Have you ever noticed how some people in the sales and service industry always seem happy? Through the years, I’ve interviewed several hundred of them and I think I’ve figured out their secret. They really enjoy what they do! For these happy people, happiness on the job seems to have less to do with the job title and more to do with attitude and general outlook toward life.
Recently, I was shopping for groceries and the young cashier was incredibly friendly.By the time I got through the line I had a new recipe and a consumer tip that would save me money. I had observed her treating every customer this way…saying one positive thing after another to everyone who came through her line.
I find myself drawn to friendly people because their attitude is contagious. Suppose you’re having a stressful day and you run into a store to buy something and an employee smiles at you and says, ” It sure is a beautiful day out there.” You know what …..You might actually look around and realize that it is!
I think one of the most inspiring people I ever interviewed was a window washer at a department store. Not only was she singing as she worked, she stopped to greet every customer who walked through the door. I wanted to bottle her happiness and sell it. Later when I was able to sit with her and do an interview, I realized that she was almost totally deaf. Though she couldn’t hear our responses to her warm greetings, she enjoyed putting smiles on faces.
