Comments on: Compliment the Uncomplimented, Part 2

By: Bob Burg

Bob Burg — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:04:55 +0000

Gill, that was AWESOME, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing that!!

By: Gill Wagner

Gill Wagner — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:15:23 +0000

Standing in the crowded elevator about to head up. Doors closing. I hear squeaky wheels rolling quickly toward us so I stick my hand out to stop the doors from closing. It’s someone on the janitorial staff with a mop bucket full of water. He’s clearly relieved that he caught the elevator and I get a quiet “thanks” as the doors close and three people behind me let out their “give me a break” sighs.

10 floors later it’s just me and the janitor. He pulls the stop button, thanks me for my kindness and says “I don’t recognize you. Where are you heading?”

I tell him I have a sales appointment with Joe Jones on 12.

“Joe is tough, but he’s fair. At some point early on he’ll challenge you to see whether you’re willing to stand up for what you believe. I can’t promise you’ll close a sale, but if you don’t back down you’ll earn a friend.”

Joe Jones challenged me. I stood my ground. I left with a great sale in my pocket and a line of referrals that lasts me to this very day.

Never saw the janitor again.

By: Bob Burg

Bob Burg — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:45:09 +0000

Steve, thank you for sharing. Valuable insight, as always. How true about the airlines and gate agents. I’m amazed every time I see such counter-productive behavior.
Geneva, thank you for your suggestions. Reframes such as yours are so important to stay conscious of.

By: Geneva

Geneva — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:50:07 +0000

Stab….”do you think of them as important and significant human beings?” Why is this so difficult to remember when you are faced with maniacs? Not 300+# ones, but the ones that just make you crazy with their responses to you!
I know this is when I constantly remind myself to exercise emotional intelligence at it’s highest form. Not merely in my words, but at this point, in facial expressions & body language.

Each “maniac” I overcome prepares me for the next one, but more importantly helps me “duplicate” that form of response/result in my team.

As always….you are appreciated!
g

By: Steve Boyett

Steve Boyett — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:54:35 +0000

Bob,
Another GREAT one!
I wish I could say that I always keep this perspective-but I catch myself sometimes thinking of others in a way that is disrespectful (and YES, you are right,it does make a difference).
As one who travels a lot, I get to winess first hand both sides of this Sometimes, just for fun, when there is a cancelled flight, I will watch how people react. Almost everytime, the people treat the gate agents disrespectfully, get the shaft, and those of us who treat the same agents with respect, end up with a solution to our problem-when one is available.
One way that I try to keep myself grounded is to focus on how much of what has shaped my life in a positive way-happened without me being involved-my parents, where I was born, the schools I attended, great teachers., etc..!! The list is extremely long.