things better. Be willing to try unconventional remedies.
In addition to solving problems, you might generate some
good publicity. Just imagine the headlines: “Local company sends new parents to a hotel to get some sleep.” Or,
“A nurse is hired to work the nightshift at home.”
3. Tap into the persuasiveness reservoir.Social
butterflies are persuasive individuals. That’s not surprising since they listen carefully and respond to a person’s
needs. This is an important skill for a salesperson to cultivate, and there are times when each of us, regardless of
chosen profession, is a salesperson.
Jake was in charge of late-afternoon operations at
the Mill. He was convinced he could reduce absenteeism
if employees would wash their hands more often during
this shift. All his efforts to “sell” cleanliness were of limited value until Midge, the resident social butterfly, got
interested. “I don’t get it, Midge. We have new soap dispensers, softer paper towels, and four new clean-up stations so no one has to walk very far to wash their hands.
These are good health measures. It’s simple, but no one is
paying attention.” Midge asked Jake lots of questions, like
“How do you know that clean hands result in less time
lost?” and “How much did it cost to install new clean-up
stations?”
About one week later, Jake noticed an increase in
hand washing. He questioned Midge. “I told folks when
they wash more often they don’t bring so many germs
home to their wives and kids. I mentioned that study you
told me about, and I explained how much the company
spent to make it easy for us to wash our hands.”
Social butterflies persuade people by honing in
on benefits. Although employees weren’t motivated by
Jake’s “Wash hands, reduce absenteeism” crusade, their
ears perked up when they heard Midge’s message about