What's an earworm?

According to wikipedia, an earworm is a catchy piece of music that continually repeats through a person's mind after it is no longer playing. 

We're sending you this earworm to pump you up on a Monday morning.  Feeling good is the first step to doing good. 

Smile. Breath. Rock on. You Got This.

- Team Ward Certified

A Quiz for you

Here's a quiz for you.  Can you identify what this waitress in a diner is ordering?

A) "Burn one, take it through the garden, pin a rose on it!"
B) "Shingle with shimmy and shake, squeeze one."
C) "Keep off the grass!"

There is a shorthand type of ordering and addressing people that seems very appropriate and fun in that setting, but is confusing to the rest of us. This week, make sure you don't confuse your customers with your industry-specific terms.  Keep it simple!

Oh yeah, and here's what her customers ordered:
A) "Hamburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion!"
B) "Buttered toast with jam and OJ."
C) "Hold the lettuce!"

Still not convinced that you use lingo? Watch this video.

How long will it take?

The number one challenge most of our clients face is unrealistic expectations.  Seems like everyone wants it faster and cheaper.  What's a professional to do?

Try this:

• The Customer doesn't know your process, so make time to share (in a non-defensive tone) what steps are involved.
• Ask questions to understand their needs so that you can provide options
• Aim for open-ended questions: "How will you be using this chart, ppt, program, data?" 
• Tell them what's in it for them to answer your questions: "...so we can come up with some options". 
• Then share the options and allow them choose, like in this video. 
  • "We can provide a comic book ready drawing of Spiderman in 10 minutes or a rough draft in 10 seconds, which do you prefer?"
  • "We can provide a fully translated and proofed document in 6 hours, or just the translation in 3 hours.  Which do you prefer?

You can't manage customers, but you can manage expectations.

And the Oscar goes to...

Did you watch last night? 

Did you notice what did they all had in common?

Yes, they have award-winning acting skills, roles, outfits, and stylists, but there's something else as well. 

Their posture.

Actors, like the rest of us, get nervous when they are out of their comfort zone. so they stand a little taller to make themselves feel more powerful and confident then deliver the lines with poise. 

Next time you get a tough call or caller, strike an Oscar-worthy pose. Stand or sit up tall and deliver customer service with grace.

You know what to say, so say it with confidence. 

Did you watch?

American snowboarder Chloe Kim won Gold in PyeongChang last week

There's so much competition in the Olympics, but only a few winners. What helps winners win?

Choosing to focus on what’s in their control and visualizing success.

An athlete can’t change how prepared their competition is, how cold they are, or how distracting Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski's coordinating outfits are. But they can choose to focus on what’s in their control.

One technique that Olympians use to enhance this focus is visualization or mental imagery.  Before they compete, they imagine themselves running through their event, thinking through the movements, and winning.

Take a moment to think through your day before it happens, and imagine it going really well.  Play through some typical interactions and handle them in medal-worthy fashion.  Then head back to reality and enjoy your day.

Eyes on the prize

Have you been watching the Olympics? The athletes are achieving great feats, breaking records and winning medals.

This here is Red Gerard, who overslept then lost his jacket the day that he became the first American to win Gold at this year's PyeongChang Olympic Games.

How did he do it? He ignored all the road blocks in his way and kept his eye on the prize.

Do you ever get:

• Thrown off your game by an upset or intimidating caller?
• Frazzled when someone asks about price?
• Upset when they threaten to leave?

Today when you get that tough caller, keep your eye on the prize by being patient, actively listening and offering empathy.

The prize?  Happy Customers. :-)

Showing clients some love

It's that time of year again. Florists are sold out, and it's nearly impossible to get a reservation at your favorite restaurant.

On top of that, 2018 is finally hitting with full force. Phones are ringing off the hook and inboxes are seemingly always full.

How can we stay sane in this crazy technology-driven time?

Make it human. Show your clients you care by having a real conversation with them about the stress they're probably under as well.

An example of being human...

Just this week we had a graphic design dilemma, well it wasn't that bad.  Our Ward Certified brand green is CMYK 50/10/100/0 and our black is 0/0/0/100.  A product we ordered came in 0/0/0/90.  I know right! It's horrifying. 

Anyway, I emailed our graphics guru and fully expected a "Well, you should have..." email.  Instead we got a "Yikes how strange, Let me review the files. The black should be 100 k (which is 100% black). I'll give you a call after my review, thanks for bringing that to my attention." and a phone call. 

I was expecting the worst and I got the best.  #customerforlife

Happy Valentine's Day, 

xoxo

The Ward Certified Team