Performance reflects attitude

It’s not the company, it’s the people in the company – it’s you.

When you walk into someone’s place of business to shop or buy something, what are you expecting?

Most people expect someone friendly, someone helpful when they’re needed; most people expect to be served in a timely manner, to be given fair value, to be presented with a quality product, to make the process quick and easy, and to be thanked whether you give them the business or not.

Then the question is: What do you get?

Typically, you get a mechanical welcome, followed by people telling you what they can’t do versus what they can do, or what they don’t have. Maybe a bunch of sentences containing the word ‘policy’, and an inability to understand that just because they’re out of an item doesn’t mean you want or need it any less (and will likely go to their competition to get it).

Maybe I have exaggerated a bit, but not by much.

The interesting part is that many companies have multiple locations where the products are the same, but the service is not recognisable from place to place – one may be fantastic, while the other may be pathetic.

The inconsistency of people-performance can make or break a business.

Here is what will make you or anyone near you, or anyone in a job they consider beneath them, or anyone who hates work, understand the formula for emerging into a better career – certainly a better job. And all of these elements will be reflected in your performance.

1. Your internal happiness
Happiness is not a job, it’s a person.
2. Your attitude towards work
Do you just go to pass the time for a pay cheque, or are you there to earn your pay with hard work?
3. Your self-esteem and self-image
How you feel about yourself.
4. Your desire to serve
5. Your commitment to being your best
6. Your boss and how your boss treats you
7. Looking at your job as menial rather than a steppingstone towards your career
It’s not just a job, it’s an opportunity.
8. Pride in your own success
9. Realising that you’re are on display, and that your present actions will dictate your future success
9.5 Every today is a window to your every tomorrow

Companies spend millions, sometimes billions of dollars in advertising, branding, merchandising, strategising, and every other element of marketing that they believe will bring business success. But if there are people involved, marketing means nothing if the people are not great.

When you go to a hotel, a $50 million business rests on the shoulders of the front desk clerk. That’s the first impression you have. In a retail business, it’s no different.

All the advertising gets you to come into the store. From there, it’s all about the retail clerk. Doctors and dentists now advertise. But it’s the person who answers the phone that gives a true reflection of what the doctor or dentist office will be like.

What is your company like? Do you have any people working there who hate their job? Do you have people with ‘attitude’?

Here’s what you can do.

• Set the example by being your best and doing your best.
• Hang around with the winners, not the whiners.
• Create service best practices, and have everyone implement them.
• Have weekly internal positive attitude training.
• Look at the best companies in the city for best practices you can adapt and adopt.
• Do your best at everything, everyday.
• Work on your own attitude.

You must think you will succeed before success is yours. You must think you will be happy before happiness is yours.

Each employee has the responsibility of representing his or her company to their customers in a way that reflects the image and reputation needed to build or maintain a great reputation and a leadership position.

Anything less than best is not acceptable.

But here’s the secret: Don’t do it for your company – do it for yourself. Develop the pride in doing your best at your job even if it’s not your career, and never use the word ‘just’ when you describe yourself.

Real winners are few and far between.

And only you can choose to be one.

Jeffrey Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker and business trainer, who writes and lectures internationally on sales, customer loyalty and personal development.
© 2016 All rights reserved. Don’t reproduce this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.