We all know the old saying that you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. \u201cThank you\u201d can be a powerful phrase that can help you attract and retain the type of customer and employee you want. And understanding when to say it can lead to positive results.<\/p>\n
Most of us like to be thanked, especially when the sentiment is sincere.<\/p>\n
For that reason, \u201cthank you\u201d is one of the most powerful phrases in the English language.<\/p>\n
In addition to using it to recognize past acts, you can also say thank you to influence people and steer them toward a desired behavior.<\/p>\n
A supervisor at a landscape company might say to his employees, \u201cI really appreciate how when you use the blowers, you always make sure all the leaves are cleared off lawns and walkways. You leave them in a nice pile for bagging up \u2014 and not all over the adjacent neighbors\u2019 driveway. Your commitment to providing excellent service is really evident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some people will argue that thanking people for doing what they are \u201csupposed to do\u201d is a waste of time. Chances are, however, those same people find themselves frustrated by customers, clients, and coworkers who don\u2019t behave the way they should.<\/p>\n
For nonbelievers, the thank-you-in-advance method of influence is certainly worth a shot.<\/p>\n
Why thank you in advance works Thanking people in advance works for a few reasons.<\/p>\n
The first has to do with a sense of obligation many people feel to reciprocate after they\u2019ve received something.<\/p>\n
The second explanation for the technique\u2019s effectiveness has to do with people wanting to conform to a positive image of themselves. In other words, \u201cI\u2019m going to act like a good employee because I am a good employee.\u201d<\/p>\n
A third explanation for the thank-you method\u2019s power has to do with instruction. Often, we assume people intuitively know what they are supposed to do. Guess what? Many don\u2019t. They\u2019ve forgotten, they\u2019re preoccupied, or they\u2019re simply not thinking. Offered in the right way, many people will follow a suggested course of action because it\u2019s the path of least resistance.<\/p>\n
The structure of an advanced thank you<\/p>\n
To plan an advanced thank you, Use the following framework:<\/p>\n
First, think about the desired result. \u201cI want my employees to show up on time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Second, identify the type of people who typically demonstrate that behavior. \u201cResponsible and accountable people show up on time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third, craft a statement that identifies the people you are addressing as that group, and be specific about what you want to see.<\/p>\n
I want to thank you in advance for being such a terrific, hard-working group all season long. Every one of you gives 110 percent, every single day, even at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. I also want to thank all of you for clocking in right on time or a bit early all this week. I like that I can always count on you guys being in the trucks, ready to go by 7:15 every morning. You guys are the best.<\/em><\/p>\n Thanking people in advance is part science and part art. The framework offered provides a method for constructing the basics of a message. The specific words you choose, the tone in which you deliver them, and your timing are the components in the process that are more subjective. The following tips and cautions should help you get the most from the method.<\/p>\n Thanking people for good behavior should be done before you\u2019ve observed anything particularly egregious. For example, imagine a chaotic scene where customers are pushing and shoving each other. It\u2019s more difficult to thank them into a reverse course after they\u2019ve gone wild. However, a little advanced gratitude offered earlier could have helped avoid mayhem.<\/p>\n Thanking people is not a substitute for confronting inappropriate behavior. For example, if an employee comes to work dressed improperly, you can\u2019t thank your way around addressing the problem. However, you can use thank you as part of the corrective conversation. \u201cJoe, I appreciate you listening to me this morning, and I want to thank you in advance for taking the conversation seriously. I know you have what it takes to represent our company well. I look forward to seeing you be successful here.\u201d<\/p>\n Thanking people for everything dilutes the method\u2019s effectiveness. \u201cBill, I want to thank you for coming in on time today. I know how important punctuality is to you, so thank you for parking in the employee lot and not taking a visitor\u2019s space\u2026.\u201d Too much of that, and Bill\u2019s going to think you\u2019ve got a screw or two loose. Worse still, he\u2019s not going to believe a word you say.<\/p>\n Finally, there are some people with whom this method falls flat. They weren\u2019t behaving in a way we wanted before we tried it, and they\u2019re not behaving after the fact either. Fortunately, this group is small.<\/p>\n Perfecting the science and art of the advanced thank you takes time. The more you practice, the easier it is, and the more likely it will become a strategy your brain launches on autopilot.<\/p>\n I know you\u2019ll eventually be successful in getting this to work, and I want to thank you in advance for giving the method a try. Who are you going to influence first?<\/p>\n Use “Thank you” to keep good customers and employees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":2675,"parent":0,"template":"","columns-categories":[46],"main-categories":[50],"class_list":["post-2672","columns","type-columns","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","columns-categories-business-to-business","main-categories-business-development"],"yoast_head":"\nTips and cautions<\/h2>\n
Kate Zabriskie<\/strong><\/a> is the president of Business Training Works Inc., a Maryland-based talent development firm. She and her team help businesses establish customer service strategies and train their people to live up to what\u2019s promised. For more information, visit www.businesstrainingworks.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"