I was recently reminded how a true professional can really make a difference. Last month, while driving on the highway, I found myself flirting with disaster. Not knowing a worn ball bearing from a left-handed steering strut, I wasn’t sure what was happening when my steering wheel started to shimmy. My car suddenly veered to the left and the steering wheel was shaking wildly.
I quickly jumped to the worst-case conclusion. I figured my steering gizmo must’ve broken and my life, as well as everyone else’s lives in my proximity, was in danger. Worse yet, it was 6 a.m. when my car started to shimmy. And I heard myself repeating to no one in particular, “Just get me to the airport. Please get me to the airport.”
Good news! I waddled into the airport’s long-term parking lot and caught my flight to Atlanta. But as soon as I got back home, I made a beeline to my friendly auto mechanic. George, the owner and master of the small one-man shop, greeted me with a friendly gesture as if he was actually glad to see me.
I’m always amused at how some shop owners act as if customers are a nuisance. Don’t laugh. This is probably very close to the truth for some of you out there. It is a very common practice, even in today’s uncertain economy. Not for George. He makes his clients feel welcome and comfortable in a hectic, confusing, and anything but sanitary environment.
“George, I think I have a problem,” I said. Of course, I would have painted a more accurate picture if I’d used the words “big problem.”
So, he began to investigate. I told him about the sudden shimmy, and he said he thought he knew what the snag might be and asked me if he could put the car up on the lift. Once my car was off the ground, George ran his hands over the front tires. Then, with a big smile on his face, he confirmed his diagnosis.
He was obviously pleased with his findings, as most learned professionals are when they score some points. “You tore a steel belt in the left front tire—feel right here,” he said. “All you need is a new tire. Can you wait?” At first, I couldn’t see or feel what George had uncovered, but when I looked at it from a different angle, I could clearly see the problem.
George performed his magic, and I drove away in a smooth-running machine, thinking to myself how wonderful life is to have a handful of professionals I could call-on that know what they are doing and know exactly what they are talking about.
I enjoy just being around professionals, whether it’s on an athletic field, in an operating room, in a classroom or in the garage. True professionals are fun to be around. They make the world go round.
Professionals ask questions first to get an honest understanding of the problem. Professionals then diagnose the problem, and use all their experience and know-how to make life easier for their clients.
We rely on professionals when our own skills fall short. Professionals know that, in most instances, they are in business to solve problems. And, we gladly pay their fees for that service simply because we appreciate what they do for us.
Professionals don’t come in a box, and they don’t grow on trees. Professionalism comes as a result of trial and error, study, practice, focus, and years and years of hard work.
So, today is a good day to start working on your professionalism. Think and act like a pro—and get paid like a pro. Here are some questions to ask that just might help
- Are you studying your trade when you are not practicing it?
- Are you treating your clients with respect in a timely fashion?
- Are you asking questions to arrive at a clear solution?
- Are you listening with all your senses when others are speaking?
- Do you challenge yourself to get better each and every day?
- Are you working at becoming the exception in everything you do?
So I ask you, do your customers feel better knowing that you are in their corner? If the answer is yes, keep up the good work. If no, then it is time to get to work.
Today’s the perfect day to start. Get focused and jazzed about all the possibilities out there waiting for you. Go out there and make others glad they know you and benefit from the services that you can provide.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.