What is the secret of service that keeps us coming back for more?

On that same weekend in Beechworth (refer last week’s BLOG) we had heard about these great restaurants. So we decided that we would dine out both Saturday and Sunday night. The dinner experience on Saturday night was unforgettable; it had everything the great waiter (owner), fantastic food. A great experience overall!

On the Sunday night we headed towards our restaurant. The waiter greeted us, sat us down, our napkins weren’t put on our laps (sign of a good restaurant and this one was not cheap). When he asked me for a pre dinner drink I asked what he recommended I felt like something warming, none of the options he presented took my fancy. So he left and didn’t even ask George (my husband) what he wanted to drink. Wow did he feel unimportant. 

Throughout the night this waiter was pleasant, robotic and did his job. It turned out to be a nice night spent with my gorgeous family but was it an experience - NO! So as we passed over a significant amount of money for an experience that did not match.

So when I started thinking about it the Saturday night, it was about the passion the small touches the little hints of our waiters family life and her children’s likes, she made not only George and I feel special but also the girls. As we laughed, shared stories I felt that we were having dinner with friends, not a stranger’s restaurant.

We hang out with people that are like us that have the same passion as we do... 

Reciprocity in Action on the Wine Tasting trail...

As it was the Queen’s Birthday long weekend we decided to go to Beechworth, a lovely old Gold
Mining town in the north east of the state. On the Sunday, we went out to the wineries of the King
Valley, naturally, being connoisseurs of a fine drop!

It was quite fascinating to watch the most used principle of the famous Robert Cialdini “Reciprocity”
in action from winery to winery (and we did visit a few)!!! Just a small glass of wine leaves us
wanting to return the favour by buying one or two or even a dozen bottles of wine!

“The rule says we must pay in kind what another person has provided us” as written by Robert
Cialdini.

For years wineries have been allowing us to sample their wines, and people in return have left with
a bottle or two. Have you ever wondered why you felt so obliged, sometimes without even liking the
wine to purchase? We feel obligated to return the favour, in other words, they offer a free sample
we buy a bottle. Reciprocity at work! After intensive study by sociologist Alvin Gouldner we can
report that human society subscribes to the rule of reciprocity.

So next time you are given something for free watch how you will automatically return the favour.
The key is how can you use this in sales?

Outsourcing or Not...

I would like to confess I am the outsourcing Queen, I will outsource anything from the weekly cleaning, gardening and getting my kids picked up occasionally from school (doesn’t every school girl have a driver?). I am even embarrassed to say I bought someone in to clean my oven, architraves and cornices.

But tonight I finally came to terms with what I have always known but was deluding myself; there are some things in business that can’t be outsourced. There are things that I must do myself and one of those is Blogging. Yes I have confessed......

I have had my VA (virtual assistant) do my last few Blogs. In the busyness of my day it just seemed so easy, streamlined put it all on Hoot suite let her do it so I don’t have to worry about it. That was my reasoning anyway.

But was I wrong, so wrong... as I sat horrified looking at my blog post it wasn’t the article I had rewritten it was my Virtual Assistants old article. OMG!!! my chest has tightened, I am short of screaming and crying at the same time, can you feel my pain? Maybe I am over reacting? (Feel free to let me know)

The most important lesson I have learned (re-learned) when it comes to the Marketing and the sales systems of the business it must be done by you, the person who is the voice of the company. It’s about building the character talking directly to the customer, talking their language building the relationship. Building a very clear marketing and branding message.

The lesson that Grace my VA learned is double check everything before it goes out. It was a great lesson for both of us....

As for outsourcing Odesk is my new best friend.....

The Magic of Thinking Big and its Lessons

Think BIG! For sure we have all heard this, but do we know what does it meant? Mr. D.J. Schwartz defines that in “The Magic of Thinking Big”. 

Think "big" requires a change of mentality. They can make good tactical sense, but it serves a great reminder in your daily struggle for success. 

Try these simple ideas to keep you motivated:

•  Focus on the things you're good at. 
•  "You're better than you think," writes Schwartz.
•  Use "language of the great thinker." 
• Try to talk with words that speak of hope and happiness.
•  Looking towards the future.
•   Try to see things from their potential, not just what they are today.
• Think that your work is important.
•    The next promotion will depend mainly on your way of thinking in the direction of your current job," writes Schwartz.
• Concentrate on big issues, leaving the banality of the image.
•   Ask yourself: "Is it really important?"