Kristin Queen of Wipes Olson-Kott’s Post

How My Daily Latte Won Me a $65,000 Client A Latte, a Smile, and the Power of Reputation I go to a coffee shop every morning. It's an essential part of the day that I will not miss. I sit down, open the laptop, and have a vanilla latte. The baristas at the coffee shop offer a friendly face. We have gotten to know each other over the years. I'm thankful to have very friendly and kind baristas. They remember my order, and I always ask about their days. Sometimes, I invite potential clients to the coffee shop. The client I met in this story had a huge job. She was unsure because of the size and complexity. She decided to push the job back until she was positive. An investment of 65,000. I left the coffee shop that day thinking that I lost the deal. About an hour and a half later, I got a call from the client.  She told me she was ready and wanted to do the whole project. Shocked, I asked her why she had decided to do it. She stayed back that day to get another tea and finish some work. She said she had walked to a cooler and had seen a picture of me. The picture she looked at stated, “Our Freinds and Regulars.” Curious, she asked the Baristas if they knew me and what kind of guy I was. Im curious how they responded to her, but it must have been positive. She said, “If you treat the baristas that well, I trust you can do the job.” We overlook the power of our everyday interactions. It's not just about posting, likes, and reshares. It goes beyond the digital world into real life. You make an impact on people for the better or worse. Your reputation sells. PS- Picture of the mentioned “cooler pic” in the comments Join the Newsletter for brand and sales tips. #contentcreation #socialmedia #personalbrand

Few people know this, but… I used to work at a very luxurious restaurant in the heart of the city. It attracted politicians, celebrities and tycoons every night. And this was at a time, when I knew NOTHING about sales, marketing or business. Yet, I learned one of the biggest lessons in my life there. Customers often asked me a dreaded question that made this shy introvert nervous. “Hey buddy, what do you recommend from the menu?” One night, a slick-haired businessman in an impeccable suit posed that question with a chuckle, while his date smiled I suggested our premium steaks since they were top-quality and big ticket items. I thought I did well... But I got the response that I did not expect: “Nah, I’m not much of a steak guy. Just get me the basic spaghetti bolognese, can’t go wrong right?” His date laughed as he said it… I didn’t know how to respond and just nodded my head. That moment, right there, taught me a valuable lesson. Never assume you know what a customer wants. From then on, when a client asked me for recommendations, I always said: “Well, it depends on what you like… We have pasta, pizza, steaks,... Let me know your preferences and I’ll recommend something based on that. Sounds good?” This showed 2 things: 1. I cared about the customer 2. I wasn’t just a shy introvert Now in my agency, I never assume what prospects want without asking first. Understanding their needs is key, however uncomfortable it may be, because I’m selling a service — and maybe it’s not what they want? But it builds trust and long-term relationships. That experience changed how I interact with clients forever. Always ask, never assume…

 Day 94 of 366 Days to Build Confidence We jump to conclusions all the time. Our brains compares the information we have stored with what it sees. Does it have a match? We may see a mother shouting at her children, and it reminds us of being told that ‘good parents don’t lose their temper.’ So, we may conclude ‘bad mother’. A customer complains about the service she has received in a restaurant. We might think ‘awkward customer’ - causing trouble. Probably a serial moaner. Or, we might think, ‘Bad restaurant', I won’t go there’. The truth is, we don’t know why the mother shouted or what happened at the restaurant. And, it's really none of our business unless someone genuinely needs help. Part of being confident with yourself is being aware of the labels you are giving people. It’s being aware of times when you jump to a conclusion. We can always choose to stop and consider what is really going on. Do I have enough facts to make an informed decision? If not, is it my business to find out? If not, I will just move on with my day. photo credit - Unsplash+ with Getty Images

Stop giving away free value. (Unless you want to stay broke). Here's a quick story. A guy walks into a bar. Drake, the bartender (who wears crocs) gives him the watermelon cocktail recipe for free. (In hopes to sell him more later) The guy goes and buys the goods to try it out himself. He thanks the bartender. Drake is left with a friendly smile and $0. === A guy walks into a bar. Kendrick, another bartender, tells him how amazing it tastes and what experiences he can have. (The outcome) He provides insight on how he can buy the cocktail and serve it to his friends. The guy instantly asks for the recipe. Kendrick charges for the cocktail and the recipe. And pockets $100. There’s a business lesson on insights to income in there.

