That’s My Job!

This month marks the 23rd anniversary of our Monday Morning Stretch, and to celebrate we are recycling some our most popular editions over the next few weeks. This Stretch was first published in May of 2014, just one year before Tom and I were married. It’s a great lesson in remembering that our job is often to help our customers and patients see what is possible, give them hope they could not see for themselves, and hold their hand on the journey there. 

Well, if you are ever looking for true motivation to watch what you eat and to skip the excuses about getting your workout in, you’ll find it at a bridal gown store. Yep, with my recent engagement, the search for the perfect wedding dress has begun for me, and last week I took the plunge and strolled into my first bridal shop. Yikes, quite the humbling experience!

I haven’t found my perfect dress yet. But, always on the alert for Monday Morning Stretch material, I did hear a statement from my excellent sales gal, Elaine, which I’ve been recommending to my client offices ever since.

After trying on many styles, I was just about to move on when Elaine brought me a gorgeous, sleeveless, mermaid-cut dress which was corseted in the back. I smiled politely and told her that the dress just wasn’t a good fit for me, but she implored me to humor her and just try it on. When I pulled it on my suspicions were confirmed—definitely not a dress for me. She asked why I thought so, and I replied, “I just don’t have the body shape that will look good in this cut.”  To which she peered around from behind me, looked directly at me in the mirror, smiled a slightly mischievous grin, and quietly stated, “That’s my job.”

It was then I realized this delightful but somewhat mousey salesclerk had the forearm strength of a champion Sumo wrestler as she began to pull the cords of the corset up and in, around and down, pulling, tugging, up and in, around and down, until finally I stood there staring at an unrecognizable hour-glass figure in the mirror, disbelieving what I saw. As my eyes misted with emotion, Elaine dusted her hands together, placed them on her hips and said, “There now. Tell me again why you think you don’t look like a movie star in that dress?”

I didn’t buy the dress, mainly because I’m not sure I could have sat down in it, let alone dance in it, but I did learn a valuable lesson in how to help someone expand their buying options into areas they previously would not have considered viable, possible, interesting, or likely.

With that one simple statement, Elaine metaphorically held my hand as I allowed her to show me a choice I had previously discounted but which she believed might be a great alternative for me as well as giving me confidence and hope as I traveled down a road of which I was wholly unsure.

Coaching some financial coordinators later that week, we talked about how to help a patient who didn’t believe they would qualify for financing to give it a shot by allowing the FC’s to apply with them online right there in the consult room. I shared Elaine’s phrase of “That’s my job… to see if we can get you qualified.” “That’s my job … to find a way to help you fit this into your lifestyle and budget.” “That’s my job … to show you how dentistry can be done without discomfort.” “That’s my job … to show you how we can improve your diabetes by eliminating the infection in your mouth.” You get the idea.

The greatest gift we can give our patients, clients, and participants as we introduce them to options we know will benefit them is clarity and hope. Elaine did that beautifully with her authentic personality, charming smile, and one simple phrase that communicated, “You’re in the hands of an expert. I’ve got this, and I’m confident you’re going to love this result. That’s my job. Your job is just to relax and trust me and let me blow your mind.” And boy, did she ever!

“Service, in short, is not what you do, but who you are.  It’s a way of living that you need to bring to everything you do if you’re to bring it to your customer interactions.”

— Betsy Sanders