It was my chiropractor’s first day back, after taking the week off for the birth of his son. I heard him talking to the patients before me. Then it was my turn.
Before he started to work on me, I congratulated him, asked his son’s name, and asked how his wife was doing. I also asked him what his other young son’s reaction was to having a brother.
He thanked me for being concerned and we then began my treatment.
After the treatment he always puts patients on a massaging table to limber up their back muscles. He is a very tall man and he always towers over you as he thanks you for coming in, wishes you a good week and then goes on his way to the next patient.
But today (after he started up the massage devise) he said, “ I want to thank you so much for the caring words and concern for the birth of my new son. No one else has asked me that today and I just thought you might want to know how special that was. It doesn’t always happen.”
I smiled and thanked him. Then, as I laid on the massage table, I thought about how natural that was for me to ask those questions. Why wouldn’t I be concerned about someone I know? Having a child is a big deal.
This experience made me think about whether I do that enough. I bet I could make other people’s days even better by doing more of that.
How about you? Have you made a call, stopped in to see someone or even taken some time with a clerk in the store just to let them know you are there for them?
Of course, if you do that for a prospect or client that will have a big impact, too. But remember—sometimes this “being present” shouldn’t mean you are trying to get business from them. That’s not the point. It is to truly be a sincere person and be “present”.