This is a problem 😕 I purchased two teas this morning from the cafe at the soft play centre. Observations: 1. The obvious which is below. That is clearly not tea. The teabag was taken out. I wasn't even asked if I wanted it kept in, so the option was removed before I even had a chance. 2. The assistant serving the tea, stopped what he was eating to make me the drinks. So hand to his mouth and then to making my tea, without washing his hands 😫. Right in front of me! 3. I wasn't asked if I wanted milk in there or not? What if i am lactose intolerant? Its basic stuff, don't assume. 4. The sugar and stirrers were not in view, but again I wasn't informed "condiments are to the back there". It's courteous more than anything, I don't need the assistance but the next person might do. Alerting would've been helpful. 5. No name badge on. If I wanted to complain about the service, how am I supposed to do that? By a description? Not cool. If you're a public-facing, customer serving business you must have your staff complete customer service training. If the company has not prioritised this, then they are entirely at fault and shouldn't be so alarmed when the negative feedback starts pouring in. The little things start to add up and become the big things so it's best to nip it in the bud, fast 👍. I can't stress it enough it's so OBVIOUS and so noticeable when staff are not appropriately and adequately trained for the role they are doing... You are not behind a computer screen, it's timely action and first impressions count, there might not be a second chance. Marks and Spencer I will always be grateful for the training, the role playing and in all honesty, the many mystery shops as well. All very necessary and transitional in other areas. #CustomerService #CustomerSatisfaction #CustomerExperience

Picture this: I'm in line at Panera, admiring this elegant lady ahead of me. The cashier, usually confident and efficient, seems flustered. I suddenly realize that this lovely customer is confused about how this place works... The cashier explains what "You Pick Two" is and the lady begins her order: "I’ll take ½ a turkey sandwich ½ a ham sandwich, ½ a bacon avocado sandwich…" That's weird. People don't usually order all sandwiches. it's usually Sandwich + Salad, Sandwich + Soup, Sandwich + Mac&Cheese… She finishes her order with: And for the other half of each of those, I'll take a Ceasar Salad! Stunned, the cashier voids the order and starts over: "1/2 turkey+ salad, 1/2 ham + salad..." 🤦♀️ I don't know about you, but it never occurred to me that there is more than one way to order a You Pick Two. So while I'm sitting here waiting for my sandwich it occurs to me: We shouldn't assume our audience, prospects, clients know how we roll. Better to make it transparent to avoid confusion. I'm curious: How do you create operational clarity for your clients, your team, your community? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Monday Musing - I went to to a Holiday Makers Market this weekend, at a local coffee shop. Wanting to support the coffee shop and get something not peppermint, I thought I'd taste out of my comfort zone. One drink, had "notes of citrus" I'm not really a citrus at Christmas person, so I inquired about the Alpine, a drink with essence of rum and pfeffernusse. I asked if they could tell me what this tasted like since I have no idea what pfefferusse is. (I did find out it's a German Christmas cookie) I was told warm and cozy, okay I like warm and cozy and think chai flavoring. The girl then asked a co-worker what she thought and the co-worker said - "well the ingredient list is there you should be able to figure it out". I stood there with a look of confusion, if I knew what the ingredients were, then yes, I would know the flavor. Unfortunately, I'm not up on my German Christmas Cookie flavors. So why the story? I've worked in customer service since I graduated high school - and if I had ever answered a guest with an answer like that I would've been fired. The great example is the Disney example - when someone asks a cast member what time is the 3 o'clock parade, they never say 3 o'clock, they inform the guests of what time it will pass certain areas of the park. If you are a business with guest facing employees, train them, give them the tools they need to help the customer, not alienate the customer. If you're in the food industry, make sure your staff knows what something tastes like, so that they can explain flavors. If you are selling tickets, your staff should know what the view looks like from the seats. If you are clothing staff should know how things fit - especially when helping someone purchasing gifts. Staff knowledge is how you get repeat business. Staff sarcasm is how no one comes back. So how did the coffee taste? Well it wasn't cozy it was like drinking tree bark. They might as well have used twigs as stir sticks. Will I go back to this local shop - probably not. The the service is always slow and the drinks are never that great. #guestexperience #guestservice #customerservice #disneyservice #guestservicefail #trainyourstaff

