It’s the holidays, which just adds more work and errands to lives that are already stretched to the max. Not only the customers who are coming to buy gifts and are not sure what to buy stressed, but also the owners and staff of the business. They might well be thinking that they still have their own gift shopping to do, cards to write, the house to decorate and a menu to write for the lunch or dinner they are hosting for all the relatives.
Time to relax, take a deep breath and consider doing something that I have started doing lately, which is standing still, closing my eyes and imagining all the stress flowing out through the soles of my feet. It only takes about thirty seconds and I have found that it actually works. It makes me feel more relaxed and ready to greet visitors and customers and help them de-stress for twenty minutes or so.
At this time of year it’s easy to get into the mindset that everything is really important. Thinking about who to buy for and what to buy, will they like it and what if they don’t. It is rare that I don’t like a gift that someone is kind enough to give me (well I did get some quite hideous things from my ex mother-in-law for a while there). Mostly, I appreciate the thought and am happy that they think about me.
When you are working during the holiday period, take time to focus on the customers. To give them extra special service that will make their day brighter and yours too. Put your own concerns and stresses to one side. Imagine putting them all into a backpack and then leave the backpack beside the door on the way in to work. You can pick up your backpack of stresses on the way out (I promise you no one will have stolen it). The nice thing is you don’t have to pick it up if you don’t want to.
A tip of the glass from me to you
E column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct Marketing
A recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
