Employee Essentials Attitude Is Everything

Lesson: Employee Essentials—Attitude is Everything!

By Daniel Felsted

This content is taken from The Image Foundry’s Excellence in the Workplace Customer Service and Employee Training classes. It is offered free for curriki students.

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To use the content in this class keep a notebook handy to answer the questions provided. Send your answers to for comments and response.

Employee Essentials—Attitude is Everything!

This hour is dedicated to the Top 10 Employee Essentials - essential skills to being a great employee. These skills will increase profits for your company and thus make you more valuable to the business for which you work.

“Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.”

—George Herbert

Consider This.
• What skills do you have? How do you get skills?
• Do you have confidence in those skills?
• What are the basics you need to know to get your dream job?
• What skills does your current job require?
• How do you get those basics?
• What price needs to be paid to get the skills needed?

“Your job is to make something happen.”

—Seth Godin, Free Prize Inside

Download and read: before you go on to the following section. Keep in mind it is the way you attend to the needs of others that directly affects you success in your career. Even if you haven’t started you career it is these basics that determine how successful you will be.

Top 10 Employee Essentials

1. / Attitude of Gratitude / 6. / Ask Engaging Questions
2. / Service / 7. / Build Value
3. / Eye Contact / 8. / Schmooze
4. / Communicate / 9. / Adopt a Positive Attitude
5. / Be a Good Listener / 10. / Never Gossip About Others

1. Attitude of Gratitude

Your attitude sets the stage for your life. By looking around you and finding the things for which you are grateful, a positive attitude will grow within you. That positive attitude will affect everything you do. If you are positive, those around you will be more positive. Your days will be more exciting and your prospects will be greater. It is all up to you. To get ahead, you need to learn how to get along and help others.

Show that you are grateful for your job! Acknowledge the hard work you see in coworkers and customers. Recognize contributions to your team. Show how much you appreciate others with simple hand written thank you notes, a genuine “thank you,” a hand-shake or a phone call.

The attitude you bring to work each day sets the mood for your day. I recently sat in a business’ waiting room and heard one of the employees battle with herself with her attitude. She would make a negative comment and them cover it with a more positive comment. This went on for an hour. With a little training, she would recognize her attitude and be able to keep it checked.

This skill, like all of the skills you will be taught, should be practiced and reviewed regularly to make it a habit, something that is an asset. It all begins with your attitude and being grateful.

Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
1. What are you grateful for?
2. How do you show gratitude?
3. Who do you show gratitude toward?
4. What have you done recently to thank a customer for coming in?
5. What positive comments have you made towards a co-worker in the past 7 days? Past 30 days? Past 90 days?

2. Service

“The customer just wants to be treated as a person.”2 This applies to coworkers too. Service is the most powerful tool you can learn from these courses. With service, you can win hearts, soften anger, create friendships, sell more, and most of all, you can learn about yourself and how much you can really do.

If you really want to take advantage of the great tool of service, begin by being more service-oriented toward your families, friends and acquaintances. You will find that when you lose yourself in this endeavor, your attitude will be more positive and contagious.

Practically all of the concepts in this course are based on the idea of service, thinking of others before yourself. It is a fact that when we serve others, we forget about our problems and our outlook on life becomes more positive. Psychologists have long known and used service to help abused and addicted people forget their troubles. As they think about and work with others, their own problems are forgotten and they’re on their way to being healed.

By incorporating these principles into your daily life, you will be fostering a positive workplace and be primed in creating a learning and teaching environment. When you are in this type of environment you will be more receptive to the needs of your customers. And when you help your coworkers think of your customers, you create the perfect environment for customers to seek your expertise, your assistance, and most importantly, your products or services.

Your customers are your partners in business. Treat them as valued members of your family by serving them in the best way possible. The real secret of business success is customer retention. Developing lasting relationships is vital to your long-term success.

Consider This

One of the most valuable possessions you truly have to give is service.

One way to serve others is to volunteer in your community. There are many deserving organizations that desperately need your help. There are schools, hospitals, scouts, charitable organizations, churches and even neighbors that would welcome the service you can volunteer. Time, skills, knowledge, connections and money are ways you can help others.

