Who's Your Gatekeeper?
Do you have someone, a receptionist or secretary perhaps, who is
responsible for answering the phones or greeting your customers
at the door? If so, it's important to understand that this
person is absolutely critical to the success of your business.
He/she is the person who speaks on behalf of your company when
potential new customers call, when off-site partners and vendors
need assistance, and when prior customers come back with repeat
business. In essence, this person speaks for you. Have you
thought about the personality and character of that individual?
Are you certain that he/she is a person who enjoys people? If
you have not spent much time thinking about this before, please
read on.
Marketing, advertising and word of mouth bring valuable people
into our businesses. It all takes time, energy and sometimes a
great deal of money. In your own business, I'm sure you're also
doing your best to provide excellent customer service, working
hard at cultivating and maintaining important business
relationships, investing time and money to keep up with your
industry's latest technology, and spending hard earned assets to
market your brand. So why in the world would you hire, or worse,
keep, a front desk person who can destroy everything in an
instant with their gruff, impatient or even downright rude
attitude? I have been to more than one business where I loved
the professional but hated dealing with the front office. I have
seen some receptionists act like they run the show, carrying on
in ways I'm sure the owner is not aware of. Others were
compelled to tell me about their really bad day or how
communication breakdowns and lack of supplies was the norm
around there. The worst were the ones who complained about their
job and were unwilling to extend themselves to help me in any
way. I've seen them everywhere, in gymnasiums, doctor's offices,
and yes, even in communication businesses. Who wants to do
business with people like that? Maybe your person is a very
efficient, super detail-oriented kind who gets things done,
keeps the papers filed and collects on past due invoices.
Perhaps this person is bossy and orders the rest of your team
around really well, so much so that maybe you've even promoted
him/her to office manager. What are you thinking??? This
person's most important role is dealing with people and
developing relationships. No matter how great he/she is in other
areas, if he/she isn't good with people, he/she doesn't belong
there. If we are really fortunate a forthright customer will let
us know when we have someone like this working for us, or should
I say, "against?" Let's face it. People-persons are oftentimes
not as gifted at doing paper work as the get-things-done person.
So maybe hiring two people is the answer. Yes it does increase
overhead and yes, it's a hassle hiring and training someone new,
especially when it's important to keep business going as usual.
But balance that against the price you pay for keeping someone
on board who drives business away. In today's competitive world,
it is hard enough to keep our existing customers let alone those
who have not yet become loyal to our business. So what shall we
do about it? The first thing to do is make a list of the
attributes you would like this person to have well before the
interview process. You can also opt to use a profile tool of
some kind that will help you determine the true nature of your
candidate. There are many available; there is the DISC, the
Briggs-Meyers and a new one that I was just introduced to called
the PI, which stands for Predictive Index. I have all three
available to me and would be happy to refer you to the
respective distributors. If the person is already a fixture,
take the time to retrain him or her in customer service. Try
placing a mirror at the front desk as a reminder to smile. Place
other mirrors on the telephones that your sales staff and other
personnel use to call on customers. Have your team come up with
a checklist of actions to be taken every time a new person shows
up at your front desk. Integrate instruction with play by
designing fun games for your team that promote your agenda. If
you do not have time or feel that this is your strength, consult
a facilitator or coach to give you some direction and feedback.
Continuous training and learning is paramount in today's
business. Either send your team members to seminars or bring
facilitators in to remind your staff of the priorities of your
business. Sometimes a look at the "big picture" is helpful for
all of us. And hearing these kinds of messages from an outsider
can sometimes be more powerful than a redundant reminder from
within. The main thing is to remember your goal. Is it to serve
people, develop strong relationships with them and have them
enjoy doing business with you or is it to punish the client who
is five minutes late, speak condescendingly and get the papers
filed at the expense of satisfying the customer? Remember, the
public has lots of choices about who to give their business to.
Don't you want it to be yours?
~ACTION Hire wisely, train well, and design fun ways to work as
a team. If you don't have the time for this or are uncertain of
your skill in this area...hire a coach.
Remember : You are welcome to forward this e-letter as long as
you send it in it's entirety. Copyright 2006 h Signals All
Rights Reserved. Diann S. Cannon, ACC hSignals Personal &
Business Coach Coach, Writer, Speaker & Facillitator Ph: (702)
656-3225 Cell (702) 218-0037 www.Signalscoach.com
signalscoach@msn.com http://www.nevadacoaches.org "Live Life
Fully Engaged!"