What if you could reset the bar for excellence? 🍩🤔 🍩 🍩 🍩 In Nashville for my work’s Christmas party, and many a people told my wife and I to try Five Daughters Bakery. We kept hearing “BEST DONUTS EVER.” And after our first couple of bites, we realized that most of these reviews were, indeed true. 🍩🍩🍩 Top 3 best donuts this pretentious foodie has ever had. And it reminded me of a lesson that my friend, local Austin coffee shop owner Marco told me. 🍩 🍩 🍩 Aaron: “Marco, you run a coffee shop and carry around a little black book with graphs and charts of how to make coffee better? 😂 Why?” Marco: “Aaron, people drink coffee their entire lives. Imagine walking into a coffee shop without knowing your life was about to change.” Aaron: “What do you mean?” Marco: “Imagine you drink coffee your entire life and then you walk into MY coffee shop, and it’s the best cup of coffee and/or the best coffee experience you’ve ever had. For the rest of your life, the bar for excellence has been reset.” Aaron: “Oh, oh wow.” 🍩🍩🍩 Just like Marco does often. Just like Five Daughters Bakery did today. Imagine if your customers do something their entire life and then they come in contact with you and their bar is irrefutably reset. Imagine. #CustomerSuccess #Excellence #CustomerExperience

Let's pretend for a moment... You arrive at a party and the host warmly greets you. They take your coat and tell you to get some food, gently pointing in the direction of where to go. You enjoy chatting with kind people as you eat the most delicious treats. This party is getting better by the minute. It feels good to be here. The entire evening feels good to your soul, but sadly – it is time for it to end. The host gives you your coat and thanks you for coming. You’ll remember this experience for a long time. ✨ Like this beautiful party, you can make your client experience feel like this too. (Without having to clean up your house and do dishes each time!)💖 That’s the ease that comes from having email templates ready to use from inquiry to offboarding. This way you can create a standout memorable experience every single time. You’re invited to check out our new template collection (link in comments). -Angela & Ashlee Sang  #HumanConnection #ClientCommunication #BusinessGrowth

"Who knew adulting included figuring out the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork, or that introducing yourself could feel like a pop quiz on your own life? 😂 Here are 3 etiquette tips to turn you from socially awkward to socially savvy: 1️⃣ The handshake - think of it as the human version of clicking 'accept' on a terms and conditions you didn't read. Firm, but no thumb wars, please. 2️⃣ Dining 'BMW' - not the car, but Bread, Meal, Water. Remember this at the table and you'll never accidentally drink from someone else's glass again. 3️⃣ Small talk is like broccoli - you might not like it, but it’s good for you. Plus, it's your secret weapon to avoid any awkward silence. 🥦 Ready to ace your next social event? Which tip are you going to try first? Leave a comment or send a direct message if you survive the experience!" #EtiquetteWithEase #ForkFumbles #SocialSkillsForTheWin #NoMoreAwkwardSilences #AdultingHumor #DiningLikeAPro #HandshakeHacks #SmallTalkSavvy #Juleshirst #juleshirstschoolofetiquette