It was 7pm and, as I walked into Whole Foods, I was wishing for the day to be over. It had been an unfortunate day at work and all I wanted to do was grab a few items at the grocery store and go home.
As I was walking around looking for lettuce and avocado, Carlos, the man in charge of the produce section, asked me if I would like to taste the perfect apple. I was about to say “no thank you”, but then I looked at Carlos, saw his smile and the sparkle in his eye and decided that I wanted to experience the joy he was portraying. I took a bite of his apple and it was perfect. He told me that these apples were the sweetest I would ever taste, but they would only be this perfect for a few more days. Although apples were not on my shopping list, I asked him if he would pick four I could take home.
With my apples in hand, I walked over to the avocado section and began to feel around for three good ones. Carlos called me over and said that the better avocados were in the box he had just brought out from the back. I walked over to him and, once again, he asked me if I wanted to taste the perfect avocado. He said he had been working with fruits and vegetables for fifteen years and promised me that, with the avocado he picked, I would be able to easily peel off the skin. He was right. It was the perfect avocado. I asked him to select three for my shopping cart.
It was evident that Carlos was knowledgeable about produce. It was even more evident that Carlos was passionate, enthusiastic and had a great deal of pride for his job. I wanted to continue to feel Carlos’ energy and joy. I was hooked and asked him to show me what other ‘perfect’ fruits he had for me to taste. I ended up leaving 45 minutes later with three grocery bags full of fruits and vegetables.
I share this story because you have the opportunity to turn someone’s day around, as Carlos did for me, and get more business. Carlos was hanging around the produce section waiting for someone like me to make smile. You could do the same thing. Walk around the club and approach a person or two and share your enthusiasm for health and fitness.
Carlos gave me a free bite of the perfect apple. He even played a game by asking me to guess the apple’s name. You can provide free knowledge to the person you interact with and include a friendly game to further grasp their attention.
Carlos showed me how much he loved what he did. I felt that energy and chose to stay as long as I could with the hope that his joy would give me a happy ending to my terrible day. You can share your joy and enthusiasm with club members and have the same influence on them as Carlos had on me. As soon as I got home, I told my family about my experience. I’m even telling you the story because it’s so powerful. Wouldn’t you like the members you interact with to talk about you when they get home?
Lastly, remember that I purchased a lot more than I had planned. The people you spend time with at the club could easily turn into new clients. What a bonus!
Believe and Achieve,
Dr. Haley
P.S. Leave a comment to tell me what you think or if you have any questions.
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