My client guest post for this month is by Philip Gillivan of the Pub Consultant. Philip is a successful businessman and owner of The Shelbourne pub in Cork. He helps other pub owners / managers turn their business around by implementing new systems to increase turnover and reduce costs, whilst offering a mentoring programme to guide them through the process.In this post, Philip shares a piece of advice given to him by his father, which I’m sure all business owners will find useful…..
Wherever you are, be there.
A few years back, I received a piece of simple advice which has strongly remained with me ever since. As I sat frantically typing on my laptop, my father looked up from his newspaper and asked me what I was doing. I explained that I had a report to finish for a client and I was also trying to send off a host of urgent emails at the same time.
My father went back to reading his newspaper, and then quietly said, ‘Wherever you are, be there’.
This statement made me stop and ponder. I guess, in his own way, he was telling me to focus on one thing at a time. Although this advice can be applied to all aspects of life, it is particularly relevant in the line of business. My client deserved my full attention, and so does yours.
Regardless of what we are doing, whether it is speaking to a client on a phone or face-to-face, we need to be there solely for that moment. If our minds are elsewhere, we can not only miss critical information, but also give off negative body language. Clients will pick up on this whether in a conscious or subconscious manner, and will be left with a poor impression of you or your business.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. The next meeting you go to, leave your phone in your car or bag and listen… really listen to what is being said and thoroughly engage with your client.
You will in fact find that it will save you a lot of time in the future, because you will have clearly understood what the client is asking you to do for them.
In the pub business, which is the industry I am heavily involved in, it is very evident when a bartender or waiter is there with the customer. This is demonstrated through eye contact, a smile and a genuine willingness to look after the customers’ needs, which in turn, lends to the customer being comfortable in their surroundings and open to purchasing another beer, coffee etc.
Whatever field you are in, customers like to be treated as an individual and made to feel unique, so be there for your customer, for without them, your business is redundant.
Contact:-
Philip Gillivan
Hammurabi Ltd
T: +353 (0)86 814 1371