NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
Get Boost – Connect like you Give a Damn
I care passionately about human potential – and it shows. I give a damn about my books, my readers and my corporate speaking clients – and it shows. 80 percent of all my speaking engagements are word of mouth and repeat business, 5 of them in September alone.
When you give a damn, you give energy – good quality energy. When you don’t you zap energy. In my neck of the woods, Herrington’s Butchers in Port Perry, Whyte Total Personal Fitness in Whitby and Zest Restaurant in Port Hope are all 20 minutes farther away than their competition, but they really give a damn about their products, services and clients – and it shows. They flourish and grow while their imitators come and go. Why? Because human beings are energy systems. We thrive on the quality and the quantity of the energy we get from other people.
Canadian companies like Porter Airlines, Four Seasons Hotels and lululemon give a damn – and it shows too – they energize their staff and customers. Trip Advisor rates thousands of vacation spots that give a damn. There are online reviews for everything because giving a damn is becoming the new benchmark – and it comes from the gut so it’s easy to spot a fake.
Sure you must deliver the goods, but increasingly consumers are making their purchase decisions based on “Does the chef who prepared this meal look like she gives a damn about my food?â€Â “Does this mechanic give a damn about my car?â€Â “Does this realtor/bank/airline give a damn about the impact they have on my life?â€Â It’s easy to spot and relatively easy to fix.
They DON’T give a damn and zap our energy when they:
- don’t make eye contact or smile;
- argue with you, especially when you are right;
- use closed body language;
- leave the moment their shift ends;
- ignore you while they talk, text or chat with their friends and co-workers;
- ask if you want change for a twelve dollar meal when you put down a twenty;
- waste your precious time by telling you someone will be there for a 10 minute service call sometime between 8am and 5pm;
- say “unfortunately†and “have a nice day†when they just failed to help you on the phone and say “no problem†when you say goodbye!
- and on and on…..
They DO give a damn and boost our energy when:
- their 5 SuperPowers are ignited. i.e. they naturally feel and display enthusiasm, curiosity, feedback, empathy and imagination (this makes them like each other and feel happy and welcoming);
- management has given them the knowledge, words, and face-to-face people skills to create trusting human connections (this makes them feel resourceful and confident);
- they are trusted with the authority to match their responsibility (this makes them efficient and proud.)
Good customer service isn’t enough. We are born to be inspired and passionate; to feel the flow of energy. Nature, love, family and society are either growing or decaying – growing or going.  No middle ground. The same goes for business. With the right tools it’s fairly easy to rally, inspire and energize your customers and staff to grow.
So, connect, design, cook, study, innovate, collaborate and love like you give a damn. Imbue them with enthusiasm, curiosity, feedback, empathy and imagination. If not, look over your shoulder and make room for someone who can – they are breathing down your neck right now.
Nicholas Boothman has spent more than two decades studying the ways in which human beings connect, communicate and collaborate through teamwork. A former fashion and advertising photographer who dealt with hundreds of new faces a week for clients like AT&T, Revlon and Coca-Cola he now shows businesses around the world how to increase sales by naturally connecting and building trust, from first impressions to lasting relationships, and all the communication in-between. For more information on Nicholas Boothman’s speaking presentations, click on Nick Boothman’s picture at the top of the page.