You’re Depressing Me

My career (after college) began as a housekeeping manager in a hotel.

It is hard to find a less glamorous position.

Ten-hour work days were required but twelve-hour days were the norm, and eighteen-hour days were not uncommon.  The pay was low and the responsibility was high.  We had 444 rooms in our hotel and each one was supposed to be spotless, each day.  Our customers were encouraged to go around the room and complete a cleanliness survey.  My employment was contingent upon receiving an average rating of “Excellent.”

One day, while enjoying an adult beverage at a local watering hole, I spotted a member of the hotel’s senior management team.  I asked if I could join him and we struck up a conversation.  He asked me how things were going.

“Well, I haven’t had a day off in a month.  I work 12-18 hours each day.  I can’t afford to pay my rent and all the housekeepers do is complain to me about the difficulty of their job.”  I said.

“Do you want to be a housekeeping manager forever or would you like to be promoted?” He replied.

“I want to be promoted.” I answered.

His response stuck with me:

“Stop depressing the sh*t out of people.  Everyone complains. When you bump into someone, first, compliment them, then, tell them something great that’s happening with you. This will make you desirable to be around and it will also lighten the mood and change the dynamic of your relationship.  Now go buy me another beer.”

I’ve followed that advice ever since. When I got into sales I discovered an additional benefit:

This advice will make you money. Attitude impacts sales.

Everyone else loves to complain. Don’t be like everyone else.

Lead with a compliment.  Even something as simple as: “It’s great to see you. I’ve missed you!” gets things started on positive footing.

Then when they say: “How are you?”

You respond with something like: “Enjoying the fast pace of a growing business” instead of “Overwhelmed, tired and struggling to keep up.”

This seemingly minor adjustment is a big deal. It makes you more likeable and it makes you more attractive.

Take a minute and watch this video and I will drive the point home for you in plain English.

 

Here are three additional resources to help you grow sales:

What Are We Doing Here?

I ask lots of questions.

“What are we doing here?” is one of my favorites.

I say it all the time.

It’s my way of seeking clarity. It’s also my way of making sure key decisions are in alignment with your core values.

How to Achieve Your Goals

This video will help you get where you want to be – and fast.  In sales that’s the name of the game.  Watch and grow.

Forget About Branding, Just Sell Something

If you don’t sell, you don’t eat. It’s that simple.

Attitude impacts sales. If you’re positive people want to be around you. When people are around you, they buy stuff. That’s what keeps your business going.