17 Things You Unknowingly Do That Say
This accidental carelessness is not surprising.
We’re all so busy these days. In fact, we’re overwhelmed. And when we’re trying to survive, sometimes even the most well meaning among us don’t realize how we’re coming across.
The good news is that the more you care (and show you do), the more you stand out in a world where many don’t. Caring is great for business. The even better news is that by making, say, one percent more effort and paying attention to the little things, you can transform your relationships and canada goose outlet locations in toronto see your overall success skyrocket.
First, of course, you need to know what you’re unknowingly doing wrong. Here, I shine a spotlight on 17 things that say to others, “I don’t care” and offer advice on how you can reverse that perception:
You fail to touch base on projects. Sure, you’re busy, and sure, teammates and clients can always call you if they need an update. The problem is that when people don’t hear from you they naturally assume the worst: “I just know he hasn’t done what he said he’d do.” Or, “I bet she’s only doing the bare minimum.” When you uk stockists of canada goose jackets don’t proactively reach out to provide information and updates, it seems as though you don’t care about others’ concerns.
The solution is simple: touch base often. Don’t force your colleague to ask if you’ve finished compiling those statistics, for instance; send an email saying you’ve done so. Actually, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of sending daily or weekly updates canada goose outlet ottawa not only to team members but to clients, too.
You wait too long to respond to calls or emails. (And sometimes you don’t respond at all.) Often, hours or days pass before you reply to a colleague or client’s questions. (Hey you have about 200 more important things on your to do list!) And sometimes, enough time passes that responding cheap canada goose coats uk completely slips your mind.
You may not think a slow response canada goose outlet nyc is a big deal, but the other person probably does. Even if you truly don’t have time to deal with the matter immediately, it’s easy enough to send a text or email saying, “I got your message and will touch base later.” Whenever possible, try not to leave any unanswered emails or voicemails overnight.
You forget customer preferences. Part of providing good service is remembering that Mr. and that Mrs. canada goose shop regent street Jones always wants cheap canada goose to work with a specific vendor.
When you don’t keep records of these things, customers will conclude that they don’t matter to you. Keep a file on each client, and take a few moments to record their preferences after each interaction.
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You nickel uk canada goose store reviews and dime them. Yes, you and your customers know that your relationship is based on an exchange of money for goods or services. And of course, you shouldn’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of. But obsessively keeping track of every minute and every coin doesn’t sit well with clients. It makes them think your first priority is not taking care of them, but getting everything that’s owed to you.
Try to balance the bills you send against the long term value of your client relationships. For instance, if you spend an extra hour or two outside your contract, consider not itemizing that time on your next bill. The customer will likely sing https://www.fcvfrankfurt.de canada goose montebello uk your praises and send you plenty of referrals.
You “handoff” customers to an employee and never personally contact them again. Sure, if you’re the owner of the company or the leader of a team, you can’t personally take care of every single client’s needs. But you can call or email each of them from time to time to let them know they’re still getting your attention. This is especially important if you conducted the initial meetings or signed a contract with a certain client.
In my business, I make it a priority to respond personally to readers who ask me questions via email, Facebook, and Twitter. While I could hand these tasks off to members of my staff, I truly do appreciate that readers care enough to take the time to contact me and by engaging with them individually, I am showing them that canada goose black friday 2019 uk I care, too.
You wait till the last minute to ask for what you need. Say a project has been on your desk for canada goose outlet online store review a week but you don’t ask your subordinate to make revisions until a few hours cheap canada goose before the deadline. This puts the stress burden on the other person and makes him feel that you don’t respect his time. (It doesn’t do your in office reputation any favors, either.)
When a project requires a group effort and you’re a part of that group, never forget that your time management should take into account their time, too. Show others the consideration you yourself would like to receive.
You rush through projects and leave loose ends. In my new book, The Carpenter: canada goose outlet orlando A Story About the Greatest Success Strategies of All, I write, “The world is filled with those who get things done the fastest and the cheapest, but it needs more artists, craftsmen, and craftswomen. When you become a craftsman in a world of carpenters, you will stand out, and people will clamor to work with you.”
When you put forth the least amount of effort and do only the bare minimum, someone else will have to come behind you and make improvements that, or you’ll have provided an inferior product. Both tell people that you don’t care enough to do the job right.
You miss deadlines. We all know that missing deadlines is a bad thing, yet many of us persist in (often creatively) figuring out how to buy more time for ourselves. Every once in a rare while an extension may be necessary; say, if too little time was initially provided to do a good job or if an emergency pops up in the middle of the project. Usually, though, the extra time you spend gets taken away from someone further down the line.
Missing deadlines is another way of conveying to others that you don’t respect their time. Do as much as you possibly can to stick to the agreed upon schedule.
You stress people out right before vacation. Leaders and supervisors, take note: An employee’s upcoming vacation shouldn’t give you license to demand Herculean feats from her right before her absence. You know she needs to pack, board the dog, and (ideally) get a restful night’s sleep before hitting the road or flying the friendly skies. the night before she departs shouts, “Work is more important than your family time!”
Vacations canada goose outlet online uk should be something your people look forward to, not something they semi dread because they know the days leading up to a getaway will be horrendous. Part of canada goose outlet store calgary being a caring leader is planning ahead with each employee to ensure that essential tasks are completed without last minute hassle and headaches.
RELATED: 7 Mistakes That Drive Your Star Employees Out the Door
You neglect to say “thank you” or “great job.” Even if someone is “just” doing what’s in his job description, and especially if he has gone above and beyond to help you, take a few moments to verbalize your appreciation.
Often, we don’t express gratitude not because we aren’t thankful, but because we’re busy or have already shifted our focus to the next thing however, the other person doesn’t know that. Saying “thanks” takes only a few seconds of your time, but can do cheap canada goose decoys wonders for your professional relationships. When people feel valued, noticed, and appreciated, they’ll be motivated to do better work. It’s that simple.
You don’t take care of the “little things” that make work flow smoothly. Broken equipment, outdated computer programs, no coffee cups, burnt out light bulbs, even office furniture that’s seen better days all of these things send employees a message about how much you don’t care about their comfort.
Your employees get that you don’t have the resources to provide expensive, cutting edge gadgets and an in office spa. But when you fail to provide basics that are within the budget, especially when it’s clear that you and other leaders aren’t going without, you’ll cultivate a “haves vs. have nots” attitude that fosters disengagement.
You listen with half an ear. You know how this canada goose outlet canada goes: You make the appropriate noises during a client call (“MmmhmmmI understandNo, that won’t be a problem”) while simultaneously typing an email to someone else. You may think you’re getting away with multitasking, but the other person can usually tell that your attention is divided, and will feel unimportant as a result.