The Right Questions

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Here's the concept I'm contemplating this sunny morning. “The quality of your life and your business is directly relative to the quality of the questions you ask, especially the questions you ask yourself.” This quote is from Niurka, a compelling speaker I just heard at a Yes Network seminar. We all talk to ourselves (admit it!) and Niurka reminded me of how important it is to ask ourselves the right kind of questions, specifically:

Ask empowering questions.

Use words that frame questions in the affirmative. For example, we should ask ourselves “How can I be even more productive…” instead of “Why do I never get enough done…”

“Your subconscious mind will go to work on any question you ask yourself,” said Niurka. “The brain is like a missile that will move through all the information until it finds answers that fit the question, so your ability to formulate the question determines what you will get in the midst of infinite possibilities.” So ask yourself empowering questions and your subconscious will reveal empowering answers.

Imagine the possibilities - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. "We are what we think." Buddha

If you'd like to read more about Niurka's seminar or the equally good customer service seminar presented by James Lloyd, you're invited to read my Yes Network Seminar Reviews.

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting ASunnyNote.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
http://www.metromichigan.com/

Who Cares

Good morning,

It's Friday – and that makes me smile. But something else is making me smile even more today, a recent encounter with great customer service. It prompted me to share this simple reminder.

When you care, it shows.

For great (or even just good) customer service, there's no substitute for caring – no matter what else is taught in a training manual.

Where did I find great customer service? The other day I went to Twelve Oaks Mall to replace my favorite watch. After presenting the watch at various jewelry stores to lukewarm responses, I walked into Helzberg Diamonds. The associate, Mida, who promptly greeted me - instead of just pointing out what they had on display – also looked closely at my watch, asked me questions about it and proceeded to research her catalogues and computer in search of exactly what I wanted. Her attitude and actions together showed that she genuinely cared.

But here's the twist. Despite Mida's efforts, she wasn't able to find what I wanted. I was on a specific mission, so off I went. I eventually found my new watch at Lord & Taylor, but they didn’t have an in-store jeweler to customize the links in the band to fit my little wrist. So now what? Mida at Helzberg had struck me as a caring person, so even though it was a little awkward to go back and tell her I found the watch somewhere else, I felt she might understand. Sure enough, she handled my odd request with total grace. That's when the Helzberg experience went from good to great. I walked out with a perfectly fitted watch and a new favorite jewelry store. She might not even realize it, but the next time I'm shopping for jewelry, I'm headed to Helzberg.

The bottom line – caring is the key to customer service. If we don't care, performing the right procedures won't be enough. If we do care, even situations that seem like problems become opportunities to create customers for life.

May you enjoy great customer service - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” Henry Miller, with special thanks to the Forum Fitness Center in Garden City for sharing this quote.

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting www.MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit www.JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.metromichigan.com

Batter Up!

Good morning,

Happy Friday! I’ve been thinking a lot this week about how important it is to be willing to try and risk failure, if we ultimately want to succeed at anything great. Years ago someone pointed out a baseball analogy that stuck with me ever since.

The greatest hitters fail more often than they succeed.

Babe Ruth had a batting average of .342, so he only got a hit about a third of the times he went up to bat. Imagine if he’d been afraid to swing because he might miss; we wouldn’t be talking about him right now because he’d never have hit his 714 homeruns.

I was reminded of this recently when I came across an article in Smart Business Magazine by Michael Feuer, the guy who co-founded OfficeMax in 1988 and then sold it for $1.5 billion in 2003. Feuer’s article points out that, “It’s hard to get on base and ultimately score if an executive is unwilling to take appropriate and measured risks.”

If we limit ourselves to attempting only things at which we know we cannot fail, then our achievements will be limited – at best. Because, as Feuer puts it, “If you bat 1.000 in business, you’ll eventually strike out.”

Taking appropriate and measured risks requires confidence. “The confidence portion of the equation is not being afraid to be wrong, to admit it and to try again another day,” says Feuer. His complete article is available online here at Smart Business Magazine, along with numerous other insightful articles by the same author, in case you’re interested.

Let’s swing for the fences – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” Babe Ruth

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting www.MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit www.JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.metromichigan.com

The Key Ingredient

Good morning,

Hurray for Friday! Today’s food for thought involves one of the most important ingredients in life. Without it, lives are less joyful and careers are less successful.

The key ingredient is trust.

To get anywhere in business or in life, we have to be trusted and trustworthy. How? By keeping our word. Trust comes from saying we’re going to do something and then doing it. Rinse and repeat. And repeat and repeat...It’s that simple.

It’s simple but not necessarily easy. Trustworthiness is built on all the “little things,” like calling when we say we’re going to call, which over time form the foundation for being trusted (or not) with the “big things,” like receiving the promotion.

I’m fortunate to work with and have in my life some amazingly trustworthy people. And I try to be equally trustworthy. Since good habits help, I’ve been trying to avoid using misleading catch phrases like “just a minute,” which usually means more like five minutes, or telling my husband I’m “about to leave” the office, when really I need an hour.

The point? We must watch our words, because trust is hard to establish and easy to destroy. That’s why “under promise and over deliver” is good advice, not to impress the boss, but because trustworthiness depends on keeping our promises.

I promise to write to you next Friday – and I hope you have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. More food for thought…author unknown:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com