Look for ways you can make a difference… by helping others.

“The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.”

—Heda Bejar

Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
6. What types of service do you receive in a given week?
7. What types of service do you give in a given week?

3. Eye Contact

“I believe eye contact to be the first, and therefore, the most important form of communication.” Throughout these lessons, we will talk about communication. If the first and most important form of communication is misunderstood and avoided, a tremendous opportunity is lost.Eye contact suggests interest and sincerity. Eye contact is an essential, nonverbal communicating tool.

“Eye contact is always important when we are communicating with others… Avoiding eye contact may suggest a lack of concern or lack of honesty. Our eyes can also convey compassion and caring. Customers may perceive that a customer service provider is not interested in what they are saying if they do not periodically make eye contact with the customer.”

“When dealing with people from other cultures, customer service providers should be aware of cultural differences. In many other cultures, eye avoidance is a sign of respect. For example, in Japan, people are taught to look at the other person’s neck to avoid eye contact. One way to find out what is most appropriate is to ask. Be sensitive to others but use eye contact whenever possible.”1

For instance, if most of the people you serve are Korean, don’t be afraid to ask one of your Korean customers how eye contact is used in their country. They will appreciate your gesture to meet their needs and they will tell others, guaranteed.

Remember This

• People make less eye contact when they disagree or dislike others.
• Different cultures have different norms when it comes to eye contact. Learn what other cultures prefer and incorporate that into your conversations.
Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
8. Do you consciously look each customer in the eye?
9. Where do you look when you are talking to your customers?

Consider This

What are your eyes saying about you? Trustworthy? Dishonest? Know-it-all? Caring? …

Download and read this document

4. Communicate

Communication is of major importance to any business. Unfortunately, most of us don’t do enough effective communication at work. You need to know what is going on in your place of business. If you don’t know what is going on, you will not be effective in what you do. You will flounder, be unproductive and waste time. By keeping in the loop, you will work smarter and be an example to others. One way to keep motivated in your communication is to always be learning, even if you don’t have direction from your boss. It is your job to make something happen. You can’t make things happen if you don’t know what is going on!

Gerhard Gschwandtner said, “How we say something is often more important than what we say.” In fact, research has shown that 93% of communication is delivered through feelings, attitudes, tone of voice and/or body language where only 7% through words!

Download and read. Record your thoughts in a study journal.

Note the five basis methods of communication: listening, talking, reading, writing, and nonverbal expressions. How you use these skills, to a large degree, determines your success. Download and review the following worksheets: and considerhow you use these skills.

This week download and use the following worksheets:

(How I Will Introduce Myself in Every Conversation).

(How I Will Thank My Customers in Every Conversation).

Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
10. What have you read this week? Month? Year?
11. What have you written in the last 7 days? 30 days? 90 days? Year?
12. What are nonverbal expressions?
13. What have you learned by using the How I Will Introduce Myself in Every Conversation worksheet?
14. What have you learned by using the How I Will Thank My Customers in Every Conversation worksheet?
Consider This.
• What you read or don’t read will determine you effectiveness to communicate.
• What you write or don’t write shapes your ability to communicate effectively.
• How you dress and act (body language) speaks volumes about your ability to communicate.
Increase the time you read, write and listen to others and your ability to communicate will sharply increase.

NOTE: In her book, Customer Service: A Practical Approach, Elaine K. Harris explains each of these in greater detail.

5. Be a Good Listener

A good listener both acknowledges problems and provides nonverbal reassurance. Byrd Baggett has aptly said, “You are not learning anything when you are talking.” Listen first, then ask questions that confirm your understanding.

Download and use the following worksheet:

Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
15. What can you learn about someone by listening?
16. What was the easiest part of the “A Good Listener” worksheet to apply?
17. What was the most difficult part of the “A Good Listener” worksheet to apply?
18. How did you improve over the week? What did you learn? How has it made you more aware of your listening skills?

A good way to practice your listening skills is to go to a public place and sit and listen. It is kind of like people watching but when you take time to sit and listen, you are investing time into the way you communicate. Notice what people say, what they don’t say, how they act and respond to one another. I have learned so much about others when I have taken the time to go to a public place and just listen.

