gave me a facial. Upon waking - before eating or drinking anything else – drink a glass of water. In order to help me with this habit, I fill up my water bottle and place it at the bedside. When I wake up, I glug, glug glug it down.

Jet Lag

Several road warrior colleagues insisted I use StopJetLag.com for my international travel. For $35 I sent my itineraries and eating and sleeping habits. I got back a personalized plan that kicked into gear a few days before the trip. It included instructions on having big meals at some times, small meals at others, high protein at some points and high carbohydrates at others. It told me when to exercise and when to avoid or get sunlight. The result? The morning after arriving in Melbourne, my eyes popped open at 7AM. So I’ll share the love one more time: StopJetLag.com

Radical Customer Service

I was jetlagged at yet another airport. It was night three of my important, multi-city business trip. With this new client, everything had to be just right. I checked my luggage on a puddle jumper not realizing that I was supposed to pick up my bag plane-side. I showed the gate agent my red ticket stub as I was boarding the next flight. She got the “uh oh” look on her face, and my stomach lurched. My suit and supplies were in that suitcase, and my class began at 8:00am the next morning. The gate agent saw my look of panic, and I could tell she cared. That’s customer service.

When it comes to our own customers, how do we create this kind of compassion? You could take a class, read a book, write a script or memorize a formula. These may or may not work. My suggestion is simpler. You can put it into practice right away, and it’s fun to boot. Are you ready?

Focus on your happiness. That’s right. Develop your own joy.

There’s a real connection between how you feel and how you treat others. When you are in an uplifted mood, it’s easier to care about how others are doing. Haven’t you spotted this in yourself? When you’re happy and you ask someone how they are, you actually care what they say in return. You look at the person deeper, and the conversation transforms from small talk to a moment of depth.

It’s a wonderful paradox that self care can be the best thing you can do for your customer. I’m not suggesting that you throw your papers skyward during a client meeting and take the first flight to Hawaii. I am suggesting that you to give yourself simple, day-to-day moment s of fun. You could turn off all electronics for ten minutes and do absolutely nothing. Or go out for sushi. Or maybe buy a bunch of daisies for your office or invest a few minutes to puzzle out a crossword.

As I took my boarding pass back from the gate agent, I thought I saw a fleeting, wild look on her face, the kind of look that made me think: she’s going to try to pull a miracle for me. Whether or not she delivers a miracle doesn’t matter. She wanted to. That’s customer service.

I was given the challenge to write one hundred things that I liked to do. After I got the first few down and my mind drew a blank, I needed to get creative. That’s how blowing bubble gum, picking berries, splashing in waterfalls, reading historical fiction, talking to my friend Tina, and salsa dancing have made it to the list. I was amazed that it took me until #76 to remember kissing!

The hotel phone woke me at 1am. My luggage had arrived, could they bring it up? Yes! I said and shouted to the ceiling – thank you airline lady! I was never able to thank my miracle worker personally. I hope she knows that her service had an affect on this one customer. And that it mattered. That’s customer service.

Are you ready to make a list? What are your one hundred things? Email me at Jean@JeanFranzblau.com and let me know which one you’re going to do. I’ll let you know which one of mine I’ll be doing, and we’ll improve customer service one joyful moment at a time.

November “One Minute Note”

Will your local drug store tear down the Halloween decor this week and put up paper turkeys and tinsel? You can count on it. The holiday season is marching our way.

So let’s take a collective breath. Yes, you. Come on.

In you go…and out.

You’re a popular person. Events are being cooked up with the Thanksgiving yams and the e-vites are heading your way. As you consider your calendar, know that you have the right to make rest, exercise and quiet time a priority. After all, you don’t want to be the crabby one at the party complaining of holiday burnout.

Speaking of quiet time, if someone on your gift list has a health concern, I’m honored to offer my new stress management service – tailor made meditation CDs for healing, relaxation and comfort. Click here for a free sample.

Affectionately,

Your Roving Speaker, Seminar Leader and Stress Manager