Today, while cleaning my computer files, I came across an article that I had saved for almost three years. It was about a renowned business coach (Dr. Gayla DeHart) commenting about an article she had read in Oprah magazine in December 2006 by David Foster Wallace. When I first read it, that little article had a profound impact on me and now that I re-read it, continues to have a huge impact. I think it is because it summarizes how I have always felt about human interaction, especially in business. Everytime I interact with a client, I think about it. This is relevant to any person or business person and I really hope it will help you gain a deeper perspective of yourself and others.
Here's the excerpts from David F. Wallace: “ Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence, Think about it: There is no experience that you have had that you were not the absolute center of. I’m operating on the automatic, unconscious belief that my immediate needs and feelings are what should determine the world’s priorities.”
Here's what Dr. Gayla DeHart said: "Our job is to take ourselves outside of ourselves and see the world from the perspective of others. What we perceive as the truth is only the truth as we see it through our muddied lens, and may not be an accurate reflection of either the objective truth, or the truth as others see it. The best way to get to the truth is not to ignore your version of the truth, but to find out more about others’ versions and see whether you can connect somewhere in the middlle. To establish trust and credibility, it is essential to provide excellent customer service- first realize that a customer is biased toward his or her universe and although there is no way to get the full story on that, you can at least let the customer know that you care about their reality. Even if you cannot meet customers’ every need, the experience of trying to meet them in their world will be remembered long after your interaction is over."
Here's what I have to say: Powerful, isn't it? As the director and owner of Spanish-4-You, exceeding customers' expectations has always been my priority, more than making a sale, even more than money. I am very fortunate to be able to apply the concept of putting myself in the position of others in my daily interaction with clients. I have to admit that sometimes it is not easy especially when I have to deal with difficult clients but I always try. That is one of the reasons why I think Spanish-4-You is rock solid with 95% repeat customers.
Comments