S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Practice 1
Understand yourself first before serving others
As the first of a 7-part educational series from my book, “Winning Clients’ Loyalty – 7 Proven Practices to convert clients into Amazing Fans”, please enjoy learning more about Self-Mastery.
What is Self-Mastery?
Do you sometimes regret your actions? Do you wonder how your personal and working life will be so much better with the benefit of hindsight? Do you experience personal conflicts? Do you sometimes experience a pervasive sense of powerlessness and hopelessness?
My curiosity to understand more on the area of self- awareness and this led me to discover how emotional intelligence influences self-mastery.
“Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions; to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought; to understand emotions and emotional knowledge; and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.” This was defined by Peter Salovey and John Mayer in 1990.
How can you practice EQ in a very short time?
1. Know yourself
– Ask yourself “what am I feeling?”
Begin to notice your feelings and reactions. When you ‘Know Yourself’, you are more aware of your feelings and your ability to recognise the patterns or reactions that those feelings bring about.
2. Choose yourself
This provides the “how”: how you can choose to take action and how to influence yourself and others. Instead of reacting instantly, ask yourself, “What options do I have?”
3. Give yourself
This is the pursuit that delivers the “why”.
When you give yourself, you are clear and full of energy, so you stay focused on why to respond in a certain way, why you should move in a new direction, and why others should come on board with you. It is about connecting to your vision and putting your mission into action so that you lead and move forward with purpose.
Ask yourself, “What do I really want?” “What’s important to me?”
How will you respond when the customers say NO to you the next time? What is your level of optimism when the going gets tough in sales? How well do you listen to your customers, your colleagues, your team?
In working with many hospitality sales and service professionals over the last few years in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, this awareness has been beneficial in helping them engage better with their clients, build more customer loyalty and achieve higher sales results.