Whitney Greer

Why does one restaurant have a waiting list yet empty seats litter the next?  Is it the food?  Sometimes.  But more often, before the server slides a plate on the table, you’ve decided whether to tell your friends to show up or steer clear.  The same holds true for potential employers and customers.  Here are 3 critical tips to [...]Read More »

Why does one restaurant have a waiting list yet empty seats litter the next?  Is it the food?  Sometimes.  But more often, before the server slides a plate on the table, you’ve decided whether to tell your friends to show up or steer clear.  The same holds true for potential employers and customers.  Here are 3 critical tips to earn a 5-star review when searching for a job or running a business.

View the Experience from the Other Side – Just as a good restaurant  plans a soft opening to work out the kinks,  you should try a dry run before going public with a new profile or a service.   An interview coach can find the holes in your company research, teach you to highlight your best experience, and direct the conversation without making you sound canned.  Activating a business website?  Get friends to navigate through and share the glitches before going live.   

Pay Attention to Details- A sticky ring on the table may seem like a small oversight until you’re the patron wiping the ick off your elbow.  Even on an informational interview, your entire package – contact email, dress, handshake (yes, it still matters), the bag you carry – is being assessed.  It screams whether you’re a fit for the environment or industry.   Delay returning a phone call in your small businss and you’ve killed the customer connection before you’ve even made contact.  Recently, I called my upholsterer three times before a call back.  Without realizing it, he sent the message that my business wasn’t important to him.   

Plan on Damage Control - Even a great restaurant can mess up an order.  But when it happens, it’s usually follwed by a drink or dessert on the house. Bumble an interview answer? Finish strong or follow up with a well-written email recalling a positive highlight from the interview, as  in, “I enjoyed sharing philosophies about XX.”  Surprise a client with a higher bill than expected? Consider eating a few dollars.  It’s still less expensive than digging out of negative buzz or worse a nasty Yelp posting.

If propsects or business seem slow, now’s a good time to consider some expert insight on the message you’re conveying with our FREE  marketing assessment.  And, stay tuned for our upcoming BizClinic and Who Wants to be a Consultant? workshops.