6. Ask Engaging Questions

Engaging questions are questions you ask to find out more about your customers’ needs in order to supply them with the best solution. Your goal is to learn their needs and desires. Only through asking engaging questions can you determine what your customers want and help them get the products and services they want.

Ask questions about how they plan to use the product or service. Why did they feel it was important? Was it recommended by someone? What experience have they had with this product or service or similar products or services? Try to diagnose and detect what the customer wants before you prescribe the solution they need.

One way to think about engaging questions is to spend time learning the thoughts and desires of others—friends, family, coworkers and customers. Use this knowledge to help them reach their goals and you will be able to polish this skill. (See Building Value below.)

Another type of question that will get your customers talking is open-ended questions instead of “yes” “no” questions. Open-ended questions, as well as engaging questions usually begin with “Who, What Where, When, Why and How” and require more detailed responses from the customers you are asking the question.

Answer This Question And Email Your Answers To
• Think of a specific product or service you represent then write 10 engaging questions you’d ask one of your customers.

Some engaging questions are:

1. Why do you like this product? The answer to this question will reveal their emotional connection to the product. Something you can either enhance or move to a more appropriate product if needed.
2. How do you see yourself using this product? The answer to this question reveals if the product is truly the appropriate product for their needs. Leaving the door open for cross-selling or up-selling.
3. Under what circumstances will you use this product? The answer to this question again shows you if the product is the correct one for their needs. You can use this information to show your expertise of product knowledge and how you can be a reference to them in the future.
4. What are the most important facts and features of this product to you as you understand this product? The answer to this question will help you strengthen your customers knowledge of the product they own—establishing you as the expert.
5. Who will be using this product with you? The answer to this question will help you choose the best product for the customers. If they reveal that they will be using it with a child you will be able to better prescribe the best product for their needs.
6. How often will you be using this product? The answer to this question tells you how durable the product should be. It will determine if a lifetime warranted product is more appropriate or not.

Download, read and use:.pdf and fill it in with questions to ask your customers.

7. Build Value

It is imperative to learn how to build value into the products and services you sell. Start building value by building trust. To build trust with customers, you need to ask questions. Then you must support your answers with proof.

Retail example: If your customer wants to buy a new lawnmower what questions might you ask?

1. How big is your lawn?
2. How often do you plan to mow your lawn?
3. What obstacles are in your lawn? (how many trees, berms, rocks, hills, etc.)
4. Do you plan to mulch or bag your grass?

Offer Proof!

Proof is one of the best ways to build value with your customers. Build a case that you provide more value than anyone else they might buy from.

An example of this might include the following: “Consumer reports suggested model # 1436, here, for small lawns with few obstructions. Model # 2436 is better for hilly and bumpy lawns. And Model #3436 is great for yards with many obstacles, like rocks, kids areas, and trees because of the large rear wheels. How would you rate your lawn/yard? Here is a checklist that would help you choose the best lawnmower for your needs.”

How many forms of proof did I give the customer in this quick paragraph? (5+)

1. Consumer Reports report
2. Model #1436
3. Model #2436
4. Model #3436
5. Checklist
6. My expertise
7. My businesses superiority over the competition

Consider This

• Why would the customer buy from anyone else with service like this? They wouldn’t! Because after you can establish a relationship and support it with enough proof many customers find it too difficult to take the time to build another relationship with another business… resulting in buying from you.

“Your job is to make something happen.”

—Seth Godin, Free Prize Inside

Build a case such as this one product at a time, starting with your most popular items. Soon you will be able prepared for all of your customer’s questions and comments.

Internal example: ADD AN INTERNAL EXAMPLE

Or ask student of an internal example from their experiences.

Answer These Questions And Email Your Answers To
19. What could you use to build trust with your customers?
20. What could you use to prove your opinions?
21. What materials are available to prove your case? Where would you look?
Consider This.
The information you gather, create, and provide to your customers is the proof that you are the best person/business to buy from. (See Schmooze below.) Use the products and services you sell, then record how you used them and what you learned by using them. See also hour two of this lesson Getting Organized.

8. Schmooze