Eye Contact

My post office is only a few blocks from my house.  I think it’s kind of neat I can walk to my post office.  But then again, I used to go down to the main post office downtown at all hours because it was a 24 hour post office.  I just thought that was pretty cool.  We only had one post office in my hometown and I don’t think I ever went into it.  Unfortunately  the main branch is no longer open 24 hours due to budget cuts.

Post offices aren’t usually known for their great customer service.  I’ve been in some where the staff barely acknowledges you as you’re standing in front of them.  Or they act annoyed they have to wait on you.  Or they sit at a window not helping anyone as the line of customers stretches back 20 people.  The employees seem to be the epitome of stereotypical civil servants.  Minimal work at the slowest speed possible.  After all, the phrase going postal came from just such a place.

But then I met Janet at my local branch.  She greeted me with a smile and low and behold, looked me in the eye as she asked me what she could help me with.  That simple connection made all the difference in the world.  I look forward to going there, even if she’s not working.  I look more kindly on the other employees and am usually able to make some sort of connection with them.

In this wired and wireless world, we’ve lost the simple art of the human connection.  E-mails and texts have replaced phone calls and handshakes.  Snappy words on a message board or an e-mail can be misconstrued and emoticons can’t really fill the void.  I’ve really tried to keep this in mind as I reach out to prospective clients with phone calls.  Sure it would be easier and less angst ridden to just send an email, but I am after all selling my voice and what it can do for your product so what better way to do that than to convince you to let me send you my demo?!