Second only to personal and meaningful relationships, this will make or break you...especially in the service business.
Clues spark conversation, they get things started...they allow things to progress to a higher, more meaningful level. Without them, we're relegated to surface talk...simple "hello's", "good bye's" and "did you have a nice trip?" Armed with information like personal hobbies, favorite foods, where they've traveled from, or how their favorite sports team fared, you can head in a different direction...you can tell stories and most importantly, you can do the unexpected. Remarkable possibilities abound.
Imagine an arriving guest is an avid fisherman, a golfer or wine connoisseur. What unexpected treat might await them in their room? Imagine someone who just experienced two four-hour flight delays and lost luggage...would you ask if they had a nice trip?
Everyone offers clues. Some are simple...you can read it in tone, body language and facial expressions (if you have children, you have practice). Others require some digging. Thanks to technology, that's gotten easier too.
How do you find info? Try these for starters...
- Previous interaction...learn as you go...take lots of notes...find a way to gather tidbits, then stuff them into a computer
- Gatekeeper's...talk to assistants...they almost always want things to go splendidly for their boss
- Google...there's a reason it's a verb
- Company website...lots of info in the About Us section
Gathering clues isn't always easy. Knowing what to do with them is even harder. Go surprise someone today.