New is an interesting word. Something is new, until it is generally circulated and becomes ubiquitous. After a while, the new becomes commonplace. As time passes, the new becomes the old and then slowly slides into that antique category
Antique to me, is just old with a high price tag attached.
We, as a planet, are always striving to come up with new ways to make money, make friends, make life better, and I’ll let you fill in the _____ of what you think we are trying to create to make something new.
There’s another side to new and it generally refers to throwing-out the old.
Society seems eager to discard what has fallen into the old column and quickly embrace the new. Why is that?
Can’t be happy with a 2008 automobile, I’m waiting for the new 2010 model, because it will come in a new color.
Wear the new one; the old one makes you look, well, old.
I use to like that song by that group, but now they have a new one that I even like better.
Now, in all fairness to new, the whole concept of new is crucial to perpetuating the economies of the world and we’re conditioned to seek out the new, embrace it, and discard it when we are told that it’s now old.
Let’s shift to new and old American lexicon.
If we could roll back the clock to the middle of the 20th century, we would, in many cases, how we have slipped away from of society’s values of the time.
Understandably, societies evolve and take on the dynamics of the time, but some of the discarded items, really, are missed.
One little thing, that I miss, from the 20th century and its predecessors, is the phrase, “Thank You.”
Have you noticed how the last couple of generations are responding to “Thank You” these days.
If you’re a business owner, saying, “Thank You” after a transaction is sweet music to the ears of the customer. “Thanks” and “Thanks a lot” are close, but they just don’t have the impact of a sincere, non-hurried, “THANK YOU.”
Where the landscape of the American lexicon has really faltered, is with the response, “No Problem.”
A customer spends a considerable amount of money in your shop, restaurant, or business and they “thank you,” only to hear, “No Problem.”
“Thank YOU” for fixing my car and letting me spend a little more than one-thousand dollars here at your service center. “No Problem.”
Big problem, because in that 20th century of the past, someone would have responded with “you’re welcome.”
I remember an early lesson from my retail management days; “A customer is not a human being, a customer is an angel from heaven and you bend over backward to kiss their behind if necessary, because they’re the customer.”
Break your employees of the habit of saying, “No Problem” as soon as possible and if it doesn’t matter if they are blue-collar, white-collar, or naked.
“No Problem” is a rude response in any business or personal interaction. You are essentially telling someone that you’re use to handling problems all the time and what you did, or are going to do, is not an inconvenience.
You can even turn this around to your advantage by saying, “You’re welcome, it has been my pleasure or will be my pleasure to do that for you.”
Simple tweaks of the American lexicon can arm you with warm habits that people will remember, appreciate, and talk about to others.
“This nice young man at the store said thank you twice and asked if there was anything else he could do to make my shopping easier at their store.”
You can spend every cent you have on advertising great prices, convenient parking, and long hours, but a “No Problem” mentality can flush that money away, while a “You’re welcome, Happy to help you, How else may I be of service to you” attitude can pay tremendous dividends.
In a slowing economy, you have to maximize everything about your business and yourself.
A free way to do that is with the use of language.
I only used the example of “Thank YOU, No Problem, and You’re Welcome” to get my point across.
Kindness in language is a powerful selling tool, image builder, and communication improver for all of us to use, just for the speaking.
The next time you thank someone and you hear the response, “No Problem,” please remember to refer them to this article.
Language is like a knife, it will serve you well, but if you’re not careful with it, it will cut you.
Lazz Laszlo is a former Investment Executive and Radio & Television Financial Reporter with many entrepreneurial endeavors to his credit. He spends his time as an emcee, public speaker, enjoying life and writing about business, travel, retirement, strategy, and pleasure. To learn more, please visit Lazz’s website; http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